How to lock and unlock a laptop keyboard

Via BIOS

Many Acer, Lenovo, MSI models allow you to disable the keyboard via BIOS.

Advice! How to enter it is necessarily described in the instructions for the laptop. To do this, you need to press both one of the function keys and a special hardware button.

In one of the BIOS sections there is an item USB Support Via. To lock the keyboard on a laptop from a child while the operating system is running, the value of the parameter must be set in the BIOS. After this, exit to boot the system normally.

Advanced laptops that use the USB bus to connect the keyboard allow for a dangerous locking method. In the BIOS settings, in the USB Legacy Support item, just set the value to Disabled. In this case, turning on the keyboard can only be done by resetting the CMOS, which requires reaching the switch on the motherboard. External devices other than Bluetooth will also not work.

The keyboard on the laptop is disabled, how to enable 8 methods for different models!

Good afternoon friends. The keyboard on my laptop is disabled, how can I turn it on? For the most part, the keyboard on a desktop computer turns off not for system reasons, but when the user himself accidentally turned it off. For example, when he cleaned it of dust, or his child or pet accidentally pressed the locking buttons. If this is so, then for the keyboard to work again, just click on the desired hot keys.

Fast way

The easiest way to disable letters on the keyboard is through the DOS command interface. This technique makes the keyboard completely inoperable. To open a window for entering commands, you will need:

press Win+R;

select Start, at the bottom of the menu click Run;
go to Start-Programs (All programs for Windows 7), find the Accessories subsection, find the Command Line item (for Win 95, XP);
Enter Start, find System Tools at the very bottom of the list of programs, select Command Prompt (for Windows 10).

After this action, a window with a black background will appear on the screen. In it you need to type the command rundll32 keyboard,disable and press enter. There is no need to confirm anything. If you make a shortcut to launch such a command, you can turn off the keyboard with just one click. This method relates to the operating system software environment and works on all laptops, be it Lenovo, Asus, Dell or Packard Bell. You can unlock the keyboard on a laptop in the same way, only in the command you write enable instead of disable.

Advice! How to enter characters when the buttons do not work? The on-screen keyboard is useful for this. You can call it through Start - Programs - Accessibility or activate it by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting Toolbars from the menu.

How to temporarily disable the keyboard on a laptop

If you need to turn off your laptop keyboard for a while, you can do it in two ways: using the built-in capabilities of Windows or third-party applications. The first option is preferable because it does not require downloading special utilities from the Internet, that is, it reduces the risk of infecting your computer with a virus. At the same time, the second option is more convenient if you have to turn on/off the keyboard on your laptop several times a day.

Disabling the keyboard via the command line

To disable the keyboard on a laptop using Windows, you will need to use the command line. For this:

Run ;
Write the command in it: rundll32 keyboard, disable

When the command is written, press Enter.

After such a simple manipulation, the keyboard on the laptop will stop working. You can also enable it via the command line using the command rundll32 keyboard, enable

Disabling the keyboard with third-party applications

There are a lot of programs that make it easy to disable the keyboard. There is no point in talking about them all, since the functionality and operating principle of such applications are similar. Let's look at an example of disabling the keyboard using the Toddler Keys application:

Please note: When installing the application, we recommend unchecking the “Lock Drive Doors” and “Disable Power Button” items. The checkboxes in these items are checked automatically when installing the program, and they block the disk drive and the computer's on/off button.

To unlock the keyboard after it has been locked by the Toddler Keys app, you need to uncheck the “Lock Keyboard” checkbox.

Disable in the device list

Locking the keyboard on a laptop through the device manager is a very effective method. It will be disabled even when booting into Safe Mode. You will need to call the device manager. You can do it like this:

go to the control panel (Start-Programs-Control Panel), select the System icon, launch the dispatcher with the corresponding button;
right-click (PC) on the Start icon and find the corresponding menu item (for Windows 10);

go to the command interface (as described above) and type devmgmt.msc.

In Device Manager, look for the Input Devices or Keyboards section in the list. There is a device there that is usually called the Standard Keyboard. On the line with the name, right-click on the touchpad or mouse and select Disable. If it is not there, the device must be removed. After this, the system will ask you to confirm your actions.

The method to enable the keyboard on a laptop through the device manager is almost the same as the steps to disable it. During the last operation, you need to select the Engage item in the right-click menu. And if the device was deleted, you will need to click PC on the computer name (the very first line in the list) and activate Update configuration.

Numeric and virtual keyboards

On some input devices, the numeric keypad can be placed separately, and if this block does not work, then it can perform other functions, for example, be used as arrows. It is turned on with the Num Lock key.

If you are unable to figure out the cause of the breakdown and you don’t have an external keyboard at hand, you can use a virtual one, which appears on the screen, and the keys are pressed with the cursor. To enable it, open the Start menu and search for it.

Sometimes a seemingly irreparable problem may arise when the controls on your laptop simply stop working. The question immediately arises as to why the laptop keyboard does not work. There can be many reasons for this, for example, when you just recently bought a portable device, and after unpacking you found out that the controls do not work. In fact, there is no need to worry, since the issue can be resolved without opening the case. Moreover, if you are a simple user, this is not recommended, otherwise the device may have to be sent to a service center for repair. Today we will present several options with which you can find out how to enable the keyboard on a laptop. But if it is really a technical problem, then none of the methods will help you. We will also talk about how to enable a numeric keypad on a laptop PC, of course, if your device has one. Sometimes it may happen that the main part of the control works, but the digital panel does not.

Disable the small numeric keypad

The right numbers on the keyboard operate in two modes. They can act as navigation controls but are capable of printing numbers. To disable the side keyboard in input mode, you can use BIOS tools. In one of its sections there is an item Boot Up Numlock Status. By setting the parameter value to Off, we get the laptop loading with navigation in the side. To enable the numeric keypad on the right side of your laptop, just press the Numlock key.

Calculator

The element we are interested in is located in the same place as on a personal computer, or rather it is the right side. This field contains numbers and the most basic symbols. To enable the control, you must press the NumLock key; on some laptop models its name may be abbreviated as numlk. This button is located above all numbers. If you notice that the indicator is not lit, then the function is turned off, and after pressing the inscription should light up, and then the digital part will start working. If there is no such key, but you still need to know how to turn on the keyboard on the laptop on the right side, then you should try the Fn + F combination. The solution does not always help, so if the issue has not been resolved, then it is advisable to look for a button that answers for the digital part.

The keyboard is an integral part of the laptop as long as it functions without failure. As soon as problems arise with it, the user begins to worry about the question of how to disable the keyboard on a laptop. If there are software glitches with your input device, disabling it may be a temporary solution. If hardware defects appear on the laptop keyboard, it may need to be disabled permanently, for example, if it began to function incorrectly after water got in or it is missing a number of keys that cannot be replaced.

Useful programs

Today, common programs allow you to do more than just disable letters on the keyboard. They can set key combinations to be blocked. This makes it easy to set up bans. For example, turn on the keyboard backlight, block service key combinations.

One such useful utility is called Toddler Keys, which is free. You just need to download and install the program. After the first launch, it appears in the tray near the clock. By right-clicking on it, you can disable and enable the keyboard.

Kid Key Lock is even more useful. It can not only completely disable the keyboard, but also block pressing of individual letters. This is useful not only as a child protection device, but also as a tool for restricting access to the functionality of a particular software.

Method 8: Checking the OS for viruses

Certain viruses can affect the operation of the operating system, including the keyboard. Before you try to follow recommendations that are difficult for you, scan Windows. The defender built into the system does not always recognize a malicious object that has entered it, so we recommend doing this using third-party antiviruses and scanners that do not require installation. For reliability, it is better to choose 2 options, since they are equipped with different scanning algorithms and have their own anti-virus databases.

The most difficult way

The keyboard can be literally disabled. To do this, you need to edit system policies. The procedure is as follows.

The device manager starts, as already written above.
Having found the keyboard, right-click on the line with its name.
By selecting Properties and going to the Information tab, we find in the lower list window the line ID of the device (equipment, instance).
By clicking on the value written on the right, select and copy it.
We go to the command window as described above.
Type gpedit.msc and press enter.
In the editor window that appears, go to Computer Configuration (these are settings that apply to all users).
Find Administrative Templates and expand the section by clicking on the plus sign.
Device management is located in the System section. It can also be expanded by clicking on the plus sign next to the name. Inside you will need the Device Installation subsection. You need to click on it.
In the right part of the window, where a list of available options will be displayed, select Prohibit the installation of devices with the specified codes.
Double click to enter the settings window. There is an Enable checkbox that you need to check.
Then go to the Settings tab. It has a Show button. Let's press it.
Then just paste the copied keyboard identifier value.

Close the windows one by one by clicking OK and confirming your selection if necessary. For the settings to take effect, you just need to restart the laptop. If this cannot be done at the moment, you can programmatically update the policies. To do this, go to the command prompt and type gpupdate /force and press enter. After this, the keyboard will be disabled.

Important! This blocking method is used not only for protection. It is optimal if you need to replace the keyboard on a laptop, since it disables only a unique product, and not the functionality of the input device.

Method 1: Windows 10 Settings

Windows 10 allows you to disable the physical keyboard in case it is convenient or possible to use only the on-screen one. This setting, of course, is inactive by default, but can be changed due to some error or by the user accidentally. Check its status and disable it if necessary:

Through Start, open the Settings application.

Go to the "Special Features" section.

Scroll the panel on the left and find the “Keyboard” item, and go there. In the “Use device without a regular keyboard” block, the only available option should be disabled.

We also recommend that you look at the setting of the “Use input filtering” block - the option available there should be disabled. If it doesn't, turn it off and check if text can be typed in any window. Sometimes a parameter begins to conflict with others, causing the keyboard to not work correctly.

BIOS

If the question of how to enable the keyboard on a laptop is still not resolved, then you should look for the corresponding items in the BIOS. Of course, if you are a simple user, you simply won’t be able to configure the settings yourself, so when other solutions have not helped you, you should contact a specialist or technical service. If you need to know how to switch the keyboard on a laptop, remember that everything will depend on the operating system installed on the device. In Windows 7, you can change the keyboard layout using the keyboard shortcuts Alt + Shift, and for XP this shortcut will be Ctrl + Shift. If you have a digital keypad and you should turn it on, then we'll now walk you through how to do that.