In the end it will definitely happen. You are in the middle of an important job when your mouse and keyboard suddenly stop working in Windows. What do you do? Panic? Shout? Drink up?
Don’t call a technician yet. There are a few basic steps you can take to fix the problem yourself. In this article, we’ll share some tricks you can try yourself to get your mouse and keyboard working again.
Restart your computer
Restart the computer
Have you tried restarting your computer? Sometimes users get confused when faced with computer problems and forget about the most obvious solution.
So take a minute to restart your computer before doing anything else.
- If you are unable to move your mouse, you can turn off your computer by pressing Windows + X on your keyboard.
- The start menu will open. Select Shut Down or Exit> Restart by using the arrow keys.
- Or you can press Alt + F4 to open the Shutdown window and use the arrow keys to select Restart.
Temporary keyboard
Temporary keyboard
If restarting your computer doesn’t work and your keyboard stops working, you’ll need a temporary one that works. Fortunately, Windows has a built-in keyboard for this.
- The Onscreen Keyboard (OSK) can be accessed by going to Windows Settings> Ease of Access> Keyboard.
- Under Use the device without a physical keyboard, set the Use On-Screen Keyboard option to On.
- You can also press Windows + Ctrl + O to open the virtual keyboard.
- OSK will open. Use your mouse to enter text or navigate Windows looking for a more permanent fix.
Basic troubleshooting
- Check your mouse and keyboard cables first. Are they disabled? Are they showing signs of wear? Have they been knocked out of their assigned ports?
- If you are using a wireless mouse or keyboard, have you tried replacing the batteries? Have you checked if your Bluetooth connection is active? Those using external Bluetooth transmitters should check to see if this is the cause of the problem.
- You can try connecting a different keyboard and mouse. If your computer is unresponsive to any keyboard or mouse input, you may have a software problem.
Update your driver
Basic Troubleshooting
- First, check the mouse and keyboard cables. Are they separated? Are they showing signs of wear? Have they been taken out of the outlets assigned to them?
- If you are using a wireless mouse or keyboard, have you tried replacing the batteries? Have you checked if your Bluetooth connection is still active? Those who use external Bluetooth transmitters should know if this is the cause of the problem.
- You can try to connect two different keyboard and mouse. If your computer is not responding to any keyboard or mouse, you might encounter a software problem instead.
Update Driver
Updating the device driver can potentially fix the problematic keyboard or mouse.
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- Use search to find and open Device Manager.
- When opened, expand Keyboards, Mice and Other Pointing Devices.
- Right-click the device and select Update Driver Software.
Keyboard Troubleshooter
Windows has a troubleshooter that fixes the most annoying errors and errors. It can also solve USB keyboard problems on your behalf.
- Go to Windows Settings> Update & Security> Troubleshoot. Under Find and fix other problems, select Keyboard.
- Click Run the troubleshooter.
- Windows will continue to detect problems with your keyboard.
- If it detects a problem, just follow the on-screen commands to fix the problem. If it cannot find anything, you will be shown a message about it.
- If successful, the troubleshooter should get your keyboard working again.
Mouse Properties
Sometimes the USB mouse isn’t necessarily broken. You just need to update your settings.
- Open Control Panel. Choose Hardware and Sound> Devices and Printers> Mouse.
- Here you will find a number of properties of the mouse that can affect its performance. You can make changes to mouse buttons, pointers, pointer options, wheel, and hardware.
- Customize your mouse to your liking. For example, if you find your mouse speed is slow, click the Pointer Options tab and select a more appropriate speed by moving the slider.
Hopefully one of these mouse options will fix any of the suspected mouse errors.
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