keyboard lighting stopped working

Question

Using Windows 11 for about a year now and the keyboard lighting stopped working. Tried restarting but still in the dark.

Answer 1

Hi James Carstens,

I understand how frustrating it is when the keyboard backlight suddenly stops working, especially when a restart didn’t help. Have you already tried the Q&A Assist suggestions? In addition, please try the following.

1. Press “Windows” + “R”, type mblctr, and press Enter.
2. In “Windows Mobility Center”, look for “Keyboard brightness” (availability depends on the device model).
3. If present, increase the brightness level and confirm it’s not disabled.

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Answer 2

Hello

Keyboard lighting is a local hardware feature, not controled by Windows though.

I assumed this is a laptop built in keyboard, or is this external keyboard?

Does your keyboard have the keyboard light control key, typically on the top row, did you by chance turn it off? See if that might be the case first.

Sometimes you have to press that key and the Fn key at the same time to adjust the light.

Otherwise, can you tell me, if you boot the computer into BIOS, does the keyboard light work? If not, this is a repair issue.

Answer 3

Try these steps to restore keyboard backlighting on Windows 11:

1. Check the hardware and keys
   • Make sure the keyboard is firmly connected (for USB, unplug and reconnect; try a different USB port; avoid unpowered USB hubs).
   • Inspect the keyboard for dirt or debris around the keys and lighting areas.
   • On many newer Surface and Windows keyboards, the backlight is toggled by a function key (for example, F5 or F7, sometimes with the Fn key). Press the backlight key repeatedly to cycle through brightness levels. On newer Surface devices, F5 cycles through 4 levels of backlighting; older models used F7.
2. Test on another device
   • If it is an external keyboard, connect it to another PC to see if the backlight works there. If it does not light up on another PC, the keyboard backlight hardware may have failed.
3. Update drivers and Windows
   • Run Windows Update to ensure the latest drivers and fixes are installed.
     • In the search box on the taskbar, type check for updates, then select Check for updates.
     • Under Windows Update, select Check for updates and install any available updates.
   • For built-in or Surface keyboards, use the Surface app to check for keyboard/firmware updates if applicable.
4. Check for keyboard issues or damage
   • If keys are cracked, damaged, or have fallen off, or if keys are not responding or repeating, the keyboard may have a hardware failure and may need service or replacement.

If the backlight and keys do not work at all on any device, or the indicator LEDs never light, the keyboard is likely experiencing a hardware failure and should be serviced or replaced.

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References:

• Mouse and keyboard problems in Windows
• Troubleshoot Surface Pro Keyboard or Type Cover
• Backlit keyboard - Microsoft Q&A