How to unlock the keyboard on a Dell laptop?

by James · January 30, 2023

A locked keyboard is of no use to the user. It can get locked due to various reasons and it is quite easy to get the keyboard back up and running again.

In this article we explain why a keyboard lock and 6 ways to reverse the lock.

If you cannot work with the keyboard, it is because the keyboard is locked. Here are possible reasons for that:

Your keyboard may be offline. Check the cables to the keyboard and make sure the cable is properly plugged in.
There are several third-party applications such as Keyboard Locker that allow you to lock your keyboard. Make sure you don’t use these apps.
If you are using a wireless keyboard, check the wireless settings.

Also read: Lenovo Laptop Not Charging: 4 Fixes

Now that you understand why a keyboard gets locked, here are some ways to try to unlock the keyboard on a Dell laptop.

Table of Contents

By restarting the computer

If you encounter such problems, try restarting your computer as it fixes minor errors in the system.

Unlock the function key

Find the function key on the keyboard. It is the key with the Fn marking on it.

Now press on Function key and Num Lock key simultaneous. If it is no Num Lock on the keyboard, and then press Function key and Escape key (Esc) together.

Unlock the Num Lock key

To unlock the Num Lock key:

Step 1: Search Settings and then open the application.

Step 2: IN Settingsgo to Accessibility > Keyboard. You have to scroll down for Keyboard option to appear.

Step 3: Finn On-screen keyboard and then turn on the switch. A keyboard will appear on the screen.

Step 4: On that on-screen keyboard, find and click Alternatives button. Check out the screenshot below to get an idea of the location of the button.

Step 5: Then click on Turn on the numeric keypad option.

Update the keyboard driver

Due to the old driver, the keyboard may become unresponsive and locked. So you should update drivers from time to time to save yourself from such problems.

Step 1: Right click on Windows icon on the taskbar and then select Unit processingr.

Step 2: Double click on Keyboard and expand it. Now right click on the driver and select Update the driver.

Step 3: click on Automatically search for drivers.

Uninstall the keyboard driver

You can also uninstall the keyboard driver. Don’t worry, Windows will automatically install the driver after you restart Windows.

Go to Device Manager > Keyboard > Right-click on Keyboard Driver (which in our case is HID Keyboard Device) > Uninstall Device.

Update the BIOS

The BIOS runs various diagnostics on your computer and you can fix several low-level problems from it. Here’s how to update the BIOS on a Dell laptop:

Step 1: Go to and identify your Dell computer. You can do this by entering the serial number or you can download SupportAssistant.

Step 2: After you identify your device, go to Drivers and Downloads and then click on Find drivers for “device name” manually.

Step 3: Select the current operating system and from Download type option, select System BIOS.

Download the file and run it with Windows file explorer.

Also read:We could not add your answer: Try again: 5 corrections

Deputy editor in Candid.Technology. Hemant writes at the intersection of technology and culture and has a great interest in science, social issues and international relations.

You can contact him here: [email protected]