How To Unlock the Keyboard on an Acer Laptop

Laptop keyboards are the bane of many laptops’ existence. They get sticky, they quit working, and you often find yourself unable to type- your only option is to type using the on-screen keyboard. If this has happened to your Acer laptop, read on to find out how to fix it.

This problem can also be caused by dirt or debris inside the keyboard or simply that your laptop is getting old. Other times, it’s simply a software glitch that can be fixed by restarting your laptop or reinstalling your keyboard’s drivers.

Regardless, here are different methods of unlocking the keyboard on Acer laptops and fixing issues that might occur, so the keyboard works again. 

Method #1: Rebooting Your Acer Laptop

If you are having trouble with your Acer laptop’s keyboard, one way to try and fix the issue is to reboot the computer. This can sometimes unlock the keyboard if it is locked due to a software glitch.

Sometimes, all a computer needs is a fresh start to clear out any issues and get back to running smoothly.

If you’re not sure how to reboot, here’s how.

1. Click on the Windows icon in the taskbar.
2. Tap on the power button to access the options.
3. Click on “Restart” to reboot your laptop.

Once it boots up again, check to see if the keyboard is now working properly. If not, you may need to try another fix.

Method #2: Using the On-Screen Keyboard

If you’re having trouble with your Acer laptop’s keyboard, you can try using the on-screen keyboard to unlock it.

The on-screen keyboard displays a visual keyboard you can use with your mouse’s help. You can use it in situations where your ordinary keyboard isn’t available.

To unlock your keyboard using it, follow these steps.

1. Click on the Windows icon in the taskbar.
2. Open Settings from the list of options.
3. Go to “Accessibility” and then click on Keyboard.
4. Tap on the “On-Screen Keyboard” toggle to display the on-screen keyboard.
5. Click on the Fn key and then the F6 key using your mouse. You can also try Fn + F7 if that doesn’t work.

Once this is done, you should be able to use the keyboard normally. 

If your keyboard still has problems, there is something wrong with the software or hardware, requiring more drastic measures.

Method #3: Disabling the Filter Keys

If you’re still having issues with your Acer laptop keyboard, one potential cause could be the Filter Keys setting. This can be disabled in the Windows Control Panel.

Filter Keys is a Windows feature that can ignore or slow down repeated keystrokes, which can be helpful. But, if your keyboard is functioning erratically, disabling Filter Keys may help resolve the issue. 

Here’s how you can disable it.

1. Open the Settings on your Windows Computer.
2. Click on “Ease of Access” from the sidebar on the left.
3. Click on “Keyboard” to access options related to it.
4. Uncheck “Filter Keys” to disable it.

Once Filter Keys is disabled, your keyboard should work normally. If it still isn’t working properly, another issue may be causing the problem.

Method #4: Reinstalling the Keyboard Drivers

Updating or reinstalling the keyboard drivers might be necessary if your keyboard still doesn’t work properly after following the methods above.

This can be done by going to the Device Manager, finding the keyboard device, and selecting “Update Driver”.

Here’s how you can do it.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar.
2. Click on “Device Manager” to open it.
3. Expand the “Keyboards” section and find your keyboard device.
4. Right-click on your keyboard device and select “Update Driver”.
5. Click on “Search automatically for drivers” and let it complete.

The driver will now be updated on your system. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect, and see if the keyboard works properly now.

If that doesn’t work, you may need to replace the keyboard. Luckily, this is a relatively easy process that you can do yourself with just a few tools or take your laptop to a repair shop.

Frequently Asked Questions