How to Fix Your Laptop Keyboard When It Stops Working

Laptops are one of the most convenient technological innovations due to how it compresses a large PC into a device you can bring anywhere. People can now play games, do work, and connect to people anywhere they want to.

However, unlike a PC's keyboard where you can pop it open to clean it when it gets dirty or replace it when it's broken, laptops have to be opened to clean or replace the keyboard. This inconvenience can even lead to other problems, such as lost screws, accidentally damaging it due to not knowing how to open it, or not re-connecting disconnected wires before closing the laptop.

Here are some tips for you to keep your laptop keyboard running without actually opening your laptop:

Restarting the Laptop

The classic "turning the [device name] off and on again" advice; restarting your laptop is fast, easy, and could solve the issue your laptop keyboard is experiencing, per Android Authority. As an added bonus, you only need to use a mouse or touchpad to do so.

To restart your laptop, click on the Windows button and select the Power button. A new menu will appear, which gives you the "Sleep," "Shut Down," and "Restart" options. Choosing "Restart" will turn off your laptop and back on after a few seconds.

If your mouse and touchpad aren't working, holding the laptop's power button for a few seconds will work too.

Use an External Keyboard

Using an external keyboard may put a damper on your laptop's portability, but doing so will give you the chance to fix the laptop's problem with a working keyboard instead of relying on your mouse/touchpad.

Additionally, using an external laptop can help you diagnose the laptop's problem; if the external keyboard works, it has a hardware problem. If it doesn't, it's a software problem.

Cleaning your laptop keyboard

Cleaning your laptop keyboard doesn't always mean you have to open the entire laptop to reach its keyboard. Holding your laptop upside-down or at a steep angle can dislodge any dirt, crumbs, or object that found its way to your laptop keyboard, per PCMag.

However, if you want a more hands-on approach that doesn't rely on chance, then you can use a keyboard vacuum or a can of compressed air to either suck out the dirt preventing your keyboard from working or blow it away.

If the problem is liquid-based, use a rag dabbed with rubbing alcohol or soapy water (mind that it's not too wet) to wipe the laptop keyboard down.

Update Keyboard Drivers

If the problem with your laptop keyboard is a software problem, updating your keyboard's drivers could make it work again. The problem is most like a software issue on the part of the laptop, per Business Insider.

To update your laptop keyboard, head over to the search box next to the "Windows" button and click on "Device Manager" to select it. Next, expand the "Keyboards" option. Right-click on your keyboard's device name in this menu and choose "Uninstall Driver."

Afterward, reboot your laptop, so Windows can grab generic drivers for your keyboard, which may cause it to work again.

If the "Keyboards" option doesn't exist on the Device Manager window, head to the laptop manufacturer's support page and install the latest drivers for the keyboard.