Wireless Keyboards generally feature either of these two connection types—one that relies on Bluetooth and the other that connects through Radio frequency.
If the connectivity fails on a Bluetooth keyboard, it means that the pairing process isn’t carried out properly. Similarly, Keyboards with a wireless transceiver can fail to connect because of faulty receivers or ports. Most of the time corrupted and outdated drivers can also be the reason behind it.
Before You Begin
Here’re a few basic things you need to consider before troubleshooting a keyboard that is not connecting to your computer.
- If the issue is with your Bluetooth Keyboard, make sure that the keyboard is turned on. Also, check if your computer has Bluetooth support.
- In case the wireless keyboard requires a transceiver to make connections, check that you have properly plugged in the receiver to your computer’s USB port. Try switching the USB ports as sometimes faulty USB ports could also be the issue.
- If you have other devices (a mobile phone for instance), try connecting the keyboard to those devices as well. If the keyboard fails to connect with other devices too, the fault can be with the keyboard or the drivers.
- If you have a spare wired keyboard connect it to the computer and see if it works. If it does not, the issue must be with the keyboard drivers.
Connect Your Keyboard Properly
A Bluetooth-based wireless keyboard will not work if you haven’t performed the pairing process the correct way. Follow these steps to properly pair your Bluetooth Keyboard to the computer.
- Turn on the Keyboard and press the Bluetooth connect button.
- Go to Settings on your Windows device.
- Go to Bluetooth & devices section and turn on the Bluetooth.
- Now, click on Add device button. Windows will then discover the Bluetooth devices nearby including your keyboard.
- When your keyboard’s model is displayed click on it. You will see a pairing code on the screen.
- Enter the pairing code on the keyboard and hit Enter.
- Your keyboard will then get paired with your Windows device.
For a wireless keyboard with a transceiver, you must connect the dongle or the transceiver to the computer’s USB port and the keyboard will start to function automatically.
If you are new to using a wireless keyboard, the transceiver is usually placed inside the battery compartment. If the keyboard runs solely based on the transceiver, it becomes impossible to make the keyboard function if the dongle is damaged or lost.
Replace the Batteries
Wireless Keyboards mostly use AA or AAA batteries as their power source. These batteries normally last for 3 to 6 months depending upon your usage. When these run out of juice, your keyboard will fail to connect to the computer.
You can replace the batteries with a new one and see if makes the keyboard work normally. Some keyboards have built-in rechargeable batteries that can be charged with a cable that comes packaged with the keyboard.
Run Keyboard & Bluetooth Troubleshooter
Windows has a built-in troubleshooting utility that lets you resolve some of the hardware-related issues such as the Bluetooth, keyboard, network adapter, etc. It can also solve the connectivity issues of your keyboard as well.
- Open the Settings.
- Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters.
- Locate the Keyboard section and click on Run. This will run the keyboard diagnostics and may fix the issue with the wireless keyboard.
- Then run the Bluetooth troubleshooter and check if the keyboard can connect with the computer.
Update the Keyboard and Bluetooth Drivers
Usually, wireless keyboards fail to connect because of outdated keyboards or Bluetooth drivers. This can be determined by connecting a wired keyboard to the computer. If it does not works, this certainly indicates an issue with the keyboard driver. You can try updating the keyboard and Bluetooth driver.
- Right-click on the Start menu Button.
- Open the Device Manager.
- Click on the Keyboard to expand the list of devices under it.
- Right-click on the HID Keyboard Device and select Update driver.
- Follow the prompt and complete the update process. Then using a similar process update the Bluetooth driver. It is not important to update the Bluetooth driver if the keyboard uses a receiver to function.
If updating the Keyboard or the device drivers does not work, try reinstalling the drivers. This can fix the problem if it is generated by glitches in the drivers.
- Open the Device Manager and click on Keyboard.
- Right-click on the HID Keyboard Device and select Uninstall device > Uninstall.
- Finally, restart the computer. Upon restarting, Windows will automatically reinstall the uninstalled drivers.
- Follow the same process to reinstall the Bluetooth drivers for your Bluetooth Keyboard.
