How do I Unlock my Keyboard on Windows 10?

How to Unlock Keyboard on Windows 10

Sometimes, while typing, the keyboard gets locked accidentally on a Windows 10 computer. This can happen because of the software issue that the keyboard comes with. The keyboard gets locked by pressing the shift key or num lock keys.

To unlock your keyboard, go to the taskbar and click on the search icon, search for "device manager", find the keyboard driver and right-click it, select the uninstall option from the shortcut menu, restart your computer, and then your computer will reinstall the keyboard driver. If you have pressed the num lock, then you need to disable the num lock, or you can also try to change the keyboard layout.

The keyboard is locked and you can’t type anything? In case you locked the keyboard accidentally and couldn’t remember how you did it, then follow this article and you will know how to unlock keyboard Windows 10 computer.

Why is my Keyboard not Working in Windows 10?

In a few cases, a keyboard may not work in Windows because of an issue with the software that comes directly with the keyboard, like ToggleKeys. In case the keyboard is working while the computer is powered up, there is something in Windows that is stopping the keyboard from working. Try to start the computer into Safe Mode.

Causes of a Locked Keyboard. Most of the time the common reason for a locked keyboard is pressing the Shift key, sometimes called the keyboard lock key, for eight seconds or more. Further problems arise when you press specific keys like Num Lock, which may lock part of your keyboard.

Follow these steps to Unlock Num Lock in Windows 10

Step 1) Right-click the Start button, after that tap Device Manager. 

Step 2) Extend Keyboards after that right-click Standard PS/2 Keyboard and select Uninstall.

Step 3) Restart your computer after the uninstall. If the problem remains, it’s possible that your driver is outdated, instead of invalid.

How do I Turn Off Keyboard Lock on Windows 10?

Power off Scroll Lock if your keyboard does not have a Scroll Lock key, on your computer, click Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard.

Tap the On-Screen Keyboard button to switch it on. Once the on-screen keyboard displays on your screen, select the Scroll Lock button.

How to Unlock Keyboard on Windows 10 - 

To fix the keyboard on Windows 10 follow the instructions below: 

• Click the Search icon on the taskbar.
• Type ‘device manager’ (no quotes), then hit Enter.
• Look for the keyboard driver, then right-click it.
• Choose Uninstall from the shortcut menu.
• Restart your computer.
• Your PC should automatically reinstall the keyboard driver.

How do you Unlock a Keyboard Character on Windows?

Confirm that the Num Lock key has been pressed, to start the numeric key section of the keyboard. Press the Alt key, and hold it down. When the Alt key is pressed, type the sequence of numbers on the numeric keypad. Free the Alt key, and the character will show.

Methods to Unlock Keyboard on Windows 10

Follow the steps below to unlock keyboard on Windows 10: 

Step 1: Turn Off Filter Keys.

If your whole keyboard is locked, it is perhaps that you’ve switched on the Filter Keys feature unintentionally.

When you press the right SHIFT key for at least 8 seconds, you must hear a tone and the ‘Filter Keys’ icon appears in the system tray.

Then, you will find that the keyboard is locked and you are unable to type anything.

To unlock the keyboard, you have to press the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds again to switch off Filter Keys or disable Filter Keys from the Control Panel.

Step 2: Turn Off NumLock.

If your keyboard doesn’t type the correct characters, it’s possible that you’ve turned on NumLock or you’re using an incorrect keyboard layout. To fix such a case, you need to disable NumLock or change your keyboard layout 

Step 3: Reinstall or Update Keyboard Driver.

The keyboard may be locked because of an invalid or outdated driver. To make your keyboard back to work, you must reinstall or update the keyboard driver. Follow these steps below:

• Open Device Manager and expand the Keyboards category. 
• Right-click and choose any of them Update driver or Uninstall device.

• If you have selected the ‘Uninstall device’ option, restart your PC. Windows will automatically install the default keyboard driver.

Conclusion

These are all possible ways to unlock my keyboard on windows 10 most of the time. If your problem still exists, get in touch with your computer’s manufacturer or seek help from their forums. For the HP Pavilion laptop, you might unlock the keyboard by holding the Ctrl + PrtScn keyboard shortcut.

Before getting started, you have to take a look if specific keys or the whole keyboard has broken physically. For an external USB / PS2 keyboard, you can connect it to a different computer. In case the issue still remains, it is perhaps that your keyboard is physically broken. Otherwise, it should be a software issue and you can fix it with the steps below.