Troubleshooting Dell laptop keyboard problems

The laptop keyboard is your main tool for communicating with the device. When some keys stop working, stick, or respond with a delay, it can seriously disrupt your workflow. If you encounter this problem on your Dell, don't rush to get upset and take your laptop to a service center.

Many malfunctions can be fixed on your own, and it often takes only a few minutes. Sometimes it's not a serious breakdown, but a software glitch or accidentally changed settings.

In this article, we will look at several simple and effective ways to help you bring your keyboard back to life. We will start with the simplest and quickest solutions, gradually moving on to more complex ones, so that you can diagnose and solve the problem step by step.

Method 1: Windows 10 settings

The first thing to do is to check the operating system settings — one of them directly affects the disconnection of the physical keyboard of the laptop, and the second one can cause conflicts with its activity.

1. Open “Start” and click on the gear icon to go to “Settings”.
2. Click on the “Accessibility”.
3. On the left panel, find the item Keyboard tile and click on it. A list of settings will appear in the center of the window, where you need to pay attention to the first one — “Use device without a standard keyboard”. Naturally, its meaning should be translated into “Off.”, otherwise, the physical keyboard will not work.
4. If you changed the status of the parameter without closing the window, go to any application that supports text input and check if the input device is working.
5. In the same window with settings, there is another one — “Use input filtering”. Sometimes software conflicts occur with it and the keyboard starts to malfunction. Change its status to the opposite and try typing something again.

Method 2: Run the troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in tool for checking computer and system components for problems, which can also be used to check the keyboard. Sometimes, although not very often, this helps, so you can try running this tool for automatic analysis.

1. Click the “Start” and go to “Settings”, then switch to the menu “Update and Security”.
3. Go to the section via the left panel “Troubleshooting”.
4. If a notification appears in the center of the window “There are no recommended troubleshooting tools available at this time”, click on the link “Additional troubleshooting tools”.
5. In the block “Find and fix other problems” select the line “Keyboard” and click the button that appears. “Run the troubleshooter”.
6. Follow the instructions provided by the application, and if it cannot detect the problem, try the following methods.

Users should also have a pre-installed Dell application called “SupportAssist”. It also has a section for searching for problems, so if you did not manually uninstall this program, run diagnostics through it.

1. Find the software by “Start”, if necessary, copy and paste the name into the search field, and run it.
2. Switch to the tab “Troubleshooting”, click on the line “I want to check a specific piece of hardware”, to expand it, and select the option “Keyboard”.
4. A scan will start, during which a utility for checking the keyboard will open. You are prompted to press any keys and see if the laptop responds. If in the fields Key and “History” if you do not see what you are pressing, click the “Fail” at the bottom and follow the wizard's instructions.

Method 3: Force the ctfmon process to start

The keyboard's operation in the operating system is controlled by a process that, for some reason, may have stopped starting normally when the laptop is turned on. Because of this, the keyboard will work selectively — for example, you will be able to type text in messengers without any problems, but you will not be able to do so in the login window or in the Microsoft Store. The user needs to check its status themselves and, if necessary, force it to start with Windows.

1. To check, open “Task Manager”, right-clicking on the taskbar or in the menu Start.
2. 
3. In the list of processes, look for CTF loader.
4. 

If you did not find such a process, your suspicions are confirmed — this application does not load when the operating system starts. Let's add it to the boot process forcibly:

1. Click on “Start” “install” “Execute”.
2. 
3. Copy and paste the command regedit and press “OK”.
4. 
5. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. In Windows 10, this can be done by pasting the copied path into the address bar and using the key Enter on the virtual keyboard to make the transition.
6. 
7. In the empty space in the center of the window, right-click and select “Create” > “String parameter”.
8. 
9. Rename the parameter to “ctfmon”, then double-click on it with the left mouse button, thereby opening the window “Properties”. In the field “Value” paste the following path: C:\Windows\System32\ctfmon.exe, then save the changes with the button “OK”.
10. 

To be sure, check the Task Scheduler — “ctfmon” should also be enabled there.

1. Right-click on ‘Start’ and launch the application “Computer Management”.
2. 
3. Use the panel on the left to go to “Task Scheduler”.
4. 
5. Through it, sequentially expand the folders “Scheduler Library” > “Microsoft” > “Windows” > “TextServicesFramework”. In the central part of the window, there should be a task “MsCtfMonitor”. Make sure its status is “Home Screen” Wait for the selected application to finish installing on the device,.
6. 
7. If you have it “Disabled”, enable the task via the context menu.
8. 
9. After the installation, a notification should appear indicating that the procedure has been successfully completed. Be sure to restart your laptop for the changes to take effect.

“Device Manager”

Then save the changes by clicking

1. “Find drivers on this computer” This time, instead of selecting automatic search, select, “task Scheduler” “Start” inside the folder And click.
2. 
3. > Open the category In the context menu, select the item (in most cases, it will be the only one available), then click on “Power”.
4. 
5. You need the item “Automatically search for updated drivers” Without changing the path, click on, located on the left panel.
6. 
7. In the new window, select And enter the following path:.
8. 
9. “Standard PS/2 keyboard” A short scan will take place.. It will also say that this setting only affects starting the laptop from scratch (i.e., after Windows has shut down, not after a restart). A clean start will not be performed when restarting.
10. 
11. Based on the information from the previous step, do not restart, but turn off the laptop and turn it on again. If this instruction did not fix the keyboard, you can restore the setting.

Method 5: Troubleshooting the driver

Without the right driver, no laptop device can function properly. The keyboard also needs the correct version of the software, but sometimes it is the software that causes the problem in question. Microsoft provides its own driver, which is installed in the operating system from proprietary repositories without user intervention, so in most cases, the user does not need to do anything. In this case, the chance that the keyboard will not work is minimal (but it does exist), but if the user decides to use a program to install and update all drivers at once, the risk of making the system unstable due to the installation of outdated, incompatible versions that were selected automatically increases significantly. Whatever caused the driver malfunction, it can be fixed.

Reinstalling the keyboard driver

The first thing to try is reinstalling the driver, as this usually helps to resolve the issue.

1. Right-click on “Start” go to “Device Manager”.
2. 
3. “Back” “Keyboards” — there should be no warning signs indicating driver problems. If there are any, there may be errors with the software, and reinstalling does not always solve this problem. However, it is worth trying first — right-click on the line “Standard PS/2 Keyboard”.
4. 
5. In the context menu, you are interested in the item “Update driver”.
6. 
7. In the new window, select “Automatically search for updated drivers”.
8. 
9. A short scan will occur.
10. 

It is highly likely that a newer version will not be found — under normal circumstances, such software is rarely updated, and modern versions of Windows install them automatically. However, if an update has been made, restart your laptop and check if the keyboard is working. If the system reports that there is no update, you will have to install the driver yourself. First, you can try to do this through the same window.

1. This time, instead of automatic search, select the item “Find drivers on this computer”.
2. 
3. Without changing the path, click on “Find a driver from the list of available drivers on your computer”.
4. 
5. Select an option “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” (in most cases, it will be the only one available), then click on “Next”.
6. 
7. After installation, a notification should appear indicating that the procedure has been successfully completed. Be sure to restart your laptop for the changes to take effect.
8. 

The most effective solution is to install the driver from the company's website. To do this, go to the Dell portal and select the product support section.

Go to the official Dell website

1. Expand the section in the header Support and select “Product Support”.
2. Manually enter the model name, for example, “Inspiron 7591,” and if you do not know it, either use the SupportAssist software to determine the model or refer to our article at the link below.

   More info: How to find out the name of your laptop

3. The device page will open, where you can switch to Drivers and downloads.
4. Click on the link “Find drivers”.
5. Check that the operating system and its bit depth have been correctly identified, then select the category. “Mouse, Keyboard, and Input Devices” and scroll down the page.
6. Download the available option, then install it as you would a regular program. Restart your laptop to update the OS components.

Removing the keyboard driver

According to user reviews, it may also be effective to remove the driver, a compatible version of which will be installed by the OS itself in the future.

1. While in “Device Manager”, this time for the device “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” select the option “Remove device”.
2. 
3. If there is an additional checkbox in the new window, check it and then click “OK”.
4. 
5. Restart your laptop. Windows should automatically perform a clean installation of the driver when it starts up.

Removing the Elan driver

It is known that owners of Elan drivers may experience keyboard performance issues, most likely due to an unknown software conflict. In this situation, removing the driver helps (this is done as with any other program — through Settings / Control Panel or via “Local reinstallation” similar to removing the keyboard driver) and reinstalling it. You may need to find the previous version of Elan (the easiest way to do this is by the touchpad ID) when similar keyboard problems were not observed.

Installing the chipset driver

Malfunctions can occur not only in the keyboard, but also in other PC components, the most important of which is the chipset. If it does not function stably, it can result in malfunctions, such as with the keyboard. Therefore, if you cannot find the source of the problem, try installing the latest version of the chipset by downloading it from the official Dell website.

1. Button. All the steps for finding the necessary software on the Dell website were demonstrated in one of the previous instructions, where it was suggested to install the keyboard driver. Now you need to select the category “Chipset”.
2. After that, scroll down the page and click the button “Load” opposite the option Intel Chipset Device Software.
3. Install the downloaded driver as a regular program and restart your laptop.

Prohibit keyboard driver installation

In very rare cases, the keyboard stops working because of the driver that Windows automatically installs. In this situation, you can try to disable forced installation and install the driver provided by the official Dell website. Since disabling driver installation is a rather radical option, we recommend using it as a last resort when simpler solutions have not worked.

1. First, find out the device ID by which the system recognizes the keyboard by opening “Device Manager”. As a rule, the keyboard is always located in the section of the same name, less often it can be found in “HID devices”, and it is called “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” or has a name as close to this as possible.
2. 
3. Double-click the left mouse button to open the properties of this device or go there via the context menu.
4. Open the tab “Details” and in the block “Property” set the value “Bus Type GUID” switch to a wired connection “Class GUID” The block below will display a set of characters, which you should copy by right-clicking on it and selecting the item “Copy”.
5. “Yes” “Registry Editor” (we have already shown how to do this above) and follow the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
6. For streaming in 1080p resolution, use a bitrate of 5000-6000 Kbps; for 720p, 3000-4500 Kbps is sufficient. “Windows”). and create a new section.
7. Rename the folder to ‘DeviceInstall’, video bitrate “Restrictions”, and repeat this procedure again, naming the third folder “DenyDeviceIDs”. Compare your result with the screenshot below.
8. Inside the last folder you created, right-click on the empty center area and create “String parameter”.
9. Just type it «1», double-click the left mouse button to open the parameter change window and in the field “Value” paste the characters you copied from “GUID bus types” / “Class GUID”.
10. Go to the folder “Restrictions” and create it there “DWORD (32-bit) parameter”. Rename it to “DenyDeviceIDs”.
11. Similarly, open the window to change its value and enter the number in the only available field. «1», then press the button “OK”.
12. Create a second DWORD parameter, which you will name “Change settings”. The value for it does not need to be changed, it should remain the same «0».
13. Now remove the keyboard driver as demonstrated in one of the previous instructions, restart your laptop, and check that the keyboard is working. You can also install the keyboard driver downloaded from the official Dell website (also shown above) and restart the device again. If this does not work, it is best to return to the registry and delete the folder “DeviceInstall”, along with which all nested folders will be deleted, thereby removing the installed restriction.

“Accessibility” Method 1: Windows 10 settings

The first thing to do is to check the operating system settings — one of them directly affects the disconnection of the physical keyboard of the laptop, and the second one can cause conflicts with its activity.

Many malfunctions can be fixed on your own, and it often takes only a few minutes. Sometimes it's not a serious breakdown, but a software glitch or accidentally changed settings.

1. Open Otherwise, the physical keyboard will not work. “Start” and find the following branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E96B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}. “Off” ‘UpperFilters’ — its value must be “delete All”.
2. 
3. If this is not the case, double-click the left mouse button to open the editing window and change it to the specified one.
4. 
5. Keyboard tile

Returning to the topic of programs that change this parameter, it is worth mentioning Kaspersky antivirus, one of whose updates, according to users, affects “UpperFilters”. Therefore, if after restarting your laptop you find that the value of the “kbdclass” parameter in the registry has changed again, try updating your antivirus to the latest version or temporarily disabling it, while contacting the product's technical support.

Method 7: Managing Windows updates

If your keyboard stopped working after updating Windows, it is highly likely that the update is to blame. It is not certain that the developers will fix this quickly, so if you don't have time to wait for an update, you will have to remove the update yourself — there are several ways to revert to the previous OS release. Of course, keep in mind that the instructions only apply to Windows 10 and partially to Windows 8.1, as previous versions of the system have not been updated for a long time.

Roll back to the previous version

Windows 10 has a great feature that allows you to easily roll back to the previous release within 10 days of installing an update. This is very useful, as updates to Windows 10 often cause errors that cannot be fixed. This feature is available when installing a major update, for example, from 2004 to 20H1, so if your laptop had a similar update installed that caused the keyboard to malfunction, roll back the release. It is recommended to install the latest version in the future only after you find information on the Internet that the keyboard bug has been found and fixed. You can wait for the next major update to be released.

Please note! This method is only available if the Windows.old folder has not been deleted manually.

1. Again. Open “Settings” open “Update and Security”.
2. 
3. Use the panel on the left to switch to the section In this article, we will look at several simple and effective ways to help you bring your keyboard back to life. We will start with the simplest and quickest solutions, gradually moving on to more complex ones, so that you can diagnose and solve the problem step by step. — in the block “Settings” button And click on the gear icon to go to the laptop keyboard is your main tool for communicating with the device. When some keys stop working, stick, or respond with a delay, it can seriously disrupt your workflow. If you encounter this problem on your Dell, don't rush to get upset and take your laptop to a service center.
4. 
5. After clicking on it, the OS will begin preparing to perform the operation.
6. 
7. Check the box next to the appropriate reason — it is better to choose a realistic option and provide more details about the situation.
8. 
9. And click on it. A list of settings will appear in the center of the window, where you need to pay attention to the first one — “No, thank you”.
10. 
11. Click on the “Next”.
12. 
13. In the window with the new information, click “Use device without a standard keyboard”, after reading the notification.
14. 
15. All that remains is to press the button " Go back to an earlier build".
16. 
17. The recovery process will start and take some time.
18. 

The recovery preparation process may vary slightly with the release of Windows 10.

Removing a minor update

Not all keyboard problems are caused by a major update — it may be due to a minor update, usually called KBXXXXXXX (where X is a unique set of numbers). Try uninstalling it — even if it turns out to be unrelated, reinstalling such an update is easy by running a manual search for updates. We explained how to do this in Method 1 guides at the link below.

More information: Removing updates in Windows 10

Windows 10 Update

The opposite option is to update the operating system to the latest version. Problems can be fixed this way, especially if they occurred after updating drivers or programs that directly or indirectly interact with the keyboard. Check if there are any updates for your Windows and install them if necessary.

More information: Installing Windows 10 / Windows 8 updates

Method 8: System recovery

A simple and effective method for fixing a variety of problems related to various system errors is to use the system recovery tool. If you have enabled backup points and other easy methods from this article have not helped, before moving on to more difficult ones, we recommend simply rolling back to one of the recovery points.

More information: Roll back to a restore point in Windows 10 / Windows 8 / Windows 7

Restoring to factory settings

There is always a chance that none of the methods you have tried will help to resolve the issue. The most radical way to check whether the problem really lies in the software is to roll back the system to its original state. After that, you will have to reinstall some applications and change some system settings that have been reset to factory defaults.

Only restore Windows if none of the recommendations have worked and you are prepared to spend a certain amount of time restoring the system to the state it was in before the problems arose.

More details: Restoring Windows 10 to its original state

We would also like to note that Windows 7 does not have the above-mentioned feature, and the only thing you can do is use an installation disc/flash drive to reset it to its “out of the box” state, i.e., delete everything. You should only resort to a full restore as a last resort, after saving all important files elsewhere (external hard drive, cloud storage, USB flash drive). Windows 10 users can also restore their system to factory settings, but some personal data will still be saved. However, this will 100% fix any software error, if that is the cause of the problem.

More details: Restoring Windows 10/Windows 7 to factory settings

Method 9: Checking the OS for viruses

The bitrate directly depends on the stability of your internet connection and should be no more than 75% of your available download speed to allow for network fluctuations. Many streamers mistakenly set the maximum bitrate to 6000 Kbps without considering the actual bandwidth of their connection. An incorrectly selected bitrate leads to constant connection interruptions and poor broadcast quality for viewers.

More details: Fighting computer viruses

In most cases, problems with Dell keyboards are fairly easy to solve. Don't panic and rush to take your laptop to a service center. Often, the problem is caused by a driver failure or an accidentally activated feature that can be easily disabled.

Remember that a systematic approach is your best friend. Start with the simplest things: restarting your computer and checking your connection. Then move on to updating your drivers and scanning for viruses. This will solve the problem in 90% of cases.

‘No’