It is a rather frustrating situation in which we have all seen ourselves from time to time: I sit in front of a computer to work, connect to the Internet, play... And I find that my keyboard does not write. What to do in these cases?
The reasons why this can happen to us are varied. Most commonly it is a blocking that can be solved, although the appropriate solution will depend on what was the cause of it. On the other hand, also it is possible that our keyboard is damaged and we have no choice but to repair it or even replace it with a new one.
That a keyboard stop responding suddenly may be due to numerous reasons: that the drivers are not updated, that we ourselves have involuntarily blocked it, that the connection between the keyboard and the monitor has been interrupted, that the device has suffered a blow or a breakdown...
As always, it's best to rule out the most obvious causes first. It may seem silly, but it is something that happens very frequently. The ways to proceed are the ones we all know:
- Restart your computer, or turn it off and on again. Sometimes this is enough for any malfunction of our equipment to be fixed.
- Check the connections. That the connection cable is properly plugged in or, in the case of wireless keyboards, that the connection via Bluetooth is active.
- check batteries, in the case of wireless keyboards.
- Check that we do not have the lock key activated (Lock) with which some models have.
Once these actions have been carried out, if the keyboard is still blocked, we will go on to try slightly more direct solutions. It is relatively common to fall into the error of accidentally causing a keyboard lock. This happens when, totally involuntarily, we are trying a keyboard shortcut and we make a mistake by choosing the wrong combination. If, unfortunately, that combination is Win+Ctrl+L (there are others, but this is the most common), we will suddenly find that the keyboard does not write.
Effective methods to unlock the keyboard
Here are three effective methods to unlock a keyboard that has been accidentally locked, in Windows and Mac. Surely using one of them we will be able to solve the problem easily:
Method 1 (Windows)
When the keyboard does not write and we have already verified that it is not a connection or battery problem, this is the first method to try: deactivation Automatic Windows Filter Keys. This very long title actually hides a very simple trick: click on the Shift key, which we find in the right section of the keyboard. In almost all models it is an elongated key with an arrow pointing up.
It is necessary to keep the Shift key pressed for three or four seconds. After that short time, the keyboard magically unlocks and is ready to use again.
Method 2 (Windows)
If the previous method has not worked, you have to try the following one, which is executed from the keyboard configuration menu. The steps to follow are those:
- First we press the key with the windows symbol in order to open the start panel on the screen.
- With the help of the mouse, we go to the Control panel and we click on it.
- There we select the option "Accessibility center".
- Then we select the option "Make it easier to use the keyboard."
- Finally, in this last screen we will be able to verify that the lock boxes are disabled. If they're on, that's probably why the keyboard isn't typing. Logically, you have to uncheck them.
Method 3 (Mac)
In the case of using a Mac instead of a Windows PC, there is a fairly simple method to reactivate a keyboard that has been locked. This method is particularly useful when the keyboard has been misconfigured and all or some of the keys are not responding.
What you have to do is press these two keys simultaneously: Fn (Function) + F6. You have to keep both keys pressed until the light (green or orange) on F6 disappears.
Method 4 (Mac)
Another way to reactivate a locked keyboard on a Mac is this. Since the keys do not respond, we will use the mouse:
- First we are going to "System preferences".
- There we select "Accessibility" and then "Keyboard".
- In the option "Hardware" we must make sure that the option is deactivated "Slow keys".
Method 5 (Mac)
One last trick to "unstuck" a non-typing keyboard on a Mac is this:
- We are going to "System preferences" and we select the option of "Keyboard".
- There we choose the option "Input sources".
- Then we select "Show the Keyboard menu in the menu bar."
- In the screen that is displayed we must make sure we have the correct keyboard layout selected (in our case, Spanish-ISO). If not, we leave it checked.
- To finish and apply the changes, We restart our Mac.
Another possible solution: driver update
On many occasions, when a keyboard stops responding, the root of the problem is that the drivers (drivers) installed on our PC are not correctly updated. Fortunately, this can be fixed in a very simple way: you just have to update them. This is what needs to be done:
- The first step is the search for optional drivers and updates through Windows Update, or consult the manufacturer's website.
- When we have found the correct update, We download the drivers on our computer.
- Then we open the Device administrator.
- We click on the controller category to expand the menu.
- Then we select the controller corresponding to our keyboard using the right mouse button.
- To finish, press the button "Update driver", after which it only remains to follow the instructions that the assistant dictates to us.
And if none of this works...
Unfortunately, in some cases we are going to find that none of the methods and tricks explained in this post are going to work. This happens mainly when the keyboard has sustained significant physical damage: a blow or fall, liquid from a drink spilled on the keyboard or even overheating.
When it comes to damages of this type, there is no choice but to go to a specialized repair technician (especially when it comes to a laptop) or simply forget about the keyboard and Buy a new one.