Is your keyboard not working as intended? This wikiHow teaches you how to deal with different types of keyboard problems by resetting the keyboard of a PC or Mac computer. There are various ways you can follow to reset the keyboard, and the process is different on Windows and Mac computers. However, don't worry! Everything is easy to follow and you'll be back to normal typing in no time!
Step
Method 1 of 6: Reset Bluetooth Keyboard (Windows)
Step 1. Turn off the keyboard
The position of the power button will vary on each keyboard, but you can usually find it on the bottom or side of the keyboard.
Follow this method if you're having trouble pairing your Bluetooth keyboard with your computer
Step 2. Open the Windows settings menu (“Windows Settings”)
You can find this gear icon in the “Start” menu, in the lower-left corner.
Step 3. Click Devices
This option is indicated by a keyboard and smartphone icon.
Step 4. Click the Bluetooth and other devices tab
This tab is on the left side of the window.
If the Bluetooth radio on your computer is disabled, click the " Bluetooth " switch at the top of the screen to enable it
Step 5. Click the keyboard on the list of devices
The keyboard is shown under the " Mouse, keyboard & pen " section. The "Remove device" button will be expanded after that.
Step 6. Click the Remove device button
A confirmation window will appear after that.
Step 7. Click Yes to confirm
The keyboard pairing will be removed from the computer.
If the Bluetooth radio is still off, you will need to turn it back on at this point
Step 8. Turn on the keyboard and click + Add Bluetooth or other device
This button is at the top of the right pane on your computer.
Step 9. Click Bluetooth
This option is the first option. The computer will scan for nearby Bluetooth devices at this stage.
Step 10. Click on the keyboard when the name appears in the list
Additional instructions may appear on the screen, depending on the keyboard you are using. If so, follow the instructions.
Step 11. Click Done
Now you have successfully re-paired the Bluetooth keyboard with the computer.
Method 2 of 6: Reset Bluetooth Keyboard (Mac)
Step 1. Turn off the keyboard
Press and hold the power button on the back of the keyboard (for newer keyboards) or on the right side (for older models) for at least three seconds to turn it off.
- Follow this method if the Bluetooth keyboard is difficult to pair with your Mac computer.
- You may need a Lightning cable to pair your keyboard with your computer again. Make sure you have the cable.
Step 2. Open the Apple menu on the computer
Click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear after that.
Step 3. Click System Preferences
It's at the top of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Click Bluetooth
The icon looks like a bow tie or ribbon positioned sideways.
If the Bluetooth radio is not already on on the computer, click “ Turn Bluetooth On ” on the left side of the window first before continuing.
Step 5. Click the X button next to the keyboard in the list of devices
The computer will ask if you want to remove the keyboard.
Step 6. Click Remove to confirm
The Bluetooth keyboard will be removed from the computer afterwards.
Step 7. Press and hold the power button on the keyboard to turn it back on
Once turned on, the keyboard will be directly paired with the computer.
If the keyboard doesn't reappear in the list of Bluetooth devices, connect the keyboard to your computer using a Lightning cable. Once connected, Bluetooth will be activated and the keyboard will automatically pair with the computer
Method 3 of 6: Reset Keyboard Language (Windows)
Step 1. Change keyboard language via input menu icon or input
If you see characters from another language while typing, this is usually because you selected the wrong language as the input language. To quickly switch to another language, click the currently active language on the taskbar, just to the left of the system clock. Usually, the language button is in the lower-right corner of the screen. After that, select the input language you want to use.
If you don't see the input menu icon or the language you want, or want to change the primary input language on the keyboard, move on to the next step
Step 2. Open the settings menu (“Settings”)
Click the “Start” menu and select the gear icon in the lower-left corner of the menu.
Step 3. Click Time & language
It's the clock icon in the middle of the window.
Step 4. Click the Language tab
This tab is in the left pane.
If you only install or add one language in the " Preferred languages " section, you will not see the language input menu in the system section. The menu icon is only shown if you have added or installed multiple languages or inputs
Step 5. Click the Keyboard icon
It's at the top of the right pane.
Step 6. Select Use language list (recommended) from the menu
It's at the top of the window. This option instructs Windows to use the first language in the list as the primary input language.
Click the back button to access the language setting (“Language”)
Step 7. Move your desired language to the top line of the list
To move a language, select a language and click the up arrow button until the entry is on the top row of the list. Windows will use the top language on the list as the primary input language if you install or add multiple languages.
- If you don't see the language you want, click the “ + ” next to “Add a language”, select a language, click “ Next, and select " Install language pack ” to install the language to the computer.
- You can remove languages that you no longer need by clicking on them once and selecting “ Remove ”.
- If the selected language is correct but the keyboard layout is incorrect (e.g. you are using a US English keyboard with a “DVORAK” layout instead of “QWERTY”), select a language, click “ Options ", choose " Add a keyboard ”, and select the desired keyboard layout to add it to your computer.
Method 4 of 6: Reset Keyboard Language (Mac)
Step 1. Change keyboard language via input menu icon or input
If you see characters from another language as you type, this is usually because you selected the wrong language as the input language. To quickly switch to another language, click the flag icon of the currently active language (eg flag of the United States if you're using United States English) in the menu bar at the top of the screen and select the desired language.
If you don't see the icon, you need to enable it and in a minute, you'll know how
Step 2. Open the System Preferences System Preferences application
You can access it by clicking the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen and selecting “ System Preferences ” from the menu.
Step 3. Click the Keyboard icon
The keyboard settings menu will appear.
Step 4. Click the Input Sources tab
This tab is the fourth option at the top of the window.
Step 5. Check the box next to "Show Input menu in menu bar"
This box is at the bottom of the window. Once the box is checked, the input menu or input will be displayed in the menu bar. You can now click on the icon to switch from one input language to another whenever you want.
Step 6. Rearrange the input languages in the desired order
If you have multiple languages installed, you can change the positions of each language so that the primary input language is at the top of the list. Just click and drag the desired language to the top row to set it as the primary input language.
Step 7. Delete the languages you don't use (optional)
If you want to remove a keyboard language from your computer, you can click on it and select the minus icon below the list of languages.
Step 8. Add another language (optional)
If the input language you want is not shown in the list, you can add it by clicking the “ + ” under the list, select a language, define a keyboard layout, and click “ Add ”.
Step 9. Allow other users to choose the keyboard layout when logging in to the computer (optional)
Are you sharing this Mac with other users who may require a different input language? You can add an input menu on the login page so that all users can select the language before logging in to the account. Here's how:
- Click the back button in the upper-left corner of the window to access the main System Preferences page.
- Click the icon " Users & Groups ”.
- Click the lock icon in the lower-left corner of the screen to allow changes.
- Click " Login Options ” in the lower-left corner of the window.
- Check the box next to "Show Input menu in the login window".
- Click the lock icon to lock the settings and close the window.
Method 5 of 6: Reinstalling the Keyboard Driver (Windows)
Step 1. Open the Device Manager program
This program allows you to reset the hardware on your computer. Driver crashes or glitches can cause a variety of keyboard problems on Windows computers, including intrusive keyboard behavior and unresponsiveness. This method helps you remove the currently active driver and replace it with a new, “clean” one. To access Device Manager:
- If the keyboard still works, click the “Start” menu, type device manager into the search bar, and click " Device Manager ” from the search results.
- If you can't type anything, click the “Start” menu, scroll through the program list, expand the “ Windows System ", choose " Control Panel, and click " Device Manager ”.
Step 2. Swipe the screen and expand Keyboard options
Click the arrow icon next to the “ Keyboard A drop-down list of keyboards currently connected to the computer will be displayed.
Step 3. Select the keyboard you want to reset
Click the keyboard name to select it.
Connected keyboards may have generic names, such as " Standard PS/2 Keyboard " or " HID Keyboard Device ". If you are using a laptop and connecting a secondary keyboard (built-in via USB or USB-based wireless receiver), the "Standard" keyboard is the laptop's built-in keyboard (built into the computer), and the HID keyboard is the secondary keyboard
Step 4. Click the “Uninstall” icon
This icon is indicated by the button “ X ” is red at the top of the window.
Step 5. Click Uninstall to confirm
After that, the keyboard will be removed from the Device Manager.
Step 6. Click the “Scan for hardware changes” icon
It's a computer monitor icon in the upper-right corner of the Device Manager window. Once the button is clicked, the program will scan for hardware that is connected to the computer, but does not have a driver (eg keyboard), then reinstalls the driver automatically.
- At this point, try using the keyboard again. If the keyboard works, congratulations! Otherwise, you may need to install certain drivers. You can also continue the process with this method to update the driver.
- If the external keyboard is not detected, disconnect the keyboard from the computer (or turn it off if the keyboard is connected via Bluetooth). When you reconnect your keyboard to your computer or turn it on, Windows will install the keyboard driver automatically.
Step 7. Reselect the keyboard
The name of the keyboard will be displayed in the “Keyboards” section. The keyboard may have a different name than before, depending on the driver used to reinstall the keyboard.
Step 8. Click the "Update drivers" button
It's at the top of the window and looks like a black box with a green arrow pointing up.
Step 9. Click Search automatically for updated driver software
This option is the top choice in the pop-up window. Windows will look for the latest software updates for your keyboard.
Step 10. Allow the latest drivers to be installed on the computer
If there is a driver available for the keyboard, it will be automatically installed on the computer.
- If there is no new driver, click “ Search for updated drivers on Windows Update " If an update is available, click “ Install now ” to download it. Windows Update is the best feature to get the latest drivers for your computer.
- You may be prompted to restart the computer after updating the driver.
Method 6 of 6: Restore Default Keyboard Settings (Mac)
Step 1. Open the System Preferences System Preferences application
You can find it by clicking the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen and selecting “ System Preferences ” on the menu.
Follow this method if you've modified keyboard settings (eg shortcuts and autocorrect), but want to restore the operating system's default keyboard settings
Step 2. Click Keyboard
This keyboard icon is in the System Preferences window. The keyboard settings menu will open and the tab “ Keyboard ” will automatically be displayed.
If you are not on the “Keyboard” tab, click on “ Keyboard ” at the top of the window to access it.
Step 3. Click the Modifier Keys… button
It's in the lower-right corner of the window.
Step 4. Click the Restore Defaults button and select OK.
All preferences for computer modification buttons (eg. Command ) will be deleted.
Step 5. Click the Text tab
This tab is at the top of the window, to the right of the “ Keyboard ”.
Step 6. Delete any replacement text that you no longer want to use
Replacement text is an automatic correction that the computer makes when you type a certain letter combination (e.g. if you type "sdsbk", the computer will automatically correct it to the phrase "is busy"). To remove the replacement text, click the text once, then select the minus sign icon below the list of replacement text.
Notes:
You can follow this procedure for any replacement text that needs to be removed.
Step 7. Click the Shortcuts tab
It's a tab at the top of the window. On this tab, you can find keyboard shortcuts that perform certain features (e.g. “ Shift ” + “ Command ” + “
Step 5.” to take a screenshot.
Step 8. Click Restore Defaults
It's in the lower-right corner of the window. The text shortcuts will be returned to their default settings. Now, you only have the factory-configured shortcuts for the computer (including the screenshot shortcut).
Step 9. Click the back button to access the main System Preferences page
This button is indicated by a back arrow icon in the upper-left corner of the window.
Step 10. Click the Accessibility icon
This icon looks like a blue circle with a white human outline inside.
Step 11. Click Keyboard on the left pane
This option is under the " Interaction " heading.
Step 12. Uncheck the “Enable Sticky Keys” and “Enable Slow Keys” boxes
If both options are enabled, disable them to restore the computer's default keyboard input method.
Both options are accessibility features designed to make it easier for people with limited mobility to type
Step 13. Restart the computer
Open menu Apple, click " Restart…, and select " Restart ” when prompted. The computer keyboard will return to normal settings after the computer is restarted.
Tips
- Keyboard resets can take care of keyboard issues, but also remove any custom settings you applied or selected.
- If your keyboard uses batteries, it's a good idea to use the brand of battery recommended by the keyboard manufacturer (if any).
- If resetting the keyboard doesn't solve the problem, the problem may be with the keyboard (hardware).
