How to Unlock Dell Laptop Keyboard on Windows 10/11?

Are you a Dell keyboard user who wants to determine if those key presses are accidental or if there are certain issues? Don’t worry! Don’t know how to unlock a Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11? Here, readers will learn basic and practical approaches. Thus, if you wish to eliminate this technical bug, read to the end of this article.

How do you unlock the Dell Laptop Keyboard on Windows 10/11?

Below is a list of possible causes for your Dell keyboard’s lockout. If you have a damaged keyboard or a bad day with or on your keyboard, it may mess up your keyboard buttons. You have to search for your ruined keyboard and fix it to be able to type without interference.

Also, what you might not believe is that unlocking is much easier than it seems. I read that you can press the fn key with the numlock key. If you do not have the NumLock key on your keyboard, you can use the Fn and Esc keys to unlock the Fn key.

Refer to the sections below for different methods to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11:

Method 1: Unlock Num Lock

NumLock, if locked, will disable the keyboard’s working totally. So you can use the on-screen keyboard to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11 using NumLock:

Note: You can also use Windows + Ctrl + O to turn the on-screen keyboard on or off.

1. Open the Start menu and then click on the Gear icon.
2. Click on Ease of Access.
3. Move down on the left bar, select Interaction, then choose Keyboard.
4. Touch the toggle to turn the On-Screen Keyboard on.
5. Click on the NumLock key.

Note: If the NumLock doesn’t appear, go to Options and check the box next to Turn on the numeric keypad. Click OK, wait for the key to show, then click on the NumLock key.

Your keyboard can Be unlocked through this method.

Method 2: Turn Off the Machine and Recharge the Low Battery on the Wireless Keyboard

At other times, your wireless keyboard could be dead, meaning it has no battery power, the battery has run flat, or it has not been recharged for a very long time. Therefore, one should charge the keyboard and conduct the test after some time has elapsed.

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. Set your laptop aside, pull the battery out, and hold down the power button.
3. Now, plug back the battery and switch on your laptop.

Note: When carrying out the above phases, turn your laptop back on with it off the charger and not hot. If you do not wish to power cycle, you can restart the device by right-clicking 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. This can be done by clicking the Dell SupportAssist app from the laptop.
2. Click on Troubleshooting.
3. On the next screen, click on I want to check a specific piece of hardware and choose Keyboard.
4. If so, follow the prompts on your screen to rectify the problem.

That’s it! Surprisingly, your keyboard will start functioning normally. If the problem continues, try contacting Dell Support.

Method 4: Disable Filter Keys

Allowing the filter key settings creates many problems with the operation of your keyboards. Follow the steps mentioned below to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard by disabling the filter keys:

1. Following Steps 1-3 in Method 1, you will open the Keyboard settings.
2. Go down the page until you find another toggle labeled Use Filter Keys and turn it off completely.

Now, it is time for you to find your keyboard unlocked.

Method 5: Disable Tablet Mode

If you use your Dell laptop in tablet mode, you cannot use the keypad buttons. Follow 2. Select Tablet.

3. From the next window, click on Change additional tablet settings.
4. Switch off the toggle for Tablet mode.

Make sure that maybe your keyboard has come back to life.

Method 6: Update Keyboard Drivers

Perhaps your keyboard driver is the problem – it may be buggy or, worse yet, outdated. Then you can update the driver as explained in the article How to Update Device Drivers on Windows 10 and apply it on the keyboard.

If updating doesn’t work, you should try removing the built-in keyboard driver using the guide on uninstalling and reinstalling drivers in Windows 10.

Now, it is possible to restart the laptop and see if your problem was resolved.

Method 7: Disabling and Enabling the Keyboard from the Command Prompt

Follow the steps mentioned below to unlock the Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11 by enabling from a command prompt:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command dialog menu.
2. Enter cmd in the text box, right-click, and choose run as administrator, pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
3. The users should type sc config i8042prt start= auto and press the enter button again.
4. Now, turn off your device and then turn it back on to check whether the keyboard keys are responding.

Method 8: Remove Third Party Software

You also know that having third-party applications on your device is not advisable since this might lead to key problems such as freezing. Follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Open the settings and find and click on Apps.
2. Select the app you would want to delete and then click on uninstall.
3. In the pop-up that opens, click on Uninstall again.

This can solve your problem.

Method 9: Load BIOS Defaults

Several users with this issue have suggested that the solution Loading BIOS Defaults can fix a locked Dell keyboard, but it is not certain. I would try it, as you might encounter this issue due to software or the configuration one uses.

1. Click on the Start button and choose the Power button.

2. Now, Restart needs to be chosen among the options.
3. If you have restarted your PC, immediately hit the F2 key to enter BIOS without counting.
4. If the computer supports it, the key combination will bring up the Biosextended menu and the text Bios, in which case press enter to load the Bios defaults.
5. Click on OK.

Some of your keyboards may be unlocked after resetting their basic settings.

Method 10: Update BIOS

Some of the functions the BIOS performs include hardware control, where the keyboard is also catered for. If there is a problem or the configuration is improper, then updating may solve this. Read our article on the BIOS and how to update it to enable the Dell keyboard.

Method 11: Optimize System

Follow the steps mentioned below to optimize the system to fix your issue simply:

1. Launch the SupportAssist application, and after that, select the Home tab.
2. Click on Run Now to optimize some aspect or Run All to optimize your laptop.

That’s it, and your system will be optimized so you can have great success with your customers.

Why Is My Dell Laptop Keyboard Lit Up But Fixed?

• Your keyboard driver is not updated.
• It is our great misfortune that you typed a combination of keys unintentionally.
• There are technical glitches.
• You are experiencing an issue with the external keyboard driver.
• This attribute appears when there are problems in your system BIOS.

In conclusion, you should not be worried when your Dell keyboard is locked. By following the easy steps listed above, you can unlock your Dell laptop keyboard for Windows 10/11. Please continue to read our blogs for further details.

Follow the simple methods provided above to unlock your Dell laptop keyboard on Windows 10/11. Keep reading our blogs for more information. Drop your comments and queries below.