Laptop keyboard keys not working: causes and solutions

Laptop keyboard faults show up in different ways: a single key or a whole row does not respond, keys type the wrong characters, a key stays pressed on its own, or the keyboard stops responding entirely. The first step is to tell whether the problem is software or hardware.

Check these first

1. Test it in the BIOS: try entering the BIOS while the laptop starts (keys such as F2, Del or F10, depending on the brand). If the keyboard does not work in the BIOS either, the problem is most likely hardware.
2. Windows settings: if keys respond late, “Filter Keys” may be switched on in the Accessibility settings. If numbers appear instead of letters, check Num Lock. If the wrong characters appear, check the keyboard language and layout.
3. Driver: uninstalling the keyboard driver in Device Manager and restarting the laptop can fix software-related problems.
4. External keyboard: if a USB keyboard works fine, the problem is in the built-in keyboard or its connection.

Hardware causes

• Liquid damage: the most common cause of keyboard faults. Spilled water, tea or coffee leaves residue in the inner layers of the keyboard; keys stick, a row stops working, or keys type by themselves. The liquid may also have reached the motherboard; see first steps with a liquid-damaged laptop.
• Key mechanism: if a single key has come off or the mechanism beneath it is broken, the key will not press or will stick.
• Keyboard cable and connector: a cable that has worked loose from its connector or broken can stop all or part of the keyboard from working.
• Motherboard side: if the problem continues even after the keyboard is replaced, the keyboard connector and the circuitry around it must be checked.

About keyboard replacement

On some models the keyboard comes out in one piece held by screws; on many newer models it is riveted to the palm rest (top case). On these models replacement requires more disassembly and labour. The method is decided according to the model.

If you have spilled liquid on your keyboard, switch the laptop off immediately and do not try to use it. For a keyboard fault you can submit a fault report; for other laptop faults, see our laptop technical service page.