The first thing that comes into mind when someone sees his or her keyboard behaving strangely is hardware failure. In fact, there are many things that can go wrong with a laptop’s internal components, such as hard drive, RAM, motherboard, etc., which may cause problems like these. However, most people who experience this kind of issue usually find out that software errors caused them. This means that something went wrong during the installation process or while using an application. If you think about it, every time you install any program on your PC, you run the risk of installing malware along with it. Therefore, before blaming anything else, make sure that you did everything right from the start.
Why your laptop keyboard is working weirdly?
A laptop keyboard that is acting weird can result due to various factors. These can include;
- The keyboard is Dirty
- Outdated keyboard driver
- Stuck or damaged key caps
- OS infected with malware
- OS is corrupted
- Bad contacts
- Damaged circuit board
- Faulty power supply
- Dirty CMOS battery
- Poor grounding
All these situations lead to the malfunction of one or more keys, including function keys, arrow buttons, cursor control pad, space bar, enter button, and other similar functions.
How to diagnose the problem?
When keyboard keys don’t respond when pressed down, it could be a problem with the keyboard itself or its connection to the motherboard. If you can type normally using an external keyboard, the chances are good that the laptop keyboard is broken. If not, try swapping the keyboards. It might rule out a hardware issue.
It may be necessary to check for loose connections between the keyboard and motherboard if you still experience issues after switching keyboards. You should also check the track pad and other devices to see if they are working properly. If you see any weird movement of the track pad, then most chances are your OS is infected with malware.
How to fix weird acting laptop keyboard?
Most hardware issues can be identified by look and feel. Is your keyboard dirty? Do certain keys feel sticky or difficult to press? Is the T loose or barely hanging on? If so, here are the best ways to fix your laptop’s hardware:
Clean the Keyboard
The most common reason your laptop keyboard is acting weird is because of dust buildup inside the device. Dust particles tend to accumulate over time and eventually block the movement of the keys. It doesn’t take much effort to clean off the accumulated dirt. Simply wipe down your keyboard using one of the soft cloths once per week. This will help keep things looking nice and shiny!
Update device driver
An outdated device driver can also be the reason your laptop keyboard is acting weird? There could be several reasons why your device drivers are not working, including third-party software and outdated driver. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers to see if this fixes your keyboard.
Repair Broken Keys
Some laptops manufacturers use cheap plastic as their main material for making the keys but this is not the case for gaming laptops. When this happens, sometimes the keys break off during normal usage. Luckily, repairing broken keys isn’t too hard. First, take apart the keyboard and locate where the broken part was located. Then, carefully pull the pieces apart until you find what needs fixing. Finally, put everything back together again.
Replace Laptop Key caps
Sometimes when something gets stuck inside the mechanism of a keyboard, it causes the entire unit to work weird. In this case, replacing the key cap set might solve the issue. To replace the caps, simply remove each cap and place it into an envelope before placing all of them back together. Once they’re replaced, make sure to reattach any wires that were previously connected to the caps.
Fix Stuck Caps
Another common reason of problems with laptop keyboards involves sticking caps. Unfortunately, this usually requires disassembling the whole device. However, if you know how to work around this issue, then you should be able to repair it without much trouble.
Reinstall Operating System
A Malware-infected Operating system is one of the major reasons that cause your keyboard to act strange. For fixing the keyboard, you’ll need to reinstall the operating system. For most laptops, this means installing Windows 10. Make sure to download the right version of the operating system for your model number. Also, remember to install drivers after installation. Drivers allow your new operating system to communicate properly with your newly installed components.
Finally, if none of these solutions works, you may need some professional assistance from someone who knows how to troubleshoot laptops. A local repair shop or tech support service would probably diagnose the problem quickly and efficiently. They’d likely replace parts such as the keyboard assembly or motherboard depending on what was causing the malfunctioning keyboard.
Conclusion
These are all the possible solutions you can try to fix your laptop that is acting weird. In most cases, updating the keyboard driver can fix the issue at the first step. If not, then by reinstalling windows, you can fix the problem. If both fixes do not work, there will be hardware issues that can be resolved by following the above guide.
Frequently Asked Questions about laptop keyboard acting weird
Why is my laptop keyboard acting weird?
Your laptop can be acting weird because of several reasons. Those can be issues in your hardware or software. First of all, you should restart your laptop and see if everything comes back to normal. If the problem still persists, then follow our step-by-step guide to fix the issues.
Can malware cause my laptop keyboard to act strange?
Yes, if your laptop keyboard and other input devices are acting weird, then most probably, the chances are your laptop is infected with malware.
