Keyboard Troubleshooting

Keyboards are a vital part of all computer systems. As well as being used for typing your keyboard can also be used to perform a variety of shortcuts. Unlike other components of your computer system there is no maintenance that can really be performed for your keyboard. If you are having problems with your keyboard we have compiled a quick troubleshooting guide highlighting some common problems and solutions.

Keyboard Hardware

• If you are experiencing problems with your keyboard one of the first things to check is your keyboard's connection to the computer. Make sure the cable is firmly connected and pushed in as far as possible. You can usually tell if this is the problem as an error message will appear to notify you whilst the computer is starting up.
• Many typical problems with your keyboard are caused by general wear and tear that accumulates over time. If characters are not appearing on the screen while you are typing (no matter how much pressure is applied) then your keyboard will probably need replacing.
• The opposite of characters not appearing on screen is to have too many. When the keys on your keyboard stick the character will repeat itself excessively. Some versions of windows will detect this and notify you with an error message. This is also caused by wear and tear and it is usually more cost effective to replace your keyboard than attempting to fix it.

Keyboard Software

A common problem is the keyboard not making the correct characters appear on the screen whilst typing. This can usually be remedied by consulting the device manager which can be accessed through the control panel. Depending upon your version of Windows this may be accessed using different paths.

On most versions of Windows XP you can reach it by opening the start menu and choosing control panel from the list of icons. The icon for the system is usually a computer and monitor with a large red tick across the screen. If you cannot see the icon then you may have to switch to the "classic view" which displays the icons in a normal folder. If when you choose the control panel icon and you are lead to a screen with a blue background stating "choose a category" you are in category view. Switch to classic view to find the system icon and double click on it.

A window will appear entitled "system properties". Depending on your version of windows there may be five or more tabs towards the top of the window. Click on the tab labelled hardware. Here you should be able to see the button for the device manager just below.

Check the correct installation options have been selected for your particular hardware. If the wrong characters are still being displayed then also check the language settings which can be accessed via the properties section of the keyboard hardware tab.