A laptop is often used for work or study. Many spend days and nights behind him. Therefore, when a problem arises that the keyboard does not work on a laptop, for many users it becomes a real tragedy. And if in the case of a computer, the input device could be quickly replaced, then things are worse with a laptop.
Keyboard
The input device appeared with the first computers. Since then, it has not practically changed functionally. Although the difference can still be noticed.
Some laptops come with a standard keyboard. There are options with an island type. Often, developers supplement the standard layout with function buttons. Keys may also appear to control the player or browser.
Keyboard issues
The laptop keyboard does not work, what should I do? Immediately you need to figure out the cause of this problem. If the input device fails, this does not mean that you will need to carry a laptop to the service center. Very often, problems can be due to system errors or hardware failures.
It’s worth saying right away that if your laptop is more than 5-6 years old, as a rule, you begin to notice various kinds of problems behind it. One of them may be that some buttons on the laptop keyboard do not work, and after rebooting the system they again become operational. Most often this is due to the fact that the laptop is slowly starting to fail. Along with a non-working keyboard, you can notice the slowdowns of the system, the regular appearance of "death screens" and long program downloads.
In this case, most likely, you will have to think about buying a new laptop. Of course, you can take it to a service center, specialists will clean it, change thermal paste, and reinstall the operating system. But this may not give a result. Some in this case acquire a computer keyboard. It can be connected via USB and used for work. And even if, over time, the new “keyboard” breaks down, you can buy another one.
Malfunctions
If the keyboard does not work on a laptop, what should I do? You need to understand the reasons for the failure of her work. Common problems include:
- software bugs;
- driver failure;
- Keyboard problems
- pollution of elements;
- mechanical damage.
Software bug
Why does the keyboard on my laptop not work? One common option is software failure. It already happens that for various reasons, the system begins to indicate some errors, which rarely occur due to the user's fault. Most often they can be solved in a couple of minutes.
Try restarting your laptop right away. Often failures occur after the device has woken up from sleep or hibernation. Remember that at least once every 3-4 days you need to turn off the laptop completely so that it updates its system and starts working from scratch. If you use one of the sleep modes for months, it is more likely that some services and components of the device will begin to fail.
Rebooting often helps if the keyboard does not work on the laptop. But sometimes this option does not help. Then you need to check if a mechanical error happened with the keyboard.
To do this, turn off the laptop again. Next, turn it on again and press the button that will help you enter the BIOS. First you need to find out the key combination for your model on the Internet. You can enter BIOS with F8 or Esc.
If you manage to enter the menu using these keys, then this is a 100% software failure, if not, you will have to check a few more options.
Software crash fix
If you figured out that the keyboard stopped working on the laptop due to a software malfunction, then you need to fix it. First you need to try to roll back the system. Therefore, it is always important to know how to create a recovery point.
This option helps return the system to one of its original states. It all depends on when this restore point was created. In what cases use system rollback?
For example, you used a laptop, installed programs, and at one point something went wrong. In our case, the keyboard on the laptop stopped working. To fix this error, you need to roll back the system. For this, it is important that a recovery point is installed on the laptop. It happens that it is automatically created.
To check this, go to the "Start" and select "Control Panel". In the dialog box, select "System" from the list, and then find the "System Protection" option. In the dialog box that opens, create a restore point. To roll back the system, you need to go back to the “Control Panel” and find the “Recovery” item.
If you created the point a couple of months ago, then with a higher probability you will not lose anything. You will have personal data. The only thing you can lose is the programs and applications installed during this period. Sometimes the system rolls back to the period when you reinstalled the OS.
Another way to deal with software crashes
If you understand why the keyboard does not work on a laptop and are convinced that the problem is not related to damage, then you can use the most cardinal way. Reinstalling the Windows operating system is not the easiest and fastest task, especially if you have an outdated laptop. It takes a long time to load data, set up a new system and install the necessary files.
Nevertheless, as practice shows, very often this becomes the only solution to the problem. Therefore, you need to be patient and reinstall the OS. Before that, do not forget to take care of your personal data. To transfer them to another medium, the keyboard is not needed, just one mouse is enough.
Fighting drivers
Before reinstalling Windows, you need to check the operability of the drivers. Of course, it very rarely happens that the keyboard does not work on the laptop due to uninstalled software.
After buying a laptop, the user receives an installation disk with all the drivers for the laptop. If he reinstalls the system on his own, he can use this disk to download the necessary files that support the operation of all components.
But, unfortunately, it happens that the user loses this disk or, again, a software failure occurs that violates the integrity of the drivers. To check them, you need to click on the “My Computer” label, in the window that opens, click RMB on the free area. Next, select “Property” and find the “Device Manager” section.
In the dialog box, all devices that are connected to the system will be displayed. It also checks the performance of a video card or processor, installed drivers on network adapters, image display devices, etc.
You can immediately find the line “Keyboard”. By clicking on the plus sign next to it, a list of devices opens. Usually, a real device is indicated here, which in our case has stopped working, as well as a virtual one. If you notice a cross or an exclamation mark on one of them in the yellow triangle, it means that the keyboard does not work on the laptop due to drivers.
You can try right-clicking on a device that has an alarm mark and updating the driver. The system can load the necessary files from the Internet, and the input device will work. If this does not help, search the Internet for the necessary drivers by first finding out the laptop model.
Keyboard issues
If no problems can be fixed, you can try checking the keyboard. It can be of an island type: each button has its own hole in the case. The classic version - these are solid keyboards that can be turned off and replaced if desired.
If problems are observed with the island type of input device, then only a specialist from the service center can solve them. In this case, it’s quite difficult to get to the “insides” of the laptop and deal with the keys. The classic version is much easier to clean, change and repair.
What to do if the keyboard on the Lenovo laptop does not work? Some models from this manufacturer are presented with a classic keyboard. In this case, you need to disable the laptop and get the input device. Depending on the laptop model, this can be done in different ways. It is advisable to find an overview of the analysis specifically for your model so as not to violate the integrity of the components.
After you can turn off the keyboard, you need to consider the cable with which it connects. It shows contacts, as well as any damage, if any. Therefore, you can visually check the loop for oxidation or defects. After that, it will be easy to decide whether to change an idle input device.
Cleaning
Often the keyboard on a Lenovo laptop does not work due to excessive pollution. Especially the island type of input devices suffers from this. Regularly, you need to take the laptop to the service so that it is cleaned inside, it is possible to change the thermal grease and also monitor the cleanliness of the keyboard.
Of course, you can do it yourself. The main thing is to carefully disassemble the laptop, do not forget about the disconnected parts and do not lose the casing screws. Some keyboards can even be washed, but such models are extremely rare. Usually, if this is a budget laptop, then its “keyboard” is afraid of water and mechanical damage. Also, such devices will wear out quickly, especially if you constantly work with them.
Mechanical damage
If you spill liquid on the keyboard or drop the laptop, the device may fail. In this case, it is better to immediately contact the service center, since the problems can be "deeper". When dropped, the integrity of the motherboard and the elements on it could be disrupted. Laptop wires are very thin and may break. Only a master can fix all this.
Windows 10 system
If the keyboard does not work on a laptop with Windows 10, then it is more likely that there was also a system failure, which was discussed earlier. Unfortunately, Windows 10 is not an ideal operating system. It often happens similar errors. If the keyboard works in BIOS, but refuses to type when entering the system, you can try to restart the laptop. There is also such a problem when the input device does not work on the login screen in the OS and some applications from the store. You need to run the "Task Manager" and check the presence of the process "ctfmon.exe". If it is not there, then go to the command line (Win + R) and enter the name of this process. After you need to add it to the startup system.