Troubleshooting Keyboard Issues after Windows Update – Tips for Windows 10 Users

Troubleshooting Keyboard Issues in Windows 10 After Updates

As regular Windows 10 users, we’ve all experienced occasional keyboard hiccups after major operating system updates. A recent feature release stops five of your keys from working properly? Annoying isn’t it? But don’t smash that keyboard just yet – a bit of targeted troubleshooting can usually resurrect those keys in no time.

In this post, we’ll walk through the top five solutions to restore full keyboard functionality after a troublesome Windows 10 update. Whether it’s a keyboard driver, filter key setting, or boot environment causing the issue, our comprehensive guide has got you covered. Read on to revive those unresponsive keys and get back to seamless typing.

Run the Built-In Keyboard Troubleshooter

Our first line of attack is leveraging a handy built-in Windows 10 troubleshooter specifically designed to detect and automatically fix many common keyboard errors.

How do I troubleshoot Windows 10 keyboard problems?

My name is Darren; an Independent Consultant, I’m here to help you with your problem. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Select troubleshoot tab > under “Find and fix other problems”, click on Keyboard > click on run the troubleshooter and follow on-screen directions.

How to update keyboard drivers Windows 10?

STEP 1 = Press Win+R to open the Run window. STEP 2 = Type “devmgmt.msc” in the Run pop-up box and press the Enter button. Alternatively, you can go to the Search box and type Device Manager. Select from the search results that appear on the screen. Restart your PC to let Windows automatically update the keyboard drivers.

To access it, simply click on the Windows icon in the taskbar, choose Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Keyboard. The troubleshooter will kick into gear, analyzing your system’s keyboard configuration and making any necessary repairs.

It’s quick, easy, and takes the guesswork out of pinpointing the root cause – so it should be your first stop when diagnosing keyboard difficulties after a Windows update.

Update Outdated Keyboard Drivers

If the troubleshooter comes up empty, the next thing to check is whether your keyboard drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers are a leading cause of peripheral hiccups, and Windows updates can sometimes corrupt them.

To update drivers manually, right-click the Start button, choose Device Manager, select Keyboards, right-click your keyboard model, and select Update Driver. This will automatically download the latest driver from Windows Update.

Alternatively, you can uninstall the driver completely, forcing Windows to reinstall a fresh copy on reboot. And don’t forget to check the manufacturer’s website for even newer drivers not yet included with Windows Update. Keeping drivers fully up to date will nip many keyboard issues in the bud.

How do I uninstall Windows 10 keyboard drivers?

Right-click on the Start button, then select Device Manager. Expand Keyboards, right-click on the keyboard device and select Uninstall device. Close the Device Manager and restart your computer. Windows should automatically install generic drivers in the next start-up.

Why is my keyboard not working after a Windows Update?

Damaged or corrupted drivers. Filter key is on. Damaged or corrupted system files. Conflict with another device or driver. Driver compatibility issues are the usual causes for your keyboard not working after a windows update. Sometimes, compatibility issues could be caused indirectly by another application or process that got updates as well.

Switch Up Your USB Port

For external USB keyboards, try unplugging from the current problematic USB port and plugging into a different one instead. We’ve seen certain ports get finicky after an update, rejecting input from connected devices.

Swapping to a new USB port often does the trick in these cases. While you’re at it, inspect the port for any apparent damage or debris that could impede a solid connection. A little port cleaning can work wonders.

Adjust Your Filter Key Settings

Here’s an obscure setting that can secretly disable your keyboard if configured incorrectly – Filter Keys. This accessibility feature is designed to ignore accidental repeated keystrokes, but can be easily toggled on inadvertently after an update.

To check its status, open the Action Center, click All Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and ensure Filter Keys is set to OFF. Turning this topsy-turvy setting off again may just get those keys firing correctly.

Perform a Clean Boot

If all else fails, try isolating the offending keyboard driver from all other processes with a clean boot. This entails temporarily disabling all non-essential apps and services so it’s just the core Windows/keyboard driver environment running.

How to update keyboard driver Windows 10?

Expand Keyboards, right-click on the keyboard device and select Uninstall device. Close the Device Manager and restart your computer. Windows should automatically install generic drivers in the next start-up. To update the driver, you can instead select Update driver in the menu in the previous step.

How do I fix a keyboard driver not working?

If you do, after connecting them, go to Start > Type “Device Manager” and hit enter > right click on the keyboard driver that is not working and select update driver > Click on “Search automatically for updated driver software” to ensure that you have the latest driver. Repeat step for mouse driver.

Follow the clean boot instructions here if you suspect a third-party service like anti-virus may be interfering with the keyboard driver. Once the system is stable again, you can selectively re-enable startup programs one by one until identifying the problematic process.

When All Else Fails, Roll Back the Update

As a last resort, if your keyboard remains unresponsive after trying all conventional troubleshooting, consider rolling back the Windows 10 update altogether.

Navigate to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > View update history, and click Uninstall updates. This will revert Windows to the previous working version as a temporary workaround while Microsoft addresses the issue.

Preventing Keyboard Troubles After Future Updates

With the right troubleshooting techniques, those uncooperative keys can be whipped back into shape after problematic Windows updates. To reduce headaches going forward, be sure to:

How do I fix a keyboard not working on Windows 10?

1. Open “Device Manager” (Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager); 2. Expand “Keyboards”; 3. Right-click on the keyboard and select “Uninstall Device”; 4. Restart your PC and see if the issue is resolved. If it persists, I suggest you test this keyboard on another device and see if the same behavior will occur.

How do I update a device driver in Device Manager?

Now you’ve found the device you wish to update in Device Manager, right-click on it and a window will pop up. In this window you will have various options, one of which will be ‘Update driver’ click this option and your device will begin to check if you have the latest updates installed. 4. Select an option for finding a driver

How do I manually update my Device drivers Windows 10?

Windows 10 updates most of your device drivers automatically. But if you’d like to manually install the latest drivers (say for your graphics card), you can do so by downloading the drivers from the device manufacturer’s site or using Device Manager. We’ll show you how. When Should You Manually Update Your Device Drivers?

• Keep keyboard drivers updated proactively
• Periodically clean USB ports
• Double check obscure settings like Filter Keys
• Limit startup programs to essentials

Following these practices will go a long way towards smooth sailing after future Windows 10 updates. But if issues still creep up, at least you’ve now got the inside track on rapid resolution. We can get through this together, key by key.

References

1. https://softwarekeep.com/help-center/how-to-fix-your-keyboard-not-working-in-windows-10
2. https://www.minitool.com/news/laptop-keyboard-not-working-004.html

How do I update my Windows 10 keyboard driver?

Step 1: Right-click on Start and select Device Manager. Step 2: Expand Keyboards. Step 3: Right-click on the affected keyboard and select Update driver. Step 4: Select search automatically for updated driver software. Your computer will now search the internet for recent drivers and install it.

How do I check if my Windows 10 driver has been updated?

In the search box on the taskbar, type check for updates, then select Check for updates from the list of results. Under Windows Update, select Check for updates. Windows Update will tell you if you need any updates or not, and whether the latest updates were successfully installed. There might not be any driver updates available.