Keyboard Randomly Stops Working – Here’s How to Fix It

Usually, a driver issue or some complication with the system files causes a wired keyboard to malfunction. However, if you are using a wireless keyboard, several other reasons may stop the keyboard from working. A dead battery and Bluetooth version mismatch are a few among them.

Most of the time, disconnecting and reconnecting the keyboard should fix an issue when the keyboard randomly stops working. However, if it does not, we have prepared this article along with some most viable solutions to fix a keyboard that stops working. 

Why Does My Keyboard Randomly Stop Working?

How to Fix a Keyboard That Stops Working Randomly

Before we jump into the solutions, make sure that the wires are not broken. Check for any damages to the port, cable, or the keyboard itself. If the keyboard looks fine from the outside, there are probably some internal issues or some configuration errors within Operating System.

But first, you can enable on-screen keyboard as an alternative. 

1. Click on the Windows icon and select All Apps.
2. Scroll down and click on Settings.
3. Go to Accessibility.
4. Under Interaction, select Keyboard.
5. Under the On-screen keyboard, access keys, and Print screen, enable the On-screen keyboard.
   

Now that you have enabled the on-screen keyboard, try the following solutions to fix your keyboard.

Replace Batteries

When the batteries on a wireless keyboard start to get low, it might not record a keypress in one go. If you feel that the OS is not detecting the keypress, try changing its batteries. If you have a rechargeable wireless keyboard, make sure you charge them.

Disable USB Power-saving Mode

When a USB port is not in use for a certain period, the OS stops the power supply to it. This particular setting causes the keyboard to disconnect every now and then. Although the USB port will work once you press any button, it may not work if the keyboard is idle for a long time. 

You can fix this by simply removing and reinserting the connector in the USB port. However, you can disable USB selective suspend to completely remove this feature.

1. Press Windows + R key on the on-screen keyboard to open Run.
2. Type powercfg.cpl and press Enter to open Power Options.
3. Click on Change plan settings on the selected power plan
4. Click on Change advanced power settings.
5. Scroll down and expand USB settings.
6. Expand USB selective suspend setting.
7. Select Disable.
   
8. Click on Apply, then Ok.

Disable Device Power Saving Options

Device power saving options also work similarly to USB selective suspend. When enabled, the computer will turn off any idle device to save power. Follow the steps below to disable the device power saving mode.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Keyboards.
3. Double click on the keyboard that you are currently using. If you cannot determine the device, unplug the keyboard and check the device that disappears from the list. Now, Plug in the keyboard.
4. Go to the Power Management tab and deselect Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
   

Disable Filter Keys

Enabling filter keys ignores repeated keystrokes in a quick succession. This can especially be useful for users who suffer from physical conditions like parkinsons or arthritis. As for general use, it can stop the Operating System from detecting the keypress and give a feel that keyboard is not responding.

1. On the on-screen keyboard, click on the Windows + I key to open Settings.
2. Go to Accessibility > Keyboard.
3. Here, disable the Filter keys.
   

Uninstall Companion Application

A companion application for your keyboard may also randomly stop a keyboard from functioning. These applications have full control over the keyboard’s microcontroller. If these applications are not configured correctly, they may cause the entire keyboard to malfunction.

Uninstall these applications to check if it fixes the issue.

1. Press Windows + R key on the on-screen keyboard to open Run.
2. Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter.
3. Click on the application that you want to remove and select Uninstall.
   

Lower High CPU Usage

A computer with high CPU usage will take a certain time to perform even a simple task. During high CPU usage, the processor remains busy performing calculations. And since the processor is already heavily loaded, sometimes, the PC will not detect a keypress during high CPU usage.

In order to have some room on CPU for other instructions, the demanding process needs to be either completed or terminated. To lower CPU usage, 

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the On-screen keyboard to open Task Manager.
2. Click on More details if the task manager just shows the application that is currently running and not the background process.
3. Click on the process that is taking high CPU resources.
4. Select End task.
   

Run Keyboard and Hardware Troubleshooter

The troubleshooter feature in Windows checks for possible faults and errors and tries to fix them. To fix the complications with the keyboard, run the keyboard and hardware troubleshooter.

1. Press the Windows + I key to open Settings using the on-screen keyboard.
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters.
3. Now run the keyboard troubleshooter.
   
4. Once the process completes, press the Windows + R key to open Run.
5. Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter to open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
6. Click on Next to run the hardware troubleshooter.
   

Update Necessary Drivers

The drivers that need to function correctly when connecting a keyboard are the USB driver, keyboard driver, and Bluetooth driver if you are using a Bluetooth wireless keyboard. When these drivers are out-of-date, they will have issues communicating with the modern Operating system.

This can result in the keyboard to randomly stop working. Follow the steps below to update necessary drivers.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Device Manager.
2. Update all the device drivers inside Keyboards, Universal Serial Bus Controllers, and Bluetooth if you use a Bluetooth wireless keyboard.
   

Clean the Keyboard

Another common reason the keyboard randomly stops working is due to dust settled under the keys. The keyboard will have multiple openings through which dust enters. And if enough dust enters the keyboard’s microcontroller, it may cease functioning. 

Clean your entire keyboard to see if it fixes the issue. We have some article that provides you step by step guide on removing the keys and cleaning the keyboard.

When to Change Your Keyboard?

If none of the solutions work, check if the keyboard works on another PC. If it still does not work, there is a high possibility that you have a faulty keyboard. Replacing the keyboard with a fresh one should solve the issue.