Laptop Keyboard Not Working

A laptop keyboard not working is either a setting, a driver, a frozen keyboard controller or a hardware fault, and one test separates them: whether the keyboard works before Windows starts. Try the 30 second checks first, because Num Lock, the Fn lock and Filter Keys make healthy keys look dead. Then press every key in the laptop keyboard tester. It shows a laptop layout, lights each key that reaches the computer, and tells you when letters are sending numbers or the top row is sending volume and brightness, which are settings rather than faults.

Quick checks

• Restart. If the laptop is frozen, hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off, then start it again.
• Plug in the charger. A very low battery can stop the keyboard, and a Mac may be showing a low battery warning you cannot see.
• Press Num Lock. On laptops that put a number pad on the letter keys, Num Lock makes U, I, O, J, K and L type numbers.
• Press Fn + Esc. On many Lenovo, Dell and ASUS laptops this toggles the Fn lock, which decides whether the top row sends F1 to F12 or media keys.
• Connect a USB keyboard. If it works, Windows is fine and the fault is the built-in keyboard, its driver or its cable.

Test the keyboard before Windows starts

The laptop's firmware reads the keyboard on its own, without Windows or its drivers. If keys work there, the hardware is fine.

Once the menu opens, move around it with the arrow keys and check that the keys you suspect respond. On an HP laptop, the Startup Menu is the test itself: if it does not open when you tap Esc, HP says the built-in keyboard hardware is not working.

If the keys work at this stage but not in Windows, go to the driver and settings fixes. If they fail here too, try the power drain, then plan a repair.

Drain the power

A power drain resets the embedded controller, the chip that reads the keyboard, and fixes keyboards that stop responding after a sleep or a crash.

1. Shut the laptop down fully and unplug the charger, docks and every USB device.
2. If the battery is removable, take it out.
3. Hold the power button for 15 to 20 seconds. HP and Dell both give this step.
4. Refit the battery, plug in the charger only, and turn the laptop on.

Some Lenovo and Acer laptops have a small reset pinhole on the bottom that does the same job with the battery inside. Check your model's manual for it.

Turn off Filter Keys

Filter Keys ignores short presses, so quick typing vanishes. It turns on when the right Shift key is held for 8 seconds.

• Windows 11: Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then turn off Filter keys and Sticky keys.
• Windows 10: Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, then turn off Use Filter Keys and clear Allow the shortcut key to start Filter Keys.

Reinstall the keyboard driver and hotkey software

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Select View > Show hidden devices.
3. Expand Keyboards and uninstall every device listed there, including the faded ones.
4. Restart. Windows reinstalls the built-in keyboard.

If the keyboard died right after an update, open its Properties first and use Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab if it is offered.

When only the Fn keys, the backlight or the hotkeys fail, install the maker's hotkey package from its support site: HP Hotkey Support or the HP Wireless Button Driver on HP, the ASUS System Control Interface driver on ASUS, and the hotkey driver from Lenovo's support site or Lenovo Vantage on Lenovo. Dell's SupportAssist installs Dell's drivers and BIOS updates from its Update Software option.

Laptop keyboard not working on HP, Dell or Lenovo

• HP: turn the laptop on and tap Esc, then press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI and run the keyboard test under Component Tests. The Windows version of the same app has it under Component Tests > Input Devices > Keyboard Test.
• Dell: tap F12 at the Dell logo and choose Diagnostics, or run the keyboard test in SupportAssist.
• Lenovo: run the hardware tests in Lenovo Vantage or Lenovo Diagnostics.
• ASUS: open MyASUS and run System Diagnosis.
• Surface: open the Surface app, expand Help & support and select Get help.

Surface keyboards

For a Surface Pro or Surface Go keyboard cover:

1. Unplug the Surface and detach the keyboard, then attach it again so every magnet touches the bottom edge.
2. Clean the connector strip with compressed air or a soft brush.
3. Press Caps and Fn a few times. If their lights never come on, Microsoft treats it as a fault for service.
4. Force a restart: shut down, then hold the power button for 20 seconds, past the first logo, until the logo appears again. This also works on a Surface Laptop.
5. Check the keys in UEFI, as in the table above. If they work there but not in Windows, Microsoft suggests Reset this PC with Keep my files and Cloud download after you have tried the driver steps.

MacBook keyboards

• Low battery. Connect the charger. Apple notes the built-in keyboard can stop while a low battery alert you cannot see is on screen.
• Slow Keys and Mouse Keys. In System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, turn off Slow Keys. In Pointer Control, turn off Mouse Keys, which stops the keyboard typing text.
• A paired Bluetooth keyboard. Disconnect or unpair any Bluetooth keyboard in System Settings > Bluetooth, since it can take over from the built-in one.
• Apple Diagnostics. On a Mac with Apple silicon, shut down, then press and hold the power button until the startup options appear and press Command + D. On an Intel Mac, hold D while it starts.

Apple's free repair program for 2015 to 2019 butterfly keyboards ended in November 2024, so an out of warranty MacBook keyboard repair is now a paid top case replacement. The mac keyboard test explains which keys a Mac handles differently from a PC.

Some keys or one row are dead

• Crumbs and dust. Turn the laptop off, hold it upside down at an angle and tap it, then blow short bursts of compressed air under the dead keys.
• A spill. Turn the laptop off at once, unplug it, tip it upside down to drain, and let it dry for 24 to 48 hours before you switch it on. Sugary drinks often leave a film that needs a repair.
• A whole row or block. Neighboring keys that fail together usually share a circuit, which points to the keyboard's ribbon cable or a damaged keyboard layer rather than dirt.
• A keyboard that bulges or lifts. The battery sits under the keyboard in most laptops. A swelling battery can push keys up so they stop working. Stop using the laptop and have the battery replaced.

When it is a hardware fault

If keys fail before Windows starts and after a power drain, the keyboard, its cable or the board needs a repair. On many business laptops the keyboard is a separate part with screws and a ribbon cable, and replacing it is a modest job. On most thin laptops and MacBooks it is riveted into the palm rest, so the repair replaces the whole top case and costs much more. Check the warranty on the maker's support site with your serial number, and include the dead keys from the tester's copied results. Until it is fixed, a USB keyboard works in Windows and in the BIOS. For a desktop or wireless keyboard instead, see keyboard not working, and if the touchpad failed at the same time, read touchpad not working, since both often share a cable or a driver.

Laptop keyboard questions