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Why doesn't the new keyboard work on my computer? The keyboard on the computer does not work: what to do, reasons

A common reason why some laptop buttons stop working is because the device's keyboard circuit board tracks are damaged or a significant amount of debris has accumulated. Below we will tell you what to do in this case - how to disassemble the laptop for cleaning, restore damaged tracks and eliminate other, including software, reasons why the above-mentioned malfunction may occur.

If the laptop keyboard was flooded

If, as a result of negligence, the keyboard of the device has been flooded, it is important to quickly turn off the power to the device, remove the battery and clean and dry it, after first disconnecting the input device. If you neglect cleaning, then over time some of the tracks may rot, as a result of which you will have to make quite complex repairs - one or more buttons may simply stop working.

Let's look at how to disassemble a laptop for cleaning in the case described above:

  1. Turn off the power and remove the battery.
  2. Remove the data input device by:

Removing the buttons and cleaning the keyboard

To remove a key without damaging the device, you usually need to lightly press it from above and pry it from below with a thin screwdriver. It all depends on the laptop model. The buttons here are attached with latches to the so-called. elevator.

The number of fasteners can be from three to four. In the first case, only one connection will be movable - upper or lower, in the latter - both connections will be movable. We are primarily interested in the fixed connection of the elevator. It is from this side that you will need to pry if you want to safely snap it off. Most often, fixed connections are located in the lower part. Then simply pull the tool up.

After dismantling all the buttons, you can proceed directly to cleaning. You can work with simple wet wipes. You can also use various cleaning liquids, with the exception of aggressive ones - acetone, etc., which can easily damage the circuit. After removing all contaminants, reassemble the device - this must be done in the reverse order.

There will also be no particular difficulties with installation:

  • Lower the key pad onto the spring element in the center;
  • press it strictly vertically down until it clicks.

The device will begin to operate normally if the cause of the malfunction was accumulated debris. Otherwise, the likely cause may be defective traces on the board. You can also repair them yourself if the damage is not very extensive.

Restoring tracks on the keyboard board

In the case of faulty tracks, the device will have to be completely disassembled. It will be necessary to repeat all the described steps, and then dismantle the elevators. They are shown in the photo below.

There should be no difficulties with the last action, since they are removed quite simply, especially from the fixed side.

Once all the elevators from the data input device have been removed, it will be possible to remove the data input device part from the aluminum substrate.

The polyethylene board with tracks is also removed. On older laptops, you will also need to remove the plastic edging. Before doing this, it is advisable to heat the part with a regular hairdryer. Subsequently, at the assembly stage, you can use regular superglue to secure the plastic and restore the fastenings.

Next we will work with a polyethylene board on which tracks are drawn. The problem is that the trace board contains two plates, so to begin repairs, these layers also need to be separated:


New paths are drawn directly on top of the rotten ones, but the entire area will need to be thoroughly cleaned of dirt before this. After the renewed track has dried, it will definitely need to be “ringed”. The polyethylene part can be collected no earlier than an hour and a half after carrying out the described actions.
Next, the repaired layer is placed on an aluminum substrate, and on top is a part with spring elements. You can check its functionality now by connecting it to a PC and opening, for example, a regular notepad. If everything works fine, continue assembling the device, remembering to turn off the power to the laptop before doing so.

Check for obvious causes that may be causing the problem.

But before you start disassembling and cleaning the keyboard, first make sure that the reason why several buttons stopped working is not caused by your carelessness or other obvious things. For example, if the laptop does not respond to pressing numbers, check that you have not accidentally touched the Num Lock, which is responsible for disabling this block. Some laptop models support a combination of Fn and Num Lock.

Sometimes problems with devices can also be software. For example, the driver responsible for its operation may be damaged due to exposure to a virus. The first step in this case is to scan the system with a standard antivirus, or it can be one of the specialized utilities, for example, the free Virus Removal Tool from Kaspersky Lab. Then reinstall the necessary drivers.

Temporary replacement for the physical keyboard

To be able to download an antivirus program on the Internet and perform some other basic operations on a laptop without a physical keyboard, you can use a virtual one. You can activate it through “Start”:

  • in this menu, select the accessibility section;
  • Click on the line “On-screen keyboard”.

To enter the required characters, simply click on them with the mouse. Starting from the eighth version of Windows, instead of the standard screen one, you can use a special touch gadget for a laptop or tablet. It works without a touch screen - clicks are also made with the mouse.

Activation occurs as follows:

  • by clicking the mouse, call up the context menu of the taskbar (bottom bar of the screen);
  • select “Properties” from the menu;
  • in the taskbar properties, open “Toolbar”;
  • Check the “Touch keyboard” option and click “Apply”.

The problem when the keyboard on a computer or laptop does not work is not uncommon. This situation is faced by both beginners and experienced users who have been working on a computer for many years. Let's figure out how to find a solution to the problem when the keyboard stops working, the keys stick or does not respond to pressing.

What could be the reasons for the breakdown and their solutions?

I decided to write an article in the form of points so that you can go through them and find out why the keyboard does not work.

There is information on the blog when the keyboard on a laptop stopped working: “”.

  1. Beginner users usually immediately rush into panic and forget about the most trivial things. The very first thing you need to check is whether the keyboard is connected to the system unit (directly to the motherboard).

  1. Disconnect the keyboard for a while (5-10 seconds) and connect it again.
  1. If your keyboard suddenly stops working, try restarting your computer. Sometimes restarting Windows helps.
  1. Nowadays it is very popular to use wireless keyboards and mice. If you have previously used wired keyboards and now have a wireless one, then I remind you that batteries do run out and need to be recharged from time to time.

  1. All modern keyboards are connected through a special connector called a USB port. If there is a free USB port, then try connecting the keyboard to it. If all ports are busy, disconnect the printer or any other device to check the USB port for functionality by connecting a keyboard there.
  1. If you have children at home, then it makes sense to check for unnecessary items in the connector or in the system unit (motherboard) itself. I once witnessed a situation where there was paper or chewing gum in the USB port, and therefore the keyboard stopped working.
  1. It is possible that the keyboard has already done its job. To check if it works for you, you can go to your neighbors and ask them to connect your keyboard to their computer. If the keyboard works, then there is something wrong with your computer. You may have a spare keyboard, then connect it to your computer.
  1. If the keyboard only partially prints, you may be unable to type numbers that are on the right side of the keyboard. If so, then press the "Num Lock" button.

  1. What should I do if the keyboard does not work, but you have already done all the methods described above? If you have an old-style keyboard called PS/2 (piss in half), then pay attention to the legs. They may be curved or one of the legs may be completely absent. These legs may bend when connecting the device in a hurry, but they do not bend on their own. If there is no leg, then you will have to change the keyboard; if it is curved, then you can correct it with improvised means, for example, a screwdriver or a knife.

For the future, you should know that the purple connector is designated as the keyboard, and the green connector is the mouse.

  1. If there are food crumbs in the keyboard or you simply dropped it or hit it, then it makes sense to disassemble it. If you use the keyboard for a long time or if it gets hit, the rubber inside may slip off. When you disassemble the keyboard, you need to adjust and clean the rubber, if necessary.

Wipe the rubber with a dry cloth, and the keyboard itself can be wiped with a damp cloth.

When disassembling the keyboard, it is important for novice users not to forget where all the keys were. In order not to get confused about the location of the keys, you can find a photo on the Internet that will be identical to your keyboard. Also, when disassembling, you can put the keys on the table in the order they were or take a photo with your cell phone.

  1. If the USB keyboard does not work, then you can look in the BIOS to see if it is disabled. But there is one caveat: to enter the BIOS we need a keyboard that will work on this computer. There is an exit. You need to take a PS/2 keyboard or a USB to PS/2 adapter. By connecting PS/2 you can now use the keyboard. Go into the BIOS and switch USB Keyboard Support to Enabled. We also make sure that USB Controller is Enabled.

  1. Another reason for the keyboard to fail is that the driver on the computer, which is responsible for the proper functioning of the keyboard, has stopped working. In such a situation, there are a number of steps you can take to try to troubleshoot the problem yourself.

Firstly, you can do a system restore or roll it back to the date when the keyboard worked normally. Stretch your memory to remember the approximate date ;).

Secondly, try updating the keyboard driver. To do this, go to “Device Manager” and find our keyboard. Right-click and select “Update drivers...”

  1. If when you purchased your keyboard it came with a driver disc, you need to install them. Before installation, remove old drivers.

When the keyboard does not work: you now know what to do and how to find out the reason. Just in case, go through all the points; perhaps you missed some of them.

Keys do not work in a program or game

Users who like to play games sometimes encounter a problem when some of the keys do not work.

If the keyboard works, but after entering a program or some game, some keys refuse to work. In this case, it would be appropriate to first look at the assignment of the keys. If you are not satisfied with how they are set, then look for their settings in the game itself. In some games you need to save all changes, so don't forget about it.

Usually all hotkeys in programs are the same, but there are exceptions. To change them, find the key settings in the program itself. Change the part of the hotkeys that you are not happy with to the ones you are familiar with.

If your keyboard doesn’t work, and you’ve tried everything I’ve said here, then you can buy the most ordinary keyboard, since their cost is not high.

Do you like to eat on your laptop? Then this video is for you:

Sometimes users encounter such a problem that part of the keyboard on their laptop does not work. In principle, it happens that the entire keyboard does not work at once, but then, most likely, it just needs to be replaced. But if only some of the buttons stop functioning, everything is somewhat more complicated.

We will consider everything that can be done in this case independently, without the involvement of specialists.

Simple ways to solve the problem

It is not always necessary to do something complicated in order to restore the functionality of a part of the keyboard. Often the problem is solved quite simply. So from the very beginning, do this:

1.Try pressing the Fn and Num Lock keys. It is possible that pressing one of them blocked some buttons on the keyboard.

2. Hold Fn and press Num Lock, then release both buttons. In some cases, this simple method allows you to get the keyboard fully operational.

3. Take a brush and go over all the buttons. It is quite possible that some dust has accumulated under one of the buttons. If possible, also take a vacuum cleaner. On the Internet you can find special vacuum cleaners for small keyboards.

Keyboard vacuum cleaner

4. Restart your computer. In some cases, there may be some minor bug in the system that prevents certain buttons from working.

In most cases, the problem will be minor and can be fixed with one of these steps. If nothing works, move on to the next step.

Fixing a software glitch

It is quite possible that the problem is the malfunction of some programs or services. To check this option and fix the problem, you need to do the following:

1. Boot from safe mode without drivers. To do this, restart your computer and immediately start pressing the F8 button. Select “Safe Mode” from the boot options.


Note: Depending on your system configuration, the boot mode button may differ. So try using all the buttons from F1 to F12 if pressing F8 does not help. As a result, a window similar to that shown in Figure 2 should appear.

Options for selecting system boot mode

2. Try to create some kind of document and use all the buttons on the keyboard. You need to check not only those buttons that previously refused to work, but also all the others! If it really is a software glitch, the set of non-working keys may change with each new start.

So, if all the buttons work well, then the problem is really in the operating system. The most likely solution to the problem lies in updating the drivers. The best way to do this is the standard way:

  • Open the “Start” menu (Windows), then “Control Panel”, find “Device Manager” there;

Device Manager in Control Panel

  • open the “Keyboards” item;
  • usually there is only one keyboard, right-click on it and select “Update drivers...” (if there are several keyboards, which is very unlikely, do the same with all of them);
  • select “Automatic search...”;
  • wait until the drivers are found on the Internet, they will be installed automatically.

Updating drivers using the standard Windows method

You can also download and install the DriverPack Solution program. It allows you to scan your entire computer for the latest available drivers. If the keyboard has incorrect (roughly speaking, “broken”) or outdated drivers, you can easily replace them. The usage of this program is as follows:

  • download the program (here is the link);
  • install it and run it;
  • An automatic scan will occur, after which just click on the “Update all” button.

DriverPack Solution Window

Scan the system with your antivirus and remove all detected viruses. You can also use special utilities for this, such as Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free.

If updating and scanning drivers does not help, try rolling back the system to a time when everything worked well.

To do this you need to do this:

  • open the “Start” menu, then “All Programs”, “Accessories”;
  • after that, go to the “Utilities” section and click on “System Restore”;

System Restore item in the Start menu

  • in the window that opens, click “Next”;
  • then select the desired restore point, and here they are sorted by date and time (you need to choose the one that most accurately corresponds to the time when everything was fine);

Selecting a restore point for system rollback

  • Click Next and then Finish.

In principle, you can reinstall the drivers and roll back the system in cases where the keyboard also does not work correctly in safe mode. But in this case, the likelihood that it will help is very small. Most likely, the problem is mechanical, not software, and it needs to be solved by physical intervention in the computer device.

Fixing a physical glitch

In this case, you will have to disassemble the keyboard and see step by step what could have gone wrong. To do this, follow these steps (it is very important to adhere to the exact order in which all actions will be listed below):

1. Turn off the laptop and remove the battery.

2. Take a flat-blade screwdriver and carefully remove all the latches on the plate that holds the keyboard in place. If you don’t see any latches on your laptop, you should pick up the instructions and read what it says about the design of the keyboard and how it is removed. In any case, some kind of fastening mechanisms must be present.

The process of opening the keyboard plate latches

The keyboard plate is attached to the laptop itself using a cable. You will see it immediately.

3. So, if there is obvious damage on it, the cable should simply be removed and replaced with a new one. To do this, take an old cable, go to the nearest electronics store and buy the same one.

Keyboard cable

4. If the cable is not damaged, it still needs to be removed. Under no circumstances should you take the cable by the conductors! You can only grab those plastic parts that attach it to other parts of the laptop. For clarity, Figure 10 shows those parts that can be handled and those that cannot be handled. True, keyboards usually use slightly different cables.

5. There, under the keyboard plate, you can find the microcontroller. It's necessary dry and try to remove dust using a vacuum cleaner.

It is quite difficult to explain how to find this microcontroller. To put it simply, this is exactly the device to which the cable is attached. Just in case, when removing the keyboard, go through all the controllers you see. You won’t be able to do anything else on your own without special knowledge. Again, if you see obvious damage to the microcontroller, it is best to replace it.

Laptop with keyboard removed

6. If everything is fine with the cable, you will have to disconnect the keys and clean them. Usually the button can be removed in the standard way - pry it off with the same flat-head screwdriver. Start with the problem buttons. If you see damage underneath, replace the elements that secure the button to the laptop.

The process of removing buttons from the keyboard

7. Try using the keyboard again.

If the problem persists, remove all the buttons and remove the aluminum plate that is located under them. Usually it also has special fastenings that can be removed quite easily. But underneath it is hidden a polyethylene board with traces drawn on it.

Inspect it for obvious damage - if there is any, there are two options: draw new tracks or buy a new board. In any case, go over the board with a vacuum cleaner.

To check the integrity of the tracks, use a tester.

Checking the integrity of tracks on the keyboard board with a tester

To draw the tracks, use a car rear window heating filament repair kit (that’s what it’s called).

If all else fails, your best bet is to have your computer repaired.

The video below clearly shows the process of disassembling a laptop keyboard.

Part of the keyboard on a laptop does not work: what to do and how to fix it - a detailed guide

Instructions

The main reasons for such a malfunction lie in a hardware failure or software error. Checking the hardware version is very simple - check the plug on your keyboard and the connection connector. If everything is visually in order, replace the keyboard with a working one and reboot the computer. If you continue to be unable to use this device, you should check the version of the software fault.

First, try rebooting the machine. Perhaps the operating system will localize and fix the software glitch. Try reinstalling the keyboard. To do this, in the “System Properties” window of the “System” item “Control Panel”, find the “Hardware” tab. Click the "Device Manager" button. In the "Device Manager" window, select the "Keyboard" item and delete it, close the "Device Manager". Then enter the “Hardware Installation” item and run the “Setup Wizard”. Click Next and wait for the installer to detect the keyboard. The OS will indicate that the keyboard is detected and functioning by turning on the Num Lock indicator light. If the program displays a message that the installation of new devices is complete and prompts you to reboot, then click the “No” button, since the keyboard is already functioning. Also click the “Finish” button in the “Found New Hardware Wizard” window and exit the “System Properties” menu.

One possible problem could be that the operating system does not detect the required driver. To reinstall the driver, go to the website of your keyboard manufacturer, select the desired model, download the archive and unzip it. As a rule, such drivers come with their own installation program, and then you just need to run the file. If there is none, you will have to launch the “Device Manager”, select the “Update Driver” command and specify in manual search mode the path to the directory in which the unpacked driver is located. The computer must be restarted after installation.

Often, a non-functioning keyboard is a consequence of a virus program that has taken up residence in your machine. A characteristic sign of this is the failure of the mouse, as well as the touchpad. Check your system with an antivirus program. It is better not to rely on free utilities that promise instant success and a cure for your computer. Use reputable and well-known antiviruses. The chances of success with such security are much higher.

A very real reason for a keyboard failure may also be the lack of BIOS connection. This failure is especially common on machines with a built-in keyboard. Correcting the situation can be quite simple. As your computer boots, enable the BIOS. Find the tab with a list of input and output devices. Select USB Controller and turn on Enabled. Enable the same mode for the USB Keyboard Setup item. Exit the BIOS with confirmation to save the new settings. If none of the above helped you, contact the service center.

Do you press some letters on the keyboard of your laptop or computer, but completely different ones appear on the screen? Don't worry, it's easy to fix. If The keyboard is printing the wrong letters and symbols, there may be several reasons. I will tell you about each of them and options for solving the problem below.

Reason #1: An additional keyboard is included, which is activated by the Fn key.

If you are using a laptop. Most likely the reason is the FN key pressed, press Fn+Ins(Insert) and try typing. In some cases, Fn+Num Lock should help.

As I said above, pressing the Fn key activates additional symbols bound to the buttons. They are usually labeled in a different color and painted on the buttons in the corner.

If you are sure that your keyboard does not have an Fn button, just read on. There are a few more ways below.

Reason #2: Sticky keys are enabled.

Windows has a “Sticky Keys” mechanism, which is activated if you press one button or several buttons many times in a row. Very often cats turn on this mode for us by walking on the keyboard or lying on it.

Disabling Sticky Keys is simple:

  1. Go to the Start menu
  2. Find "Settings"
  3. Here is the "Control Panel"
  4. Next, “Accessibility” or “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Look for "Typing keyboard shortcuts one at a time" or "Sticky keys"
  6. Find the “Enable Sticky Keys” checkbox and uncheck it.

Reason #3: Crumbs in the keyboard or other debris.

Everything is simple here, look visually at the keyboard if crumbs or other debris are visible between the buttons. Turn the keyboard over and gently shake until all or most of the crumbs fall out from under the buttons, then check if it helps. Repeat until all buttons are operational.

Reason #4: Problems with regional settings.

Check in the menu:

    1. Start
    2. Settings
    3. Control Panel
    4. language and regional standards
    5. Here the “Languages” tab and click “More details”
    6. Then check what keyboards you have, they should be Russian and English (USA).

Please note that next to the word Russian there are no additions: Mashinny, Ukraine, Belarus, etc. If you had the wrong layout, then delete it and click on the “Add language” or “Add keyboard layout” button. Then choose the correct Russian, without postscripts.

Choosing the correct Russian layout

If both keyboards were correct, try pressing each letter in the English layout and see if the letters and symbols are pressed correctly and match what you press. If yes, please check your computer for viruses and once again, just in case, make sure that the correct Russian layout is added. It would be a good idea to remove it and add it again just in case. If on the English layout there are still discrepancies between what you press and what appears on the screen, then you have a problem with the keyboard itself and it needs to be replaced. This often happens due to liquid getting on the keyboard.

If this article helped you, please write about it in the comments. Also, if you have problems and something didn’t work out, write also, I’ll try to help.