The keyboard's stopped responding, or the whole machine has locked up. It's tempting to just hold the power button and start again — but that can lose whatever you had open and, now and then, corrupt a file. Nearly every time, one of these quick checks gets you going without it.
This follows the Tech Tips With Adam video. Work down the list in order and stop as soon as one of them works.
01Don't force a shutdown yet
If the screen's frozen, give it a moment first — a busy PC can catch up on its own after a few seconds. Note whether it's just the keyboard that's dead (mouse still moves) or the whole machine that's locked up. That tells you which of the fixes below to lean on.
02Check the connection
- Wired keyboard: unplug it and plug it into a different USB port — ideally one directly on the PC, not a hub or monitor.
- Wireless keyboard: check the batteries first. Then re-seat the little USB dongle, or turn Bluetooth off and on and re-pair.
- Laptop: an external USB keyboard is a quick way to tell whether it's the laptop's keyboard or Windows that's the problem.
03Reset the graphics driver
If the screen itself is frozen, press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. You'll hear a beep and the screen will flash black for a second while Windows restarts the display driver. Nothing you have open is closed — and surprisingly often, this alone brings a frozen PC back to life.
04Turn off Filter Keys
If the keyboard types but ignores keys, repeats them, or lags, the usual culprit is a Windows setting called Filter Keys that got switched on by accident (often by holding the right Shift key).
- Open Settings (Win + I).
- Go to Accessibility → Keyboard.
- Turn Filter Keys off.
05Test with the On-Screen Keyboard
Press Win + Ctrl + O to pop up the On-Screen Keyboard, and click a few keys with your mouse. If it types fine on screen, your physical keyboard is the problem (connection, batteries or the keyboard itself). If even the on-screen one won't type into things, it's Windows or the app that's stuck — go to the restart step.
06Restart cleanly
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Del. Even a fairly stuck PC will usually bring up this screen.
- Click the power icon in the bottom-right and choose Restart.
- If one frozen program is the problem, pick Task Manager instead, select the app and click End task.
07Last resort: force a restart
If the screen is completely dead and Ctrl + Alt + Del does nothing, now it's fair to hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the PC switches off. Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. You've given it every gentler chance first, which is the whole point.
Keeps happening? Let's find out why.
A keyboard or PC that freezes over and over usually has a cause worth fixing. AYVAtech covers Penrith & Western Sydney, onsite or remote.
?Troubleshooting
The numbers won't type / wrong characters appear
Check Num Lock (for the number pad) and whether Caps Lock is on. If letters give symbols, your keyboard layout/language may have switched — press Win + Space to change it back.
It's the whole PC frozen, not just the keyboard
Start with Win + Ctrl + Shift + B (reset the graphics driver), then Ctrl + Alt + Del. Hold the power button only if neither does anything.
My laptop keyboard is completely dead
Plug in a USB keyboard to keep working, then restart. If the built-in one still won't type after a restart, it may be a driver or a hardware fault — give us a call.
It keeps freezing again and again
That's not normal and usually points to a driver, an overheating PC, failing hardware or a background program. Worth having it looked at rather than living with it.
Shortcuts shown are for Windows 11. Hold the power button to force a shutdown only after the gentler steps, as it can lose unsaved work.