Laptop Keyboard is locked; How to unlock a Locked Keyboard

Is your Keyboard locked, and you can’t type anything? This post will show you how to unlock a locked Dell, HP, Acer, Surface or Toshiba laptop keyboard. This issue is one of the most infuriating things when using a laptop: getting the keyboard locked. This paralyzes work as the Keyboard is one of a computer’s most important input devices. In that case, you should first check if your laptop is frozen or hung; you can also reboot it once, as that can do the trick occasionally.

If you are planning to take your PC for a repair because your keyboard has stopped working suddenly, wait – your keyboard might have got locked accidentally. Yes, the keyboard gets locked if you use Win+Ctrl+L; there are a few other reasons, like an outdated driver, dirt, physical damage, or lost connection if you use a wired keyboard. First we will give you generic suggestions for unlocking keyboards of laptops and desktops for all brands and then specific instructions for Dell, HP, Acer, Surface and Toshiba laptop keyboards.

Keyboard is locked on Windows computer

How to unlock a Locked Laptop Keyboard on PC

Try the following suggestions to resolve the issue on your Windows computer:

1. Filter keys
2. Restart your computer
3. Check batteries
4. Check for physical damage or dirt
5. Check for the connections
6. Update your drivers.

My keyboard is locked and I can’t type anything!

1] Filter Keys

This is the first reason why your computer keyboard gets locked accidentally. Filter Keys turn on if you press the right shift key for 8 seconds, which of course can happen accidentally. When your Filter Keys are on, your keyboard won’t work at all. All the keys including the function keys, and num lock key, everything will stop working.

To turn off the Filter Keys–

• Go to Settings > Accesibility > Keyboard and turn them off.
• If your keyboard is still not working, check the other fixes below.

2] Restart your computer

Restarting your computer can fix most of the temporary bugs and that includes your locked keyboard too. Simply close the applications running on your system, save your work and restart your computer. If your keyboard is stuck due to any temporary bug or issue, this will most definitely solve your problem. If it didn’t, check the next Fix.

3] Check batteries

If you are using a wireless keyboard on your PC or laptop, make sure the batteries aren’t drained out. Change the batteries and check again if it is working or not.

4] Check for physical damage or dirt

Check if your keyboard is physically damaged or broken. Check if there is dust or dirt under the keys blocking them. Clean your keyboard and check again. If you can’t see any damage, try using another keyboard with your PC and see if that works. If it does, it means the problem is with your keyboard and not the computer.

Read: Tips to physically clean your PC, mouse, and keyboard

5] Check the connections

If you are using a wired keyboard with your system, check that it is properly connected and if you are using a Bluetooth keyboard, check if the Bluetooth connection is working fine or not. A bad/damaged USB cable or port can also be the reason why your keyboard is not working. Plugin your keyboard into another USB port and check.  Again, you can check this by using another keyboard on your machine. Fir Bluetooth keyboards, unpair your keyboard, restart the Bluetooth and pair it again. It should work if there was an issue with your Bluetooth connection.

Read: Bluetooth keyboard or mouse keeps going to Sleep

6] Update your drivers

If none of the above-mentioned fixes is working for you, the issue might be with the keyboard drivers on your PC.  A faulty or outdated driver can certainly be the reason why your keyboard has stopped working. Follow one of the methods below to update your Keyboard drivers:

1. You may check for Driver & Optional Updates via Windows Update to update your drivers
2. You may visit the manufacturer’s site to download the drivers.
3. Use a free driver update software
4. If you have the INF driver file already on your computer then:
   • Open Device Manager.
   • Click the driver category to expand the menu.
   • Then choose the relevant driver and right-click on it.
   • Select Update Driver.
   • Follow the on-screen wizard to finish updating your audio drivers.

How to unlock Dell Laptop Keyboard

If you have a Dell Laptop and want to unlock its keyboard, you can execute the following solutions.

1. Run Dell SupportAssist
2. Make sure that you are in Tablet Mode
3. Reinstall the driver

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Run Dell SupportAssist

First of all, we need to make use of the Dell SupportAssist utility. It is free software that can check what’s wrong with your computer and find the correct remedy. Follow the steps mentioned below to run it.

1. Open Dell SupportAssist if it’s already installed on your computer; but if it’s not, download the utility from dell.com.
2. Go to the Troubleshooting tab and click on I want to check a specific piece of hardware.
3. In Other devices, go to Keyboard.
4. Finally, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

This should do the job for you.

2] Make sure you are not in Tablet mode

The keyboard won’t work if you are in the Tablet mode. So, go to the Quick Access menu from the Taskbar or use Win + A, if you have attached an external keyboard to your laptop. Then all you have to do is disable Tablet mode.

However, if Tablet mode is not there in Quick Access, you need to disable Tablet mode from Settings.

3] Reinstall the driver

If you can’t see Tablet mode or if it’s not enabled, there is something wrong with your drivers. We need to reinstall it and that would do the job. Follow the steps mentioned below to do the same.

1. Right-click on Windows and select Device Manager.
2. Now, expand Keyboards, right-click on the driver, and select Uninstall device.
3. Then, click on Uninstall to confirm your actions.
4. Once you have uninstalled the driver, right-click on Keyboards and select Scan for hardware changes. 

This will do the job for you.

How to unlock HP Laptop keyboard

HP Elite Book users need to hit Fn + Shift (use an external or on-screen keyboard) to unlock their keyboard. However, if it’s not an Elite Book or those keys don’t work, follow the instructions mentioned below.

•  Inspect for physical damage: First of all, we need to check and identify if the key that’s not working has some kind of physical damage. If there is any damage, you might have to replace it.
• Clean your laptop: You need to make sure that your keys don’t have any dust and debris below them, stopping them from registering the actions you have made. So, if you have a cleaning gadget, use it to clean your keyboard. You can also check our guide to keep your keyboards.
• Reboot the keyboard device from Device Manager: Open the Device Manager, expand the Keyboard, right-click on the keyboard driver, and select Uninstall device > Uninstall. Then, right-click on the Keyboard and select Scan for hardware changes.

Read: How to keep your computer, mouse, keyboard clean?

How to unlock ACER Laptop Keyboard

To unlock your ACER Laptop Keyboard, you need to hit Fn + F6 or F7 keys and then check if that works. If you don’t have an external keyboard to do the same, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Settings.
2. You then have to go to Accessibility > Keyboard and turn on the toggle for the On-screen keyboard.
3. Once the On-screen Keyboard pops up, click on Fn and then on F6, if your keyboard still is not working, click Fn + F7.

This will do the job for you. But if these keys are not unlocking your keyboard, go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and then turn off the toggle for Filter keys. 

If all else fails, your last resort should be to reinstall the keyboard driver. So, go ahead and reinstall the driver. You can refer to the steps mentioned earlier to do the same.

Read: Keyboard making clicking noise and not typing in Windows PC

How to unlock Surface Laptop Keyboard

If your keyboard and/or pad is stuck or locked on a Surface Laptop, you need to press and hold the Fn key for almost 10 seconds. This will toggle the Fn lock on or off which in turn will lock or unlock your input devices. However, if this doesn’t work, do a hard reset. Press and hold the power button until your device turns off or the Volume Up and Power buttons on your keyboard for 15 seconds, and finally, turn your device on. This should unlock your keyboard.

In case your keyboard is still not unlocked, reinstall the keyboard driver and disable the toggle for Filter keys. Also, ensure that there are no dust and debris stuck onto your keys.

Read: Backlit keyboard not working or turning on in Windows

How to unlock Toshiba Laptop Keyboard

On Toshiba Laptops, the Shift key is what locks the keyboard. You need to press and hold the shift key approximately for 10 seconds until you hear a beep sound. Once you hear that sound, your keys will be unlocked and you will be free to work. If this doesn’t work, clean your keys, reboot your computer, and reinstall the keyboard driver.

Hopefully, you will be able to unlock and use your keyboards after executing the solutions mentioned earlier.

Read: Delete key not working in Windows

How do you take the keyboard lock off?

Even though every single manufacturer has their own way of locking or unlocking keyboards, more often than not, they use the Fn or Function button to lock the keyboard. You can try pressing and holding the Fn key. But if that is to no avail, check out the guide mentioned earlier to do the same.

Read: Fix @ or # key not working on Windows computer

Why is my laptop keyboard not typing?

Your laptop keyboard is most probably locked, hence it’s not registering the input you made. In that case, you should first clean the keys and make sure there are no dust and debris attached to it. If your dust and debris are not causing the issue, unlock your keys with the steps mentioned earlier.

Read: Single or Double Quote key not working in Windows

Why has my keyboard stopped working?

There can be many different reasons like Filter keys turned on, outdated keyboard drivers, dirt clogging your keyboard, etc. Check for the fixes above to unlock your keyboard.

How to open the On-Screen Keyboard?

You can open the On-Screen keyboard simply by pressing Win+Ctrl+O on your keyboard. If your keyboard is locked or is not working for some reason, you can go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, and turn on the On-Screen Keyboard.