Why is My Keyboard Not Working?

When your keyboard suddenly decides to stop working, it’s certainly not the time to start panicking (Cue screaming Spongebob meme).

There are plenty of easy and simple-to-do troubleshooting methods and fixes you can try, before you throw your keyboard out of the window. In fact, we’ve put together this guide, highlighting a few of our tips and tricks to get it back into working order.

Have You Turned It Off and On Again?

An easy, quick troubleshooting method is to restart your PC.

Believe it or not, a simple reboot can help to fix any pesky and unexpected PC problems, saving you a lot of time and money.

Try Another USB Port

If you have a wired keyboard, it could be your USB connection.

You can try unplugging and plugging it back into the same port. If that doesn’t work, try a new USB port entirely.

Check Your Wireless Connection

Alternatively, if you have a wireless keyboard, we recommend checking your wireless connectivity. Whether this is a USB dongle or Bluetooth.

If you use a USB dongle, unplug it and plug it back in. For Bluetooth connectivity, you will need to turn the Bluetooth on and off on your PC, along with reconnecting your keyboard once again.

Turn Off Sticky and Filter Keys

Sticky and filter keys are a built-in accessibility feature. However, they can cause your keyboard to suddenly stop working or not respond in the way that you want to.

You can check if you have sticky and filter keys enabled by going into Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Sticky /or Filter Keys.

Give Your Keyboard a Clean

We’re all guilty of eating at our desks, but those pesky crumbs can be causing your keyboard to not work correctly.

Trapped crumbs can cause your keys to get stuck and not respond to your keypresses. Giving a good deep clean, not only will free your keys, it will leave your keyboard looking factory fresh.

Our dedicated blog article has all the top tips and tricks you need to clean your keyboard.

Update Keyboard Drivers

If after all of this, your keyboard is still not working, we recommend checking for a driver update. This will vary between different models, and it’s crucial you check on your manufacturer’s website or keyboard’s webpage for the correct driver update.

If you do have a Ducky keyboard, we’ve got an in-depth guide on how to update your Ducky keyboard’s firmware.