Are you facing an issue in which random applications open when you press any key on the keyboard? If random applications open when pressing any key on the keyboard & the keyboard is opening shortcuts instead of typing letters, then this post may help you. The issue is very annoying as it does not let you concentrate on your work. Whenever you type something, Windows launches a random application.
Before you proceed towards the troubleshooting steps, change your keyboard to know whether it is working fine or not. Many users have also reported that they were able to fix the issue by pressing Windows + Alt keys at the same time. You can also try this, but it is only a temporary solution.
Keyboard opening shortcuts instead of typing letters
If random applications open when pressing any key on keyboard & the keyboard opens shortcuts instead of typing letters on your Windows PC, the following solutions may help you fix the issue:
- Disable the Sticky and Filter keys.
- Disable WindowsInkWorkspace.
- Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter.
- Reinstall the Keyboard driver.
Since your keyboard is not working properly, if you need to type letters, you may need to enable and use Windows On-Screen Keyboard or the Touch Keyboard.
1] Disable the Sticky and Filter keys
Sometimes, Sticky and Filter keys can cause the problem if they are turned On. The only way to check if these keys are the real culprit for the problem is to disable them. Launch Windows Settings app and turn Off the Sticky keys and Filter keys.
You may also try to turn the Stcky and the Filter keys On and Off and see if that helps.
Windows 11 users have to follow the below-listed steps to disable the Sticky and Filter keys:
- Right-click on Windows 11 Start menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings app, select Accessibility from the left pane.
- Now, take your cursor on the right side of the page and scroll down till you find the Keyboard tab.
- On the Keyboard page, you will find both Sticky keys and Filter keys tabs. Turn off the buttons next to these tabs to disable both of these features.
If you click on the Sticky keys and Filter keys tabs, you will see different options, like keyboard shortcuts for both of these keys, a beep sound when these keys are pressed, etc. If you want, you can also turn off these options.
2] Disable WindowsInkWorkspace
If the above method did not solve your problem, try to disable the Windows Ink Workspace. To do so, you have to modify the Registry values. But before you proceed, it is suggested to create a backup of the registry so that you can restore it if any problem occurs.
Follow the below-listed steps:
Press Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor. If you get UAC (User Account Control) window, click Yes.
Navigate to the following path. Alternatively, you can paste this path into the address bar of the Registry Editor and press Enter:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft
Expand the Microsoft key.
Check if it contains the WindowsInkWorkspace subkey. If not, create it. To do so, right-click on the Microsoft key and select New > Key and name it as WindowsInkWorkspace.
Now, right-click on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Rename the newly created value as AllowWindowsInkWorkspace.
Double-click on it and set its value to 0.
Restart your system.
3] Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter
You can also run the Keyboard Troubleshooter and see if that works.
If you are a Windows 11 user, follow the steps below to run the Keyboard troubleshooter on your system:
- Launch the Settings app in Windows 11 by right-clicking on the Start menu.
- Scroll down the right side till you find the Troubleshoot tab. Once you find it, click on it.
- Now, click on the Additional troubleshooters tab.
- You will see a list of all troubleshooters available in Windows 11. Locate the Keyboard troubleshooter.
- To launch the Keyboard troubleshooter, click on the Run button next to the Keyboard.
4] Reinstall the Keyboard driver
We suggest you uninstall the keyboard driver via the Device Manager, then download the driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it. This can also help.
We hope this article helped you solve the issue.
Why does my keyboard keep opening programs instead of typing?
If your keyboard keeps opening programs instead of typing, the issue might be due to the Sticky Keys feature being enabled. Disabling this feature will prevent this behavior when pressing keys that stay active even when not pressed.
Why is my keyboard not typing anything?
There could be many reasons for your laptop keyboard or external keyboard not working properly. The most common cause of these types of issues is the accumulation of dust and dirt beneath the keyboard keys. Because of the deposition of dust, keys do not make proper contact with the circuit due to which the computer does not receive any input for a particular key on the keyboard. Therefore, your first step should be cleaning your keyboard.
Another cause of this issue is loose connections or damaged wires (in the case of the wired keyboard). Hence, check whether or not you have connected your keyboard correctly. You can also check if your keyboard has malfunctioned by connecting it to another computer. Sometimes, the issue occurs due to a faulty USB port. Therefore, you should also check your keyboard’s functionality by plugging it into another USB port.
If your hardware is OK, the issue might be occurring due to corrupted or outdated keyboard drivers. Hence, we also suggest you update, roll back or reinstall your device drivers.
How do I get my keyboard back to normal?
You can make your keyboard back to normal by resetting its settings to default. This may help you restore the default keyboard layout. Apart from this, if your keyboard is not working properly, you can also try resetting your keyboard.
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