Turn on the keyboard on a laptop: types of faults and tips

Laptop keys

The first way to unlock the keyboard on a laptop is to hold down Fn + Num Lock. This combination is most often used to control keys. If your laptop has a number pad and Num Lock, try activating the buttons with this combination. It is also used to disable the keyboard.

If there is no number pad or the combination with Num Lock did not work, try holding Fn and one of the function keys from the top row. Usually the desired one has a picture of the buttons. If there is no such picture, hold down Fn and successively press F1...F12. Also check the combination Fn+space.

Additional functions

In addition to turning it off completely, laptops have a function to turn off the backlight. This is useful for saving battery power when traveling or when watching a movie in the dark to reduce glare. Most often, combinations of Fn and function buttons are used to control the option - the desired one will have a light bulb, flashlight or similar symbol.

How to turn the keyboard backlight on and off on an ASUS laptop: usually these are the combinations Fn+F3 - reduces the brightness, including completely off, and Fn+F4 - increases the brightness. Some manufacturers have a separate button to turn on the LEDs, located on the side of the main block with letters: for MSI it is located at the top left.

To activate the keyboard backlight on a Lenovo laptop, press Fn+Spacebar. On HP's latest models, the backlight is turned on by clicking on F5. If media key priority is configured, use Fn+F5. On older models, F12 was configured to control the backlight. On a MacBook, you can adjust the brightness of the light: increase it using F6 and decrease it until it turns off using F5.

Unlocking the keyboard on a laptop

The reason for the keyboard locking can be both the previously mentioned hot keys and some other factors.

Method 1: Keyboard shortcut

This method of unlocking is suitable in case you pressed keys on the keyboard, as a result of which it stopped working. Depending on the type of laptop, the required buttons may differ:

On a full-key keyboard, it’s usually enough to press “Fn+NumLock”;
On laptops with a shortened keyboard, you need to press the “Fn” button and along with it one of the top keys from “F1” to “F12”.

In most cases, the desired button is indicated by a special icon with a picture of a lock - this is what you need to press in combination with “Fn”.

Third party programs

If you often need to lock and unlock buttons on your laptop, it is convenient to use special programs. They do not require you to remember system parameters; you just need to click on one icon.

KeyFreeze

Compact application, the interface consists of only one element “Lock keyboard & Mouse”. When pressed, the mouse, keyboard and touchpad panel of the laptop are blocked. To cancel an action, simultaneously press Ctrl+Alt+Del, then “Cancel” to close the menu.

How to check the keyboard for functionality

Device failure may be due to software (not a physical reason) or failure of some part of the computer (hardware reason). There is an easy way to find out the nature of the problem on your laptop. You need to turn on the computer and immediately enter the BIOS when booting. If the buttons inside this environment respond to pressing, then the problem is in the software. In this case, you can do the following:

run a virus scan;
run a system restore from a checkpoint when the keyboard was working correctly;
completely remove or roll back the drivers for the keyboard.

If there is no response when going to the BIOS, then the problem needs to be looked for with the hardware (flex cable, motherboard, etc.). If there is no response from individual buttons, you need to check the device for contamination. Pieces of food, accumulated dirt, and foreign objects can cause the device to not work properly. A can of compressed air is well suited for cleaning; it will help to thoroughly blow out the keyboard on your laptop. You can take it to the service center so that specialists can independently

Causes of problems

There is no dependence between the brand, computer model and a specific breakdown. Every laptop can suffer from hardware or software problems. Any device can break down, often due to careless handling of the gadget, but other situations may arise that lead to a malfunction. Common options for turning off keybord are:

Software glitch. The operating system receives an error from the device driver and “does not understand” how to work with it. As a rule, re-installing the driver or rolling back to a system restore point when it worked correctly helps to turn the keyboard back on.
Spilled liquid. People often eat in front of a computer screen (working or watching something). If you accidentally spill coffee or tea (especially sweet), then in 90% of cases the device breaks down and the buttons get stuck. It may not appear immediately, but after 2-3 days (until oxidation of the contacts inside the laptop begins).
Problems with the cable. Due to humidity, liquid ingress or unsuccessful repairs, the contacts may oxidize; the technician unsuccessfully connected the keyboard to the motherboard. This leads to partial or complete inoperability of the keyboard. You can try to disassemble and diagnose the loop, but it is better not to do this without experience.

Shutdown due to viruses

All of the methods described above work in both directions, allowing you to both turn off and turn on the keyboard. If the device is blocked without your participation, and nothing helps to activate it, a banner appears on the screen asking you to deposit money - the PC is infected with viruses. How to connect the keyboard after a virus attack to the computer:

Download the Windows Unlocker utility from Kaspersky.
Write it to a flash drive or CD.
Insert the prepared drive into the laptop and reboot, selecting start from USB or CD in the boot menu.
Click on any button, set the language and launch the graphical interface.
The shell is similar to the Windows desktop. The main menu is located in the place of “Start”, select “Terminal” in it.
In the box, enter WindowsUnlocker and click enter.
Enter 1 to start scanning.

When finished, select 0 to exit and reboot.

How to activate the keyboard

You can unlock the keyboard on a laptop using several methods:

Use virtual keyboard.
Using Windows tools.
Using third party programs.

Enable the numeric keypad

Modern laptop models support a digital keyboard. That is, they have a touch monitor on which, by turning on the numeric keypad, the user no longer needs physical keys for typing.

Instructions for turning on the digital keyboard:

Click on the bottom of the laptop screen with the right mouse button.
Select the “Panels” department.
Check the “Enable numeric keypad” checkbox.
A keyboard block will open on the screen, consisting of letters.
To activate the block for printing numbers, you need to click with your finger on the “Options” key on the numeric keypad.
The NumLock button will open on the right.
Click on it. A block with numbers will be displayed in front of the user.

This method works on all Lenovo, Asus, Dell models that support a touch monitor. This type of keyboard is considered more convenient than a regular virtual one. Using the latter, the user will have to use the mouse to press keys with letters.

Keyboard troubleshooting tips

If the cause of the keyboard malfunction is a device failure and not a blockage, the methods for solving this problem will be different.

Method 1

First of all, the user must find out what is the reason for the keyboard malfunction. For this:

Click the Start button located in the lower left corner of the screen.
Click the “Start” button located in the lower left corner of the screen.
Click on the “Control Panel” line.
Click on the line “Control Panel”
A window will open in which, in the “Viewing” category, select “Small icons” and find the phrase “Device Manager” in the list.
In the “View” category, set “Small icons”, find and open “Device Manager”
In the open dialog box, select the word "Keyboards". If it is not there, then the device is not connected. Check the connection, then restart your computer.
Find the “Keyboards” section
If the device still does not work, wipe the contacts with alcohol or a special cleaner and protection product.
We wipe the contacts with alcohol or a special cleaning and protective agent.

Method 2

The cause of the keyboard malfunction may be due to the presence of malware installed on the user's computer. To resolve this issue, scan your device for viruses.

We launch the antivirus installed on the computer, click “Scan computer”, it is recommended to select a full scan

Method 3

Read useful information in the article - “How to clean the keyboard on a laptop.”

If the methods described above did not help the user, the keyboard will need to be cleaned.

Turn off your computer.
Turn off the computer, in the “Start” menu click “Shut down”
Read also: Trio of LG Q Stylus smartphones: stylus and some flagship chips for the middle class
Disconnect the keyboard from the system unit if you have a home computer.
Disconnecting the keyboard from the system unit
Take a photo of the layout of the buttons on the keyboard. This will make it easier for you to reinstall the keys after cleaning the device.
Taking pictures of the location of the buttons on the keyboard
Take a needle or ruler. Gently pry the base of the button with it.
Take a needle or ruler and carefully pry it up at the base of the button
Place the keys in a container of warm water with a small amount of dishwashing detergent mixed in. Leave the buttons in the liquid for 30 minutes.
Place the keys in a container of warm water with a small amount of dishwashing detergent mixed in.
Take a sponge. Use it to clean the buttons on all sides.
Take a sponge and clean the buttons on all sides with it.
Rinse the keys in clean water.
Rinse the keys in clean water
Take a cotton pad soaked in soapy water. Use it to clean your input device while the keys are drying after cleaning.
Take a cotton pad soaked in soapy water and clean the input device with it.
Wipe the buttons and the gadget itself with a dry cloth.
We wipe the buttons and the gadget itself with a dry cloth
Replace the input device buttons in the order in which they were captured in the photo.
We install the input device buttons in place in the order in which they were captured in the photo

Disabling the keyboard

In some situations, the keyboard built into the laptop stops working. For example, after liquid gets in, some keys fail. You can simply connect an external keyboard, but then it will be inconvenient to work. So let's see how to disable the built-in input device if a USB keyboard is already connected.

Launch Device Manager.
Open the properties of the built-in keyboard and go to the "Driver" tab.
Select the Hardware ID property and copy the first line.

Now you need to establish a ban on the use of equipment. Let's look at the example of Windows 7:

Press Win+R and execute “gpedit.msc”.
Go to “Computer Configuration” – “Administrative Templates” – “System” – “Device Installation” – “Device Installation Restrictions”.
Double-click on “Prohibit installation of devices with specified codes.”
Enable the option and click Show.
Paste the copied hardware code and click OK.

For maximum effect, remove the keyboard in Device Manager. Once the system is restarted, the built-in input device will no longer work. Connect an external keyboard and use it calmly. If you need to enable the laptop's native keyboard, open the Group Policy Editor again and disable the above option.

Now, perhaps, every modern person has a laptop. We search and find useful information on the Internet, make all kinds of purchases in online stores, pay bills and earn money, so when our favorite device breaks down, its shortage is very noticeable. A fairly common problem is the device's keyboard being locked. How to unlock it correctly?

Most often, the keyboard is locked as a result of simultaneously pressing the special Win key and some other button. To unlock the keyboard, each individual laptop model uses a specific key combination. You can find out “your” combination from the instructions for your PC. If one is not available, you can download the manual for the laptop from the manufacturer’s website. Most likely, you will need to register and enter the laptop serial number on this site. After this you will receive the necessary manual. To unlock the keyboard, try pressing the NumLock + Fn buttons simultaneously (they are located on the right side of the keyboard). This turns on the digital keypad, after which, accordingly, character input for the PC user becomes unavailable. This error is often found among owners of laptops with a shortened version of the keyboard and among fans of online games who, for convenience, block part of the laptop panel. If you still can’t unlock the keyboard, look in the first row of the F1 – F12 keys for the one with a lock on it (possibly another image that corresponds in meaning to the keypad lock function). When such a button is found, press it together with the Fn key. The easiest way to unlock the touchpad (touchpad) is to press the F7 + Fn buttons simultaneously. If after this a certain icon appears on the laptop monitor, it means you did everything right. If none of the above options helped you deal with the keyboard lock on your own, your laptop may have been attacked by a virus. To fix it and unlock the device's keyboard, contact your local service center.

Almost every person now has a laptop or personal computer. Of course, using such devices is impossible without a functioning keyboard. However, what to do if the keyboard suddenly becomes locked? In this article we will look at how to unlock the keyboard on a laptop.