The keyboard doesn’t work on your PC: reasons and what should be done

Keyboard is the main tool for entering information, and without it there will not be any possibility to operate any computer. Most often, this device works flawlessly, it is quite easy to connect it to the PC and it installs all necessary drivers automatically. It happens in most cases, but not always. There are situations where when you connect the keyboard to the USB or PS/2 connector, it is not detected on the computer and does not show any signs of operation – the indicators do not light, and the keys do not work. In the framework of this article, we offer instructions on what to do if the keyboard of your computer does not work.

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Table of contents:
1. Why the keyboard is not working on your computer
2. What to do if the keyboard does not work on your computer by the USB protocol
3. What to do if the keyboard does not work on your computer by the PS/2 protocol

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Why the keyboard is not working on your computer

It is very easy to connect the keyboard to the computer – it is enough to insert the keyboard wire into the corresponding connector on the motherboard, and after that the device will immediately start working. There are also many wireless keyboards, the radio from this device has to be inserted into the USB-connector, after which the device will work if the distance between the transmitter and the device is sufficient. In connection with the simplicity of the process we can conclude that there are only two reasons for the keyboard not to be functioning properly on your computer:

• There may be problems connected directly with the keyboard or with the wire that connects it to the motherboard. Also, a broken connector on the motherboard may cause such malfunction.
• The keyboard drivers are installed automatically, but any software installation may fail, and this situation is not exceptional. In addition, the problems can be observed not only in the operating system level, but also in BIOS, where the corresponding settings for the keyboard operation might be disabled. Depending on the keyboard connector, we offer different solutions to the problems that may arise.

What to do if the keyboard does not work on your computer by the USB protocol

USB is the most common interface for connecting a keyboard to a computer. The speed of information transfer from the peripheral device to the computer is sufficient through both – USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 protocols, so there is no difference actually which connector you will use to connect your keyboard. If the USB keyboard does not work when you are turning your computer on, try performing the following actions:

1. Turn off your computer and start it again;
2. Immediately after the computer starts to boot, press the DEL key to get into the BIOS settings;
3. In BIOS settings, you need to find USB Keyboard Support or Legacy USB (depending on which version of the base software is used on your motherboard). This item should be switched to Enable.

It is worth noting that users whose keyboards are connected to the motherboard via USB, may experience some troubles with the transition to BIOS on the computer boot screen if there is used an older version of the basic software. In this case, you need to find a keyboard with a PS/2 connector or use the appropriate adapter.

What to do if the keyboard does not work on your computer by the PS/2 protocol

Keyboard manufacturers are trying to move away from the PS/2 connector, giving their preferences to the USB. Nowadays it is very difficult to meet a keyboard with a PS/2 connector, but if you have one and it does not work when you boot Windows, it’s very likely that the problem is with the drivers. To make the keyboard work, you need to perform the following actions:

1. Right-click on the “Start” menu and select “Device Manager”;
2. Next, find keyboards among the available devices and open a keyboards list. On the connected keyboard, which has problems, there will be a circle mark on a yellow background with an exclamation sign. Select this keyboard by left-clicking on it, and then in the top menu press the “Action” – “Uninstall device” items. Confirm your attempt to remove the device from the computer’s memory and close the “Device Manager”;

3. Next, right-click the “Start” button and select “Run”;
4. In the opened line, type the hdwwiz command (using the virtual keyboard) and click “OK”. After that there will open the “Hardware Installation Wizard”;
5. Click “Next” and select the “Search for and install the hardware automatically (Recommended)” item;

6. System will spend some time searching for new devices, after which NumLock will light up on the keyboard, signaling that the device is found and being installed;
7. When the installation process is complete, you can start using your keyboard.

It’s worth noting that the problem with keyboards connected via PS/2 protocol arises most likely due to an error when installing the i8042prt.sys or kbdclass.sys driver.