Is your Dell keyboard locked and you want to know if it is an accidental key pressing or some glitches? Don’t worry! We’ll tell you simple and effective methods on how to unlock a Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11. So, keep reading till the end to get rid of this technical hiccup.
How to Unlock Dell Laptop Keyboard on Windows 10/11
There could be many possible reasons why your Dell keyboard is locked. If your keyboard is broken or has had any accidental incident, it might affect your keyboard buttons. You must check for your damaged keyboard and get it repaired to work without any hindrance.
Moreover, unlocking is much easier than you thought. You can press the Fn key and NumLock key together. If you don’t have a NumLock key on your keyboard you can press the Fn and Esc keys together to unlock the Fn key.
Quick Answer
You can follow the below steps to unlock the keyboard if you are using your laptop in tablet mode:
1. Go to Settings and choose System > Tablet.
2. Click on Change additional tablet settings.
3. Turn off the toggle for Tablet mode.
Refer to the sections below for different methods to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11:
Method 1: Unlock Num Lock
Locking of the NumLock can stop the functionality of your keyboard. So you can use the on-screen keyboard to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11 using NumLock:
Note: You can also press Windows + Ctrl + O to turn the On-screen keyboard on or off.
1. Click on Start menu and click on the Settings icon.
2. Click on Ease of Access.
3. Scroll down on the left panel and select Keyboard under Interaction.
4. Turn on the toggle for On-Screen Keyboard.
5. Click on the NumLock key.
Note: If you don’t see the NumLock key, then click on Options and tick the checkbox to Turn on numeric key pad. Click on OK and once the key is visible, click on the NumLock key.
Your keyboard can be unlocked through this method.
Also Read: How to Enable Num Lock on Startup in Windows 10
Method 2: Shut Down Device and Charge Dead Wireless Keyboard
Sometimes your wireless keyboard may have no battery or the battery might have been drained or unused for a long time. So, try charging your keyboard for some time and then try again.
If the issue is not with the keyboard, follow the steps mentioned below to unlock your keyboard by power cycling your device:
1. Shut down your PC.
2. Remove your laptop’s battery and long-press on the power button.
3. Now put the battery back and turn your laptop on.
Note: While performing the above-mentioned steps, ensure that your laptop is not charging and it’s not heated while turning it back on. If you don’t want to power cycle, you can simply restart your device from the start menu.
Method 3: Run Dell Support Assist
Follow the steps mentioned below to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11 by running Dell Support Assist:
1. Open Dell SupportAssist app on your laptop.
2. Click on Troubleshooting.
3. Click on I want to check a specific piece of hardware and select Keyboard.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions shown to fix the issue.
That’s it! Your keyboard will start working as usual. If the issue persists, try contacting Dell Support.
Method 4: Disable Filter Keys
Enabling filter key settings can cause many issues with your keyboard functionality. Follow the steps mentioned below to unlock Dell laptop keyboard by disabling the filter keys:
1. Follow Steps 1-3 in Method 1 to open Keyboard settings.
2. Scroll down and turn off the toggle under Use Filter Keys to disable them.
Now, your keyboard should be unlocked.
Method 5: Disable Tablet Mode
Using your Dell laptop in tablet mode will disable you from using the keyboard buttons. Follow the steps mentioned below to change the device to laptop mode:
Note: You can also disable Tablet mode in the Action Center on the Taskbar.
1. Go to Settings and choose System.
2. Select Tablet.
3. Click on Change additional tablet settings.
4. Turn off the toggle for Tablet mode.
Check if your keyboard started working.
Also Read: How to Type Rupee Symbol in Keyboard on Windows 10
Method 6: Update Keyboard Drivers
There are chances that your keyboard driver is corrupt or outdated. In that case, you can update the driver by following our guide on How to Update Device Drivers on Windows 10 and implement the same for the keyboard.
If updating didn’t work, you can try uninstalling the built-in keyboard driver by following the guide on How to Uninstall and Reinstall Drivers on Windows 10.
Now, you can restart your laptop and check if your issue is fixed.
Method 7: Enable Keyboard from Command Prompt
Follow the steps mentioned below to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11 by enabling from a command prompt:
1. Open the Run command dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys.
2. Type cmd in the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt as administrator.
3. Type sc config i8042prt start=auto and press the Enter key.
4. Now, reboot your device and check the keyboard buttons again.
Method 8: Uninstall Third Party Applications
Having third-party applications on your device can also cause problems with your keys freezing. Follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Open Settings and click on Apps.
2. Click on the app you want to remove and click on Uninstall.
3. Click on Uninstall again in the pop-up.
This can solve your problem.
Also Read: Fix Mechanical Keyboard Double Typing in Windows 10
Method 9: Load BIOS Defaults
Loading BIOS Defaults may resolve a locked Dell keyboard, but it’s not guaranteed. It’s worth a try, especially if you think that a software or configuration issue is causing the problem.
1. Go to the Start menu and select the Power Button.
2. Select Restart from the options.
3. After your device gets restarted, press the F2 key repeatedly to open BIOS.
4. Once the Bios menu pops up, select Load BIO Defaults.
5. Click on OK.
Your keyboards might get unlocked after going back to default settings.
Method 10: Update BIOS
The BIOS is responsible for controlling hardware components, including the keyboard. If there’s a conflict or misconfiguration in its settings, updating it could potentially resolve it. Follow our guide on What is BIOS and how to update BIOS to unlock the Dell keyboard.
Method 11: Optimize System
Follow the steps mentioned below to simply optimize the system to fix your issue:
1. Open the SupportAssist app and go to the Home tab.
2. Click on Run Now to optimize certain features or Run All to optimize your laptop.
That’s it, your system will be optimized.
Why is My Dell Laptop Keyboard Locked?
There could be many possible reasons for your Dell laptop keyboard being locked like:
- Your keyboard driver is not updated.
- You pressed a key combination accidentally.
- There are technical glitches.
- There is a problem with your external keyboard driver.
- There are issues in your system BIOS.
Also Read: Fix Dell 5 Beeps When Turned On
To conclude, your locked Dell keyboard should not be a headache for you. Just follow the simple methods provided above on how to unlock Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11. Keep reading our blogs for more information. Drop your comments and queries below.
