A locked keyboard is great if you don’t want to accidentally press keys or keep kids and pets from tampering with your computer without your knowledge, but if you can’t unlock it, that’s a real problem to solve. Fortunately, if your keyboard is unresponsive, there are a few things you can do to get it working again.
Here’s how to unlock a keyboard that’s locked.
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Check USB keys and USB cables
As with wireless mice, wireless keyboards also come with their own USB dongles. You may have accidentally moved your computer, or the dongle may have loosened over time. Remove the USB key from its port and insert it again. If that doesn’t work, consider that the key may be faulty.
If you’re using a wired keyboard, try turning it off and on again.
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Toggle key on/off
Sometimes the solution to a locked keyboard problem can be as simple as flipping a switch. In the case of wireless keyboards, most of them have an on/off button to save battery life. Make sure the button is on.
Consider replacing the battery as it may be dead. Maybe your battery is dead, not your keyboard is locked.
Updating drivers
The keyboard may have stopped working because the driver is out of date or the system has corrupted it. Whatever the case may be, updating your keyboard drivers can unlock your locked keyboard.
If you have Windows 10, you will need to go to your Device Manager (Start menu > Windows system > Control panel > Device Manager). For Windows 11 select Start menu > settings > System > Eye > Device Manager. Find the keyboard driver by clicking on Keyboards field. Right-click on the Standard PS/2 keyboard and select Update the driver option. You will be prompted to reboot your system after the update is completed successfully.
Furthermore, if you choose Properties option from that same drop-down list, Windows will tell you if it finds problems with the driver itself.
Note that if you have a wireless keyboard, it may not show up like what is listed for a standard laptop keyboard (Standard PS/2 keyboard).
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Uninstalling and reinstalling drivers
If a driver update fails to unlock the keyboard, try this method instead (use at your own risk).
Step 1: Go to Device Manager on Windows. Right-click the keyboard entry and select Uninstall the device tab.
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Step 2: Restart your computer. When it restarts, you should install the keyboard driver.
If it doesn’t, plug another keyboard into your system if you can, go to the locked keyboard manufacturer’s website and download the necessary drivers.
Alternatively, follow this procedure on a completely different computer, save it to a USB/external hard drive and use your mouse to install it on the affected system.
Disabling sticky and filter key functions in Windows 10/11
You may have accidentally locked the keyboard because the sticky key and filter key functions are enabled.
Step 1: Open in Windows 10 settingsand then select Ease of access tab. Scroll down to Interaction section in the sidebar and select Keyboard. Turn off Filter buttons and Sticky buttons with their respective switches using the mouse.
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Step 2: Similarly for Windows 11, click on Beginning menu, open settings and switch to Accessibility section on the left below which you should find Keyboard settings. At the top should be the power off switches Sticky buttons and Filter buttons.
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Other general solutions
Step 1: Restart your computer: Yes, it might seem like an obvious solution, but you’d be surprised how many people have unlocked their keyboard after just restarting their computer. Try it.
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Step 2: On-Screen Keyboard: This is more of a temporary solution, but still effective. In Windows 10, open Keyboard section within Ease of access and turn on Use the on-screen keyboard button. If you’re using Windows 11, you can find a switch to enable the on-screen keyboard by going to Beginning > settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
This might at least allow you to type on your system, albeit through a much longer procedure. For example, you can enter the necessary search term for drivers that you can download for your keyboard (check if it is from the manufacturer’s official website).
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Step 3: Mechanical damage: Your keyboard may no longer work due to certain mechanical damage that the product is affected by. For example, you might have dropped it on the floor and that could have broken some of the modules inside the keyboard itself. Similarly, you may have spilled water or coffee on it.
For this purpose, connect the keyboard to another system and check if it works. If it doesn’t, you’ll probably just have to buy a new keyboard. you can make an informed decision by checking out our favorite gaming keyboards, or if you want something more comfortable, then here are some of the best ergonomic keyboards.
If you have a laptop and none of the fixes above have unlocked your keyboard, it may be time to take it to a trusted computer repair shop for a checkup.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn