My laptop keyboard doesn't work 【 SOLUTIONS 】 ⭐️

Is your laptop keyboard not working? We are going to analyze the most common cases and their possible solutions. Whether none of its keys work, or if you only have problems with a few specific ones, this article is for you. Join us.

Table of contents

Check that the problem comes from the keyboard itself

The first thing you have to do is check if your problem, whatever it is, comes from the keyboard itself or not. To do this, what we recommend is that you try connecting any external USB keyboard to the computer. It is very likely that you already have one at home, in the office or in the educational center. If you don't have any problem with an external keyboard, then indeed the problem comes from the laptop.

In case the external keyboard is also causing problems, the most likely option is that you have a software problem.

Touchpad disabled

It may be the case that the keyboard itself works perfectly, but the touchpad is unresponsive. We know that this is a very common case because many times a function to disable the touchpad or trackpad is activated by mistake. We do not mean that the laptop activates it alone, but that the user does it accidentally.

Many laptops have quite a few facilities for disabling the touchpad or trackpad, in the form of having a dedicated function key for it.

Common causes why the laptop keyboard does not work

Before investigating further, and especially if the external keyboard you have tried works, it is advisable to do other checks to show that it is not a software problem.

BIOS

Basically it will be to enter the BIOS of your laptop to check there if it works, since whatever you do you cannot disable the keyboard there, if the keyboard does not respond in the BIOS it is very likely that it is spoiled

To access it, turn off your computer and turn it back on. Immediately start pressing the appropriate key to access the BIOS. This depends on the laptop: in some cases, you have to first access a special menu by pressing Enter or Space, in others what you have to do is press the Delete, F12, F10, F1... key (these are the most common).

Sure, this in itself is a good way to see if your keyboard works, but if you can't get into the BIOS it doesn't have to be broken: if you're using Windows 10, you may be doing its shutdown. hybrid". This is designed so that when you turn on the PC it goes directly to Windows, without giving you the opportunity to enter the BIOS.

In that case, you can easily do it from Windows. We are going to assume that the trackpad does work, or you have a mouse, because you will need it.

Enter the Start Menu. Go to the settings icon.

Then, go into Update options and then Recovery. There, select the advanced reset. This will take you to a panel where you should find Advanced Options and then UEFI Firmware Settings. Click on the latter and you will be in the BIOS.

Software Glitch

There, if you see the keys responding smoothly, then most likely the problem is caused by the software. Let's check it:

In Windows, go to Device Manager. You can access it by right clicking on the start menu button, there you will find the Device Manager option.

Once inside, click on "View" and Show hidden devices. Then break down the Keyboards option, and right click on each one of them, and uninstall them all. Don't be scared by this, restart Windows and then the drivers will be reinstalled automatically. This should fix a problem originating from the software.

Broken flex cable

On the other hand, if you see that no keys are responding in the BIOS, not even the arrow keys, then it is very possible that the problem is physical.

Knowing the nature of the problem (no key works), most likely the problem comes from the flex cable that connects it to the motherboard. These are extremely thin cables that are the order of the day in laptops. On a keyboard, most likely one end will be soldered to it, and the other will come in the form of a connector on the board. This means that, in most cases, it only leaves us with the option of changing the keyboard for a new one, something that we will talk about later.

Impact or spill of some substance

You are using the laptop and you spill coffee, water or a soft drink on the keyboard, has this happened to you? This happens to a lot of people and we are sorry to inform you that the keyboard will die almost 100%. It is true that there are high-end laptops that resist the spill of certain substances, but the vast majority do not because those certifications cost money.

The liquid may have fallen and you cleaned it up quickly, but the problem is how it penetrates all the gaps under the keys. In the end, it sneaks under the keyboard causing damage to the keyboard PCB (and pray it doesn't affect other components).

As if that were not enough, this kind of damage is not covered by the purchase warranty, nor by the manufacturer itself, because it is negligence on the part of the user.

And if the fault is in specific keys?

Here, the first thing we recommend is to check which are the exact keys that fail. To do this, there is a wide variety of websites where we can see the keys that work and those that do not.

An example is the web key-test, where each key that is detected will light up in its position. Of course, keep in mind that it is designed for the English keyboard layout (we did not find any for the Spanish one), so some keys (especially symbols and others) will be moved, and others will not light up directly:

If you have clearly verified that there is indeed a failure in some keys, this can be mainly due to two reasons. The first is in a physical failure of the keyboard membrane itself. This will be the most common if:

The second is a failure in the connection or in the electronics of the keyboard/motherboard in a completely analogous way to that explained in the previous point.

In both cases, keyboard replacement is often the most viable option. But first you have to check if you have a guarantee.

Before replacing your keyboard, check if you have warranty

If you have decided that the most likely option is that you need to replace your keyboard, then we are going to give you the most relevant keys to do it.

The first and most important thing is that you check if your laptop still has a warranty. It is foolish to spend time and money on a new keyboard if your product is still covered by a warranty period. To check this, go to the date of purchase of the equipment (look for your invoice, ticket or purchase confirmation... don't lose something like that in a device that can be so expensive!) and check if it has been used for more than 2 years.

In case your laptop is less than 2 years old, go to the store where you bought it for a repair.

If you've lost your bill or see that the laptop is around a little over 2 years old, there's a small chance you're still in luck. Some computers offer extended terms of 3, 4, or even 5 years. The point is that this is not usually the case on non-business computers (Lenovo Thinkpad, HP Elitebook, etc).

Don't have a warranty?

If you don't have a warranty and you're determined to change your keyboard, then you'll have to buy a new one. To do this, you will need to know your exact laptop model, and search for a compatible model on marketplaces like eBay. Its price should be around 30 euros or less, although it is possible that what you get is a lower quality replacement model.

Then the replacement will depend on each model. In many cases it is reduced to removing some screws (not all), removing only the keyboard and putting the new one. In others, much more will have to be disassembled in a tedious way. It may also be the case that the keyboard is not user-replaceable, especially on some especially aesthetically pleasing ultrabooks. Since it is not possible to make a universal guide, the question is basically to find explanatory videos for your specific model of laptop.

And if you don't see yourself able to change it, perhaps it is It is recommended that you go to a specialized repair shop. Or in the first instance open a post in our hardware forum where you will receive personalized help.

Final words and conclusion

If your laptop keyboard is not working, the most common chances are that it is due to a simple bug or small problem, such as a software glitch, inadvertently disabling it , etc. Especially if it is the touchpad of the device. Of course, the first thing to do is rule it out by connecting an external keyboard to confirm it.

If you can clearly tell that the problem is with the laptop, unfortunately it is most likely due to a hardware failure. Within the bad, the best that can happen is that it is a problem in the keyboard membrane or a failure of the keyboard "flex" cable / connector. There, the most common solution will be to replace it.

In case the problem comes from the motherboard connector or its own circuitry, a fix is ​​practically unattainable for a normal user, beyond replacing it completely . Of course, you always have to check that the keyboard is in the warranty period, since in that case we can send it to be changed.