Windows key not working fix
Keyboard key not working
Command key suddenly stopped working on external keyboard
Shift Key not working
I've been using an external keyboard with my macbook pro for almost a year now, until a couple of days ago when the command key suddenly does not work anymore (every other key works). The keyboard is fine and the command key works with other computers, but will not for some reason work with my macbook pro. The command key on the macbook itself still works though.
Any ideas on what could be causing this issue?
For others encountering this issue, you might have a fancy keyboard with a "gaming mode" switch of some sort that disables the Windows key. In my case, I had a Logitech G110 and didn't have any idea what the switch did :/
The fact this is the top voted answer and this page has 100K views should tell keyboard designers something... Certainly it was a feature added with good intentions to prevent accidentally losing focus on a game when hitting the Windows key by accident, but the keyboard should beep or something when you hit a key and it ignores it.
Quick check Win+Tab, Win+P, Win+L and Win+R - are they also not working?
Now check Ctrl+Alt+Del, which should bring up the Windows Security screen (menu), and Ctrl+Shift+Esc, to open Task Manager - are they working (malware test)?
Hit Shift 5 times quickly - is Sticky Keys working?
Now reboot the computer, and test again.
Go to Microsoft KB216893, and do NOT run the "fix it" (XP). Instead, go halfway down the page to "Let me fix it myself", run regedit, and see if the following key exists there:
- Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout - Value:
Scancode Map - Type: REG_BINARY (Binary Value)
- Data:
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00 - That value disables it, you would remove the key completely to have it work normal.
Then check this key as well while you're in there:
- Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer - Value:
NoWinKeys - Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
- Data:
0to disable restriction, or1to enable restriction
Check for other software running. Do you have any AutoHotkey scripts running? Do you have any shortcut programs running, like special launcher software, or special mouse or keyboard or touch drivers/software? Temporarily stop that software in Task Manager, and/or temporarily stop the services that it runs on. Or disable the driver, without disabling your last input device, and test again.
I also wonder, because the Win key can mess up a game pretty badly, maybe some games have ways of disabling that while they are running?
Try these steps in order:
- Test the On-Screen Keyboard
- Press
Windows + R, typeOSK, and press Enter. - Check whether Shift works there.
- If Shift works on the On-Screen Keyboard, the physical keyboard is more likely the problem.
- Press
- Reinstall the keyboard driver
- Press
Windows + Xand open Device Manager. - Expand Keyboards.
- Right-click the keyboard device and select Uninstall device.
- Restart the PC.
- Windows should reinstall the keyboard driver automatically after restart.
- Press
- Run the keyboard troubleshooter command
- Open Command Prompt.
- Run:
msdt.exe -id KeyboardDiagnostic - Complete the troubleshooter and check whether Shift starts working.
- Check whether it is hardware or software
- If available, connect another external keyboard and test the Shift key.
- If the external keyboard works but the laptop keyboard does not, the built-in keyboard is likely faulty.
If both left and right Shift keys are not working, the issue is commonly either a keyboard driver problem or a hardware keyboard problem.
- Shift key not working at all - Microsoft Q&A
- Combinations of SHIFT key + some keys are not working. - Microsoft Q&A
- shift keys stopped working - Microsoft Q&A
- My keyboard stop working after I pressed "shift" key for long period of time. - Microsoft Q&A
Thankyou so much.
Hi, i hope you're doing good today.
On some keyboards, there is a lock key for the Windows key. You can use it to lock and unlock Windows key. If that key is on, you can’t use Windows key at all. So if that’s the case, press that key to unlock Windows key.
If that's not your case try this.
Click Start menu button and type “regedit“. Then click regedit on the pop-up menu. This is to open Registry Editor dialog box.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control.
Under “Control” folder, find and click Keyboard Layout folder. In the right pane, right-click on Scancode Map and select Delete. Then click Yes to confirm the delete.
Regards.
Do you have an external keyboard you can test with?
Also try this.
Go to search and type on-screen keyboard.
See if the buttons work.
If they do not then This maybe an issue with a system file being corrupt.
You can try a couple things.
Right click your start button and select Command prompt (Admin) to bring up elevated Command prompt.
In Command prompt type sfc /scannow and press enter.
Restart the computer.
If that doesn't work then try this,
Right click your start button and select Command prompt (Admin) to bring up elevated Command prompt.
In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type the following commands.
Press Enter key after each command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Important: When you run this command, DISM uses Windows Update to provide the files that are required to fix corruptions.
To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press Enter.
Restart your computer.