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How can I re-enable my laptop keyboard?

Anonymous
2012-09-02T21:20:45+00:00

Last night I was happily typing away when - just as I had finished and wanted to close down - my cat walked onto the laptop and did an elegant turn on the keyboard. I told him off and shut down the computer. Today I find the keyboard isn't working! That can only have happened when the cat was on there, so it seems to me that it must be equally simple to re-enable it with just a combo of a couple of keys. If that can be done on the virtual keyboard, which I am using now, rather laboriously...

Thanks for helping,

Arwen

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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    Anonymous
    2015-02-05T01:53:37+00:00

    Restart your computer, when it is on the black screen with 'Dell' written on it, hold the F8 key until it turns on

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-09-08T08:43:08+00:00

    I Got a Client who Got the Same Problem... and Thanks to my Big Bro... I've fixed it.....

    Just Go to this Location... 


    Control Panel

                         \Ease of Access

                                                \Ease of Access Center

                                                                                  \Make the keyboard easier to use


    then UNCHECK the Turn On Filter Keys it was just on the Top of the Screen

    30+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2012-09-02T21:53:03+00:00

    You don't say exactly what is & isn't happening with the keyboard but if your problem is the same as the other people whose cats have walked across their keyboards then check these settings:

    1 Go to Control panel, Region & language, Keyboards & languages, Change keyboards, General tab, select the correct keyboard for your region* if is not the one already shown [click on Properties... to see a preview of the keyboard layout] or click on Add... & select a new keyboard from the list [whilst you are in the list, click on the Preview button to see a preview]. When you've finished adding a new keyboard, move it to the top of the list using the buttons in the dialog box.

     [* The region for which the keyboard was made and for which its layout has been set]

    2  Afterwards, go to Control panel, Region & language, Keyboards & languages, Change keyboards, Language bar tab and, if you don't routinely need to change language settings, make the language bar hidden.

    3  Then, go to Control panel, Region & language, Keyboards & languages, Change keyboards, Advanced key settings tab where you will see the shortcut key sequence that might have got you into this problem by accident. You'll also see the Change key sequence that you might wish to alter by clicking on the Change key sequence button and setting Switch input language & Switch keyboard layout to Not assigned [when I changed these, I had to set Not assigned for the Switch input language and accept the change then come back to the dialog to set Not assigned for the Switch keyboard layout].

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2015-06-18T04:20:03+00:00

    That is so funny! I came here because of the same issue, and guess what? It's on account of my cat jumping onto my laptop!

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2015-05-24T17:20:59+00:00

    my laptop keyboard ( and mouse) stopped working yesterday as well.  it happened after an update and restart.

    when i trouble shooted: said update driver.  the driver was updated but the driver is not working says error code 19.  now only able to use the screen keyboard.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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