Laptop keyboard suddenly stopped working

Discussion in 'Techforge' started by Rimjob Bob, May 23, 2021.

  1. Rimjob Bob

    Rimjob Bob Classy Fellow

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    Toshiba Satellite L50-C
    Windows 10

    Today the keyboard just decided to stop working upon startup. No major updates happened; the only remarkable thing I did the day prior was use a USB game pad, but this was not a new device and it's never caused this problem before.

    I tried reinstalling and updating keyboard drivers; no joy.

    Any suggestions before I restore Windows?
     
    Rimjob Bob, May 23, 2021
    #1
  2. steve2^4

    steve2^4 Aged Meat

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    If you can remove the battery, do that.

    Then press the power button for about 30 seconds or longer. This depletes any residual charge from the laptop's capacitors and resets all the devices.

    If you can't take out the battery try holding the power down anyway.
     
    steve2^4, May 24, 2021
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  3. Tuckerfan

    Tuckerfan BMF

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    Stick a USB thumb drive with a Live version of Linux on it (it'll run off the thumb drive, not screw around with your Windows install) and see if the keyboard works with that. If it doesn't then you've most likely got a hardware issue.
     
    Tuckerfan, May 24, 2021
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  4. steve2^4

    steve2^4 Aged Meat

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    Keyboard should work with no OS. Just boot to the bios.

    But try the power button hold.
     
    steve2^4, May 24, 2021
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  5. ed629

    ed629 Morally Inept Banned

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    Put it in the microwave, and run it for about 30 seconds. It will help soften the soldered connections, if one is loose it can help improve the connection and get the keyboard working again.
     
    ed629, May 24, 2021
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  6. ed629

    ed629 Morally Inept Banned

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    Don't listen to @ed629, he's kind of an idiot and your laptop battery could ignite possibly causing a small explosion. I really don't know why he hasn't been banned yet.
     
    ed629, May 24, 2021
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  7. Chaos Descending

    Chaos Descending 14th Level Human Cleric

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    This happens to me from time to time. All I do is close the laptop lid then open it again and suddenly I can type.
     
    Chaos Descending, May 25, 2021
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  8. steve2^4

    steve2^4 Aged Meat

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    yeah typing with the lid closed may impair typing.
     
    steve2^4, May 25, 2021
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  9. Demiurge

    Demiurge Goodbye and Hello, as always.

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    I had one where the USB keyboard stopped working slowly over time, so I thought 'must be the port.'

    Swapped keyboard from 2 other machines. Same.

    But the wireless devices all work in all the ports, and the keyboard works in none of them.

    But a wireless keyboard works just fine.

    Computers are fucking weird.
     
    Demiurge, May 26, 2021
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  10. We Are Borg

    We Are Borg Republican Democrat

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    Another way to soften the soldered connections to just drop the laptop from about nine or ten storeys.

    That usually eliminates the problem. :yes:
     
    We Are Borg, May 26, 2021
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  11. Bickendan

    Bickendan Custom Title Administrator Faceless Mook Writer

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    I hear the best way is to do this from the 30th floor of an elementary school as a demonstration of gravity...
     
    Bickendan, May 28, 2021
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