external full keyboard does not work

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external full keyboard does not work

Jill 25

I have a full "external" plug in keyboard that used to work, now, after a windows update, it does not work

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Answer 1

Vikki-T 4,735 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear Jill,

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum.

I’m sorry to hear the external full‑size keyboard stopped working right after a Windows update, that can be disruptive, especially if it previously worked reliably. At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the Independent Advisor’s answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. To help narrow this down further, could you please share a few details:

Your Windows 11 OS build (Press Win + R, type winver).
The keyboard make/model and connection type (wired USB / wireless with USB receiver / Bluetooth).
Your device model and if you use a USB hub/dock/adapter, its make/model too.
In Device Manager (Keyboards / Human Interface Devices / USB controllers), do you see any Unknown device or warning icon when the keyboard is connected?

In the meantime, here are additional steps that you can try:

Accessibility settings

Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard
Turn Off: Sticky Keys, Toggle Keys, and Filter Keys.
Test typing again.

USB power settings

Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers >For each USB Root Hub, Generic USB Hub, and USB Host Controller > Properties > Power Management > uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
Then go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > USB settings > USB selective suspend > set to Disabled (for both battery & plugged‑in if applicable).
Restart and test.

Turn off Fast Startup

Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable
Uncheck Turn on fast startup > Save > Restart.

System file health check

Open Command Prompt (run as Administrator) or Windows Terminal (run as Administrator) and run each: sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Restart and test once both complete.

While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.

I hope these checks help restore your external keyboard functionality promptly and minimize any interruption to your work. Wishing you a smooth Windows 11 experience ahead.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Vikki-T 4,735 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-10T13:46:21.6066667+00:00

Dear Jill,

I really appreciate your update. Seeing the reply marked as “Accepted Answer” indicates that the provided steps meet your current needs.

When you have a moment, could you kindly share which specific solution worked for you? Your feedback may help other community members who encounter a similar situation resolve the issue more quickly.

If you have any additional questions or if anything changes, please feel free to reply here and I’ll be glad to assist further.

Thank you so much for your understanding, and I hope everything always work smoothly on your side.
Txeronimón 0 Reputation points

2026-03-11T18:11:55.2166667+00:00

Hello,

I'm experiencing the same issue described in this thread.

After a recent Windows 11 update, my external Apple USB keyboard (the classic white wired model) suddenly stopped working.

The keyboard is detected by the system, but it does not produce any input in normal Windows mode.

In the System Event Log I repeatedly see the following error:

The driver \Driver\WUDFRd failed to load for the device HID\VID_0B0E&PID_24C8&MI_03&Col01\8&1b564f32&0&0000.

Some additional observations that might help diagnose the issue:

• The keyboard appears in Device Manager as HID Keyboard Device.
• The internal laptop keyboard (Standard PS/2 Keyboard) works normally.
• Other USB devices (mouse, etc.) work correctly.
• Changing USB ports or connecting through a KVM switch does not change the behavior.

Most importantly:

• The Apple USB keyboard works correctly in Safe Mode.

This suggests the device and HID stack are functional, but something loaded during normal Windows startup prevents the WUDF driver from loading properly.

This keyboard had been working for a long time before the recent Windows update.

Has Microsoft identified any regression related to WUDFRd / HID devices after recent Windows 11 updates, particularly affecting Apple USB keyboards?

Any guidance or troubleshooting steps would be appreciated.

Thank you.
Vikki-T 4,735 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-13T10:43:19.6666667+00:00
Dear Txeronimón,

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum.

I’m sorry to hear your Apple wired USB keyboard stopped working after a recent Windows 11 update, thank you for the thorough context. Have you had a chance to try the steps I shared earlier? Please try all of them first.

In addition, please try these extra options:

Confirm the Windows Driver Foundation service

Press Win + R, type services.msc, Enter.

Open Windows Driver Foundation: User‑mode Driver Framework > Startup type: Automatic > Start (if stopped).

Reboot and test in normal mode.

Clean Boot to isolate conflicts

Open System Configuration (msconfig) > Services tab > check Hide all Microsoft services > Disable all.

Startup tab > Open Task Manager > disable all startup items.

Restart and test the keyboard.

If it works, re‑enable services/startups gradually to find the culprit (often peripheral suites, hotkey utilities, RGB tools, security software, etc.).

Rebuild HID side devices

Device Manager > Human Interface Devices: right‑click and Uninstall device for HID‑compliant consumer control device or any Unknown device added when the keyboard is connected.

Action > Scan for hardware changes; then unplug/replug the keyboard and test.

Update chipset/USB controller drivers from your PC OEM

After feature updates, reinstalling chipset / USB controller drivers from your device manufacturer can restore proper timing/initialization for HID.

Check your OEM’s support page for the latest chipset and USB (and Thunderbolt, if applicable) packages; then reboot and test.

I hope these checks restore your Apple USB keyboard, so you can stay productive on Windows 11. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Jill 25 Reputation points

2026-03-14T02:27:22.0166667+00:00

before I did what follows, I could only get the mouse and/or keyboard to work if directly pluged nto a USB port. What I ended up doing was a combination of things. I cleaned out old file/cookies/trackers with the free version of ccleaner. Uninstalled the USB adapters in device manager; I then shut down the computer. Waited about 15 minutes, then restarted the computer. Fortunately everything was restored. Not sure what specifically fixed it, but this seemed to work. As new computers don't have many ports, I have a USB hub and Ethernet hub plugged into the few existing ports to give me more room for external hardware - printer, CD drive, keyboard, thumb drives, etc
Vikki-T 4,735 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-16T13:39:02.33+00:00

Dear Jill,

I really appreciate you taking the time to share the outcome. Your update is very valuable, as it can also help other users who may encounter a similar situation in the future.

I’m very glad everything worked out smoothly in the end, and thank you again for contributing your experience to the Microsoft Q&A community.

If you ever have any other questions or run into anything in the future, please feel free to post your question on the Microsoft Q&A Forum anytime. I’ll be happy to continue supporting you as needed.

Wishing you a great experience ahead!

Answer 2

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Did you check whether the external keyboard works on another Windows device or outside of Windows, for example in the BIOS?

Try plugging the keyboard into a different USB port and see if it works.

If it still doesn’t work, you can try the troubleshooting steps provided here and see if they resolve the issue.

1

Run the Hardware Troubleshooter:

Click Windows + R key, type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and click Ok.

Click Next to run the troubleshooter.

Once the troubleshooter is finished running, restart your computer and test your keyboard.

2

Reinstall Keyboard Drivers.

Open the Device Manager.

Expand the arrow next to Keyboards.

Right-click your External Keyboard driver, select Uninstall device, select 'Attempt to delete the driver software for this device' check box, and click ok.

Once uninstalled, restart your computer.

Test your keyboard.

Let me know if you still need more help.

Gunasekar N 64,050 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-09T02:29:51.13+00:00

(*Duplicate answer deleted)

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external full keyboard does not work

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