Why does the keyboard light up but not work? The keyboard does not print the letters you press

Keyboard malfunction issues computer It’s easier to decide - there’s always an opportunity check the keyboard you are using on another computer or vice versa - connect it to your PC exactly working properly. Then act according to the circumstances.

WITH laptop Another situation is that the keyboard is built-in, that is, an integral part.

In any case, try first reboot device and go to BIOS(usually the key F2 at the time of initialization for laptops, Del or F10 for desktop PCs). It didn’t work out - there’s a high probability device malfunction, most likely you will have to contact a service center. Before that we recommend check the contacts - they may be oxidized or squeezed out(relevant for PS/2) or check cable integrity- perhaps he received damage(for example, it was pinched).

If you succeeded, then the keyboard OK, we are dealing with a software glitch.

In this case, boot the system, it would be better to do this in safe mode without starting drivers ( F8 when loading). The device is functioning, which means the problem is in the drivers. Start the OS in normal mode, right-click on the icon Computer – Properties.

Find a section Keyboards and delete everything that is in the subkey.

Then reboot computer and check if the keyboard works. In normal condition, the driver should install automatically. Here in Dispatcher you can update or reinstall driver - this option is suitable if there is a symbol of unidentified devices with yellow exclamation mark.

The next option is system rollback to the restore point to the date when the keyboard was exactly working.

To do this we go Start/ Control Panel

Run the program here Recovery.

Launch system recovery– choose point, to which you should rollback.

A more radical way would be complete reinstallation operating system.

You can enter characters when the keyboard is not working using on-screen application.

Start/ Accessibility.

By clicking the cursor on the image of the virtual keys, information will be entered.

This is a temporary measure will simplify finding and solving the problem. For a laptop, another temporary solution would be connection a regular USB keyboard to any free port.

For more advanced users, of course you can disassemble And check connection cable. We will not dwell on this in detail in this article.

The numbers on the right don't work

If only the numbers on the right do not work, first check if the Num Lock, some users may forget to turn it on.

Above is usually Num Lock mode enabled illuminated green LED turned on (in rare cases it may not be present).

If the numbers still don't print, check to see if the Num Lock button actually does the job. Sometimes this mode includes a combination Num Lock + SHIFT or another.

Also check if you have the option enabled mouse control from keyboard.

Start\ Control Panel\ Accessibility\ Mouse

There should be no check mark on the “ Keyboard control«.

The f1-f12 keys do not work

If we are talking about laptop owners, the key is responsible for turning on the function keys Fn.

Some types of PC office devices have a " Office", you need to check its operation. In other cases it should help reinstallation drivers.

If the computer does not work, we begin to have problems, because our own PC has replaced a lot of functions for us today. First, you should not panic, especially for beginners; a computer is a piece of equipment that tends to break down. Try to determine what exactly is not functioning.

5 reasons why the keyboard on your computer does not work

1. The cord was incorrectly connected to PS/2 or USB.
2. Perhaps the port of one or another keyboard connector has burned out.
3. The keyboard has become unusable.
4. If we have a wireless option, we check the presence of the necessary drivers and utilities, as well as whether the battery is working.
5. The presence of a virus code that has blocked the keyboard.

What to do

We eliminate the above problems.

Check the correct connection to the system unit.

Check the integrity of the cable for kinks and breaks.

You can verify that the keyboard is working properly using another PC.

Sometimes, due to inexperience or carelessness, it happens to bend the antennae PS/2 connectors , they must be aligned with tweezers or a knife. When at least one breaks, it is necessary to change the cable input or the entire input device. Try to remember: purple the color indicates the keyboard cord, and green - mice.

PS/2 connectors.

In addition to the problems described above, which are solved quickly and are called “typical”, there are also more significant ones.

Buttons are pressed but do not respond

There is a classic version of the keyboard and its multimedia version. You can make them work by configuring the necessary drivers. These programs may change or fly off"When setting up the OS. Such keyboards are rare; most manufacturers install drivers without our participation, in automatic mode.

It happens that the user simultaneously presses several buttons or a combination of them. In this case they " sink"and none of them responds. Make sure that the operation of the keys is not obstructed by foreign objects. Crumbs often get in, and the elastic band inside slips off. It is recommended to wipe the rubber band with a dry cloth, and the keyboard can be damp. When everything has been tried and the issue is not resolved, it’s time to think about buying a new peripheral device.

There is a situation where the keyboard is not fully functional; it is not possible to type the numbers on the right. To do this, check the keystroke "Num Lock".

The computer did not detect the keyboard.

In this case, you need to restart the PC, there is no result - go to the control panel. Call the icon context menu" System". Go to “Properties” and click “Hardware”. Finding the point "Device Manager", select a keyboard sign from the list and delete it. You should then close this window. Next, select the menu"Equipment Installation"and install the drivers for the keyboard.

So, your laptop keyboard is not working. There is no reason to despair, because in most cases the situation is easily fixable. It doesn’t matter what brand it is.

There may be several reasons: from the most primitive to the very sad. Let's start in order.

Reason 1: the microcircuit burned out

Perhaps the most deplorable problem from which no one is immune. If the keyboard does not work on the laptop, check the touchpad and all ports located around the perimeter of the machine.

Pay special attention to USB and RJ-45 (jack for connecting a network cable).

If they don’t work, then there is nothing left to do but take the “victim” to the service. If the case is under warranty, request a replacement of the device.

There is no way you can repair such a breakdown on your own, unless you have been professionally dealing with such things for several years.

But if the ports are still working, the matter can be fixed. Most likely, the problem is in the cable with which the keyboard is connected to the motherboard.

And here it is in a disassembled state:

1) connection connector;

2) the train itself.

Over time, the cable fastening could oxidize, move away, or wring out, which is quite normal. Especially if the room where you work is dominated by a humid environment.

Simply return the mount to its place after cleaning it first.

In most cases, the procedure should help.

Reason 2: inattention

This point applies to owners of a separate digital block, which looks like this:

If the numbers on the keyboard don’t work, the problem is yours, that’s all. Often, inattentive users accidentally touch the Num Lock button, which is responsible for turning on the block.

Therefore, if instead of numbers on the screen the page begins to move, or the cursor moves, press the key again.

The corresponding indicator should light up, indicating that the function is activated.

For those who are misled by the screenshot: some laptop models only support the Fn + Num Lock key combination.

Reason 3: viruses and driver failure

If the problem is not hardware, the problem may lie in the software. The virus could have “killed” the keyboard driver. To do this, we scan the system for spyware and look at the results.

After that, reboot and install the drivers again.

In most cases it should help.

To do this, reboot, periodically pressing F8 to bring up the selection context menu. A menu of additional download options will open. We need a standard "safe mode".

After starting the OS, you will need to do everything described below.

We try to remove the problematic utility, or click “roll back”. A rollback is only useful if the driver was previously updated, which was the cause of the failure.

The previous, working version of the software will be restored. But to remove it we do the following:

Open “My Computer” and click on “properties”.

Go to “Manager” and look for the section with keyboards

If the driver was updated incorrectly, click “Roll Back”. Well, if the system no longer sees the keyboard at all – “Delete”.

But in the latter case, you must have original drivers from the manufacturer ready.

The keyboard is the main tool when working on a computer, without which work is almost impossible. Of course, you can enter information using a mouse and on-screen keyboard, but this method is inconvenient and will not work properly.

In this article we will tell you what to do if the keyboard on your computer does not work and consider all the possible causes of this malfunction.

The keyboard is a fairly simple device and usually works flawlessly. However, there are times when the keyboard indicator lights up, but nothing is printed.

Why the keyboard doesn't work: reasons

There are two types of reasons why a computer keyboard may not work:

1. Mechanical (cable break, moisture ingress, excessive contamination of the keyboard, violation of the integrity of the connection ports, and so on).
2. Software (software failures, incorrect BIOS settings, incorrect keyboard drivers, and so on).

Let's look at all the main reasons why the keyboard does not work and troubleshooting methods.

Problem with the cable or keyboard port

The first step is to assess the physical condition of the keyboard.

Look at the indication of the Caps Lock and Num Lock buttons. Most likely, if they work, then physically everything should be fine with the keyboard.

Visually inspect the keyboard cable. It may be pinched or cut. For example, many pet owners have pets that chew through cables.

Also, visually check the keyboard connection port to see if there are any breaks or bends in it. There are two types of keyboard connection ports - USB and PS/2.

It often happens that when people try to connect to a computer in a PS/2 port, they break off the tip of the wire and the keyboard does not connect.

If the keyboard's USB cable and connection port look good, then try plugging the keyboard into another USB port on the computer. The port on the computer itself may be damaged. If the keyboard works in another port of the computer, then you have a problem with the USB port. Usually there are several of them on the computer and you can simply leave the keyboard connected to the port that works.

In the case of a keyboard with a PS/2 port, you should check the functionality of the keyboard connection port on another computer, since there is only one such port on the motherboard. To test the functionality of your computer's PS/2 port, you will have to find another such keyboard.

Spilled liquid and dirt on the keyboard

A flooded keyboard is a headache for all IT specialists and a goldmine for all laptop repair service centers. Very often, when working on a computer, people pour tea, coffee, beer and other liquids onto the keyboard. As a result, the keyboard may fail.

As a rule, it is easy to determine visually and by smell that liquid has been spilled on the keyboard. Carefully inspect the keyboard. Remove a couple of keys. If you see that there are traces of spilled liquid or food on the keyboard or under the keys, then you have two options. Either buy a new keyboard, or meticulously disassemble the flooded keyboard, clean it, dry it and put it back together. With a high degree of probability, the keyboard will work.

Earlier, we already talked in detail about how to clean a computer keyboard at home.

Checking USB settings in BIOS

If the computer's power supply fails, the BIOS settings may change, which contains an item about enabling or disabling support for USB keyboards on the computer.

Additionally, in this way you can check the serviceability of the keyboard in principle, since it may not work in Windows, but work in the BIOS. In this case, the failure is caused by software or drivers.

To enter the BIOS and check the settings, do the following:

1. Turn on your computer.
2. Press the DEL button on your keyboard until the BIOS settings window appears.
3. In the BIOS settings, find the USB Keyboard Support or Legacy USB menu.
4. Make sure the setting is in the Enable state. If it says Disable, then switch to Enable.

You can also set the remaining BIOS settings related to USB to Enable. You may be able to get ports on the front panel of your computer case that once stopped working.

Software or driver failure

Keyboards with older PS/2 connectors are more susceptible to software glitches. However, there are still quite a lot of such keyboards in use, although manufacturers have almost stopped producing them.

To resolve the problem of your keyboard not working due to software, you need to turn on your computer and log into your desktop. Since the keyboard has stopped working and does not print, and a password may be set on the account, you will need to use the on-screen keyboard and type the password with the mouse.

Now that you are on the desktop of your computer, you need to get to Device Manager.

In Windows 8 and Windows 10, to do this, right-click on the button Start and select device Manager.

In Windows 7, left-click on the button Start. Next, right-click on the word Computer and select Computer management — device Manager.

Device Manager displays information about all devices on your computer. Expand the Keyboards branch. If there is an orange question mark next to your keyboard, it means the device is not installed correctly on the system.

Right click on your keyboard and select Delete.

After that click Action — Update hardware configuration.

The computer will rescan all devices and install the keyboard correctly.

Factory defect or keyboard has reached the end of its service life

Any technology tends to break down and fail. If the keyboard was purchased relatively recently, then you may have encountered a manufacturing defect. In this case, you can contact the keyboard manufacturer's support service and expect a replacement device.

The fact is that many manufacturers value their reputation and, without entering into long debates with the buyer, immediately send a brand new keyboard by mail.

If you have had the keyboard for more than a year, then most likely it has failed due to service life and you should buy a new one.

The keyboard does not work, what should I do?

And so your keyboard stopped working, and you don’t know what to do. No problem, today I wrote a short article about why the keyboard may not work, described the reasons and their solutions. Most likely, everyone has encountered this problem.

Yes, this is a very common occurrence. Therefore, it will be useful for everyone to know why the keyboards do not work and how to solve this problem. Considering that a good keyboard can be quite expensive, it is better to try to solve the problem yourself and try to restore the keyboard’s functionality than to immediately run to the store for a new one.

And so imagine the situation: you turned on the computer, it booted, but the keyboard stopped showing signs of life. The first thing the user does in most cases is simply restart the computer again. But even after that the keyboard did not start working. And so the first thing you need to know is through which connector your USB or PS/2 keyboard is connected

PS/2 keyboard does not work

The first and simplest reason is that the keyboard is simply broken.

The second reason is that the PS/2 connector has come loose; in this case, you need to reconnect and restart the computer, since the keyboard is detected during the system boot process. If a keyboard with a PS/2 connector is unplugged and reconnected while the computer is running, it will not be detected. When hot, this can only happen on new motherboards.

The third reason is that the BIOS settings have gone wrong. In this case, you will have to go into the BIOS (during the boot process you need to press the DEL button) and find the menu item, which is responsible for the functionality of the keyboard. I won’t describe it in detail because everyone’s BIOS menu is different. Look for the KeyBoard menu. A very common situation occurs when the connector simply burns out. The only solution here is to purchase an adapter from PS/2 to USB.

USB keyboard does not work

The first reason is the same as in the case of PS/2: the keyboard does not work because it is broken.

The second reason is also similar, for some reason the USB cable came loose. But here everything is much simpler than in the case of PS/2, we just insert the cable into place and that’s it. If the keyboard is in working order, it will work again.

The third reason is that the BIOS settings have gone wrong. Here you can also go into it and see if your USB connectors are disabled; if they are disabled, then turn it on and rejoice.

The fourth reason is that the connector is broken or burnt out. We just try to connect the keyboard to a different USB connector.

Some of the buttons on the keyboard do not work

In most cases, this is due to the fault of some application. The easiest way to check everything is in a text document, check the functionality of all the buttons; if they don’t work, then your keyboard is finished. Also, inexperienced users very often complain that the numeric keypad does not work; here we just press the Num LocK button.

Well, that’s probably all, if I remember anything, I’ll definitely add an article. Of course, for those who are at least a little familiar with computers, this is not a big problem, but still, I hope that my article will help someone.