Reset a Keyboard

If your keyboard stops displaying the right characters, or not all the keystrokes are being registered, you may need to reset your keyboard settings. If your default language was changed, your keyboard may produce different characters than you're expecting. A faulty keyboard can also be the cause of your keyboard woes.

Steps

Adjusting Keyboard Settings (Windows)

  1. Open the Control Panel. You can find the Control Panel in the Start menu.
  2. Select the "Keyboard" option. Switch to Icon view by clicking the "View by" link if you can't find it.
  3. Change your repeat settings. You can change how long it takes after holding a key until it starts to repeat, as well as how fast repeat characters appear by using the sliders.
    • You can test your changes by clicking in the box and then pressing and holding the key.
  4. Change your cursor blink rate. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to change the speed.
  5. Check your keyboard driver. A faulty driver could be causing issues with your keyboard.
    • Click the .Hardware tab.
    • Select your keyboard from the list of devices.
    • Click .Properties.
    • Click the .Driver tab.
    • Click the .Roll Back Driver button.

Adjusting Keyboard Settings (OS X)

  1. Click the Apple menu.
  2. Select System Preferences.
  3. Select Keyboard & Mouse.
  4. Change your repeat settings. You can change how long it takes after holding a key until it starts to repeat, as well as how fast repeat characters appear by using the sliders.
    • You can test your changes by clicking in the box and then pressing and holding the key.
  5. Turn keyboard illumination on or off (if applicable). If your Mac supports keyboard illumination, you can toggle it on or off, as well as set when illumination turns off while not in use.
  6. Click the . button to change your system key assignments. This is useful if you are using a PC keyboard on a Mac.
    • Click each of the menus to set the key you want to assign to the system specified system function.

Changing the Language Settings (Windows)

  1. Open the Control Panel. If your keyboard is not displaying the correct characters when you press keys, your language settings may have gotten changed. If you have the incorrect region selected, your keyboard will act differently. To change it back, open the Control Panel.
    • You can access the Control Panel from the Start menu. Windows 8 users can right-click on the Windows button and select Control Panel from the menu.
  2. Open the Language settings. How you access this depends on which version of Windows you are using.
    • Windows 8 - If you are in Category mode, select "Change input methods" under the "Clock, Language, and Region" section. If you are in Icon mode, select "Languages".
    • Windows Vista and 7 - If you are in Category mode, select "Change keyboards and other input methods" under the "Clock, Language, and Region" section. If you are in Icon mode, select "Region and Language" and then click the "Keyboards and Languages" tab. Click the Change keyboards... button.
    • Windows XP - select "Regional and Language Options", click the Languages tab, and then click Details....
  3. Select your language. Use the menu to select the default input language you want to use. In Windows Vista and 7, select your preferred language from the "Default input language" drop-down menu. In Windows 8, move your preferred input language to the top of the list.

Changing the Language Settings (Mac)

  1. Click the flag next to your clock. If you have multiple languages enabled, you will be able to select between them by clicking the flag in your menu bar. A list will appear with your available language choices. Select your preferred input method from the list.
    • If you don't have this menu, see the next step to open the Languages menu and set your language back.
  2. Open the System Preferences menu. If your keyboard is not displaying the correct characters when you press keys, your language settings may have gotten changed. If you have the incorrect region selected, your keyboard will act differently. Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences to open it.
  3. Select "Language & Text". This will open a menu that allows you to select the languages that OS X uses.
  4. Click the "Input Sources" tab. This menu controls the input languages for OS X. A list of all the available languages will be displayed. Uncheck any languages that you don't use, and ensure that your preferred language is checked.

Troubleshooting a Nonworking Keyboard

  1. Try a different keyboard. Plug another USB keyboard into your computer and see if it works. If the second keyboard works, than something is wrong with the original keyboard. If the second keyboard doesn't work either, then something is wrong with the computer.
  2. Check the connection. If your original keyboard is the problem, there may be an issue with the connection to the computer.
    • If the keyboard is connected via USB, check that the cable is not frayed and that it is securely plugged into the USB port.
    • If the keyboard is wireless, ensure that you have the latest drivers installed and that the wireless dongle works. Make sure that the wireless keyboard has fresh batteries.
  3. Replace your keyboard. If all else fails, it may be time for a new keyboards. Keyboards see a lot of physical use, and can fail after a long enough time. If you're using a laptop, Remove-a-Laptop-Keyboard-from-a-Dell-Latitude-D505 is a little more involved but doable from home.

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