Laptop Keyboard or Trackpad Not Working? 7 Surefire Fixes
There’s a special kind of frustration that comes from watching your cursor sit motionless on the screen or typing a password only to see nothing appear. An unresponsive keyboard or trackpad can make your powerful laptop feel like an expensive paperweight.
Before you assume the worst and start looking up repair costs, take a moment. Most of the time, these issues are caused by software glitches or simple settings that are surprisingly easy to fix yourself.
This guide will walk you through 7 surefire troubleshooting steps, from the simplest checks to more advanced solutions, to get your keyboard and trackpad working again.
First, Don’t Panic! Let’s Figure Out the Problem
The first step is to figure out the scope of the problem. Ask yourself:
- Is it both the keyboard AND trackpad? If both have failed simultaneously, it’s more likely a software or driver issue.
- Is it just one? A single faulty component might point to a hardware problem.
- Does an external USB keyboard/mouse work? This is a critical test! If they work, it means your operating system is functioning, and the problem is likely with your laptop’s internal hardware or drivers.
Plug in an external mouse or keyboard if you have one. If it works, you can relax knowing your laptop isn’t completely down, and you can use the external device to follow the rest of these steps.
The 7-Step Troubleshooting Guide
Fix 1: The Instant Reboot (It’s not a joke!)
It sounds cliché, but a simple restart can resolve a multitude of temporary software glitches that cause drivers to crash.
- How to do it: Since your input devices aren’t working, you’ll need to do a hard restart. Hold down the physical power button on your laptop for about 10 seconds until it forces a shutdown. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
Fix 2: Check for Obvious Lock Keys
Some laptops have a function key that can accidentally disable the trackpad.
- How to do it: Look for a function key (usually F1, F3, F5, F7, or F9) that has a trackpad icon with a line through it. Press the Fn key + that function key to toggle the trackpad back on.
- For keyboards, ensure you haven’t accidentally enabled Filter Keys (a Windows accessibility feature). You can check this by searching for “Filter Keys” in the Windows Start menu and ensuring it’s turned off.
What this looks like:
The trackpad toggle key is often one of the function keys. Look for the icon that looks like a trackpad with an “X” or a line through it.
*(Image Suggestion: A close-up photo of a laptop keyboard, with a red circle highlighting the Fn key and the specific function key (e.g., F7) that has a trackpad icon on it.)*
Fix 3: Run the Hardware Troubleshooter
Windows has built-in troubleshooters designed to automatically find and fix common problems.
- How to do it:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot (or Settings > System > Troubleshoot in Windows 11).
- Select Additional troubleshooters or Other troubleshooters.
- Find and run the Keyboard Troubleshooter and the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.
Fix 4: Update or Reinstall Drivers (The Most Common Fix)
Drivers are the software that lets your operating system talk to your hardware. If they are corrupt or outdated, things stop working.
- How to do it in Device Manager:
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Keyboards section. Right-click on your laptop’s keyboard (e.g., “Standard PS/2 Keyboard”) and select Update driver. Choose “Search automatically for drivers.”
- Do the same for Mice and other pointing devices. Update the driver for your trackpad (it might be called a “PS/2 Compatible Mouse” or have the manufacturer name like “Synaptics” or “ELAN”).
- If updating doesn’t work, try uninstalling the device. Right-click and select “Uninstall device.” Restart your laptop, and Windows will automatically attempt to reinstall the correct drivers upon reboot.
What this looks like:
Device Manager is your central hub for all hardware drivers. Updating or reinstalling the drivers under “Keyboards” and “Mice” can solve most issues.
(Image Suggestion: A screenshot of the Windows Device Manager window, with the “Keyboards” and “Mice and other pointing devices” categories expanded, highlighting the “Update driver” option in the right-click menu.)
Fix 5: Check for Windows Updates
Microsoft often releases driver updates and bug fixes through Windows Update.
- How to do it: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install any available updates and restart your laptop.
Fix 6: Roll Back Recent Changes
Did the problem start right after a Windows update or after you installed a new program? You can undo that.
- How to do a System Restore:
- Search for “Create a restore point” in the Windows search bar and open it.
- Click System Restore and follow the prompts to choose a restore point from a date and time when your keyboard and trackpad were working correctly.
Fix 7: The BIOS Check
In rare cases, the touchpad can be disabled in the laptop’s BIOS/UEFI settings.
- How to do it:
- Restart your laptop and repeatedly press the key to enter BIOS/UEFI setup (common keys are F2, Del, F10, Esc—the correct key flashes on screen during startup).
- Navigate using the arrow keys (these often still work even if the trackpad doesn’t). Look for an “Advanced” tab or a “Keyboard/Mouse” settings section.
- Ensure the “Internal Pointing Device” is set to Enabled.
- Save and Exit (usually by pressing F10).
When to Seek Professional Help
If you’ve tried all these steps and nothing works, it’s likely a hardware failure. This could be:
- A loose or disconnected ribbon cable connecting the keyboard/trackpad to the motherboard.
- A physically damaged trackpad or keyboard from liquid spills or impact.
- A failed motherboard component.
If you’re uncomfortable opening up your laptop, this is where we come in. The technicians at HowToFixt can safely diagnose the exact hardware issue, whether it’s reconnecting a cable or replacing a faulty component, and get your laptop back to full health.