Is your keyboard not working as it should? This article explains how to fix any kind of software problem by resetting a PC or Mac keyboard to factory defaults. There are many different ways to reset a keyboard, and the procedure varies by operating system (Windows or macOS).). Either way, don't worry - these are simple steps to follow and will fix any problems you are having on your keyboard.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Reset a Bluetooth Keyboard (Windows)
Step 1. Turn off the Bluetooth keyboard
The location of the power button varies by keyboard model, but it is usually located on the bottom or along one of the sides.
Follow the instructions of this method if you are having trouble pairing the Bluetooth keyboard to your PC stably
Step 2. Launch the Windows Settings app
It is characterized by a gear icon and is visible directly in the Windows "Start" menu, in the lower left part.
Step 3. Click the Devices icon
It features a stylized keyboard and smartphone.
Step 4. Click on the Bluetooth and other devices tab
It is one of the items listed on the left side of the window.
If Bluetooth connectivity is disabled, click on the "Bluetooth" slider displayed at the top of the main window pane to turn it on
Step 5. Click on the name of the keyboard displayed in the device list, in the "Mouse, keyboard and pen" section
The "Remove Device" button will appear.
Step 6. Click the Remove Device button
A confirmation window will appear.
Step 7. Click the Yes button to confirm
In this way, the keyboard will be disconnected from the computer.
If Bluetooth connectivity is not active, you will need to turn it back on now
Step 8. Turn on the keyboard and click the + Add Bluetooth or other device button
It is located at the top of the main window pane.
Step 9. Click on the Bluetooth option
It is the first option on the list. At this point, the PC will scan for all available Bluetooth devices.
Step 10. Click on the keyboard name when it appears in the list
Depending on the keyboard model, other instructions may also appear on the screen. If so, follow what you are told.
Step 11. Click the Finish button
At this point, the Bluetooth keyboard has been paired with the PC again.
Method 2 of 6: Reset a Bluetooth Keyboard (Mac)
Step 1. Turn off the keyboard
Press and hold the power button on the back of the keyboard (in the case of a modern model) or along the right side (in the case of older models) for at least 3 seconds to turn off the device.
- Follow the instructions of this method if you are having trouble pairing the Bluetooth keyboard to your Mac stably.
- You may need to use a Lightning cable to pair the keyboard with your Mac again, so make sure you have one handy.
Step 2. Access the Mac's "Apple" menu by clicking on the icon
It features the Apple logo and is visible in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Click on the System Preferences item
It is listed at the top of the drop-down menu that appeared.
Step 4. Click the Bluetooth icon
It is characterized by two stylized triangles facing right, aligned vertically.
If Bluetooth connectivity is not active, before continuing, click on the button Turn on Bluetooth located in the left pane of the window.
Step 5. Click on the X icon next to the Bluetooth keyboard that is present in the list of devices paired with the Mac
You will be asked to confirm your willingness to delete it.
Step 6. Click the Remove button to confirm your decision
In this way, the keyboard will be disconnected from the Mac.
Step 7. Press and hold the power key on the keyboard to turn it back on
As soon as the device is up and running, it will immediately be paired with the Mac.
If the keyboard doesn't reappear in the list of detected Bluetooth devices, connect it to your Mac using a Lightning cable. After you connect it to your computer, it should automatically connect to your Mac via Bluetooth
Method 3 of 6: Set the Keyboard Language (Windows)
Step 1. Change the keyboard input language using the appropriate menu
If while typing the text you realize that the characters entered refer to the wrong language, most likely the cause of the problem is the wrong input language. To change this parameter, click on the abbreviation of the currently selected language, visible in the notification area of the taskbar on the left of the system clock. Normally, it is displayed in the lower right corner of the desktop. At this point, you can select the input language you want to use.
If the keyboard input menu icon is not visible, the language you want to use is not listed in the list of available ones or if you want to change the default input language, read on
Step 2. Launch the Settings app
Access the "Start" menu by clicking on the appropriate button, then select the icon depicting a gear located in the lower left part of the menu.
Step 3. Click on the Date / time and language icon
It features a stylized clock and a series of characters and is visible in the center of the page.
Step 4. Click on the Language tab
It is listed in the left panel of the page.
If you have only one language installed that will be visible in the "Preferred Languages" section, there will be no language selection icon in the notification area of the taskbar. The icon in question will appear only if multiple Windows or Input languages have been installed
Step 5. Click the Keyboard icon
It's at the top of the right pane of the Settings app.
Step 6. Select the Use Language List (Recommended) option from the "Override for Default Input Method" drop-down menu
It is placed at the top of the window. This way, Windows will use the first language in the list of installed ones as the system default language.
Click on the "Back" button to return to the language settings
Step 7. Now move the language you want to use as the default to the top of the installed list
Select the language in question, then click on the icon with an arrow pointing upwards until it reaches the first place in the list. This way, Windows will use it as the system default language if you have more than one language installed.
- If the language you want to use is not listed, click the button + Add a language, choose the one to install, click on the button Following, then click the option Install language packs to install it.
- You can uninstall a language you no longer use by selecting it from the list and clicking on the button Remove.
- If the language is correct, but the keyboard layout is not (for example if the chosen language is "Italian", but the keyboard layout is "American - DVORAK" instead of "Italian - QWERTY"), select the language, click on the button Options, choose the item Add keyboard, then choose the layout you want to add.
Method 4 of 6: Set the Keyboard Language (Mac)
Step 1. Change the keyboard input language using the appropriate menu
If typing the text you realize that the characters entered refer to the wrong language, most likely the cause of the problem is the wrong input language. To change this parameter quickly, click on the icon depicting the flag of the state to which the language currently in use refers (for example, the Italian flag in the case of the Italian language) displayed on the menu bar, then select the language of input you want to use.
If the icon under consideration is not visible, you can enable it in a few seconds
Step 2. Go to the "Apple" menu on your Mac and click on the System Preferences option
The "Apple" menu is characterized by an icon depicting the Apple logo and is located in the upper left corner of the screen, then choose the item System Preferences.
Step 3. Click the Keyboard icon
The keyboard settings window will appear.
Step 4. Click on the Input Sources tab
It is the fourth tab listed at the top of the "Keyboard" window.
Step 5. Select the "Show keyboard menu in menu bar" checkbox
It is located at the bottom of the window. In this way, the "Keyboard" menu will be displayed on the menu bar. Now you can click on the appropriate icon to set the keyboard input language.
Step 6. Change the order of the installed languages according to your needs
If you have more than one language installed, you can rearrange their order so that the default language is at the top of the list. Drag the desired language with the mouse to the first position in the list so that it becomes the default.
Step 7. Uninstall the languages you no longer use (optional)
If you need to delete a keyboard input language from the Mac, you can do so by selecting the language in question from the list and clicking on the small button with the "-" sign visible under the list of installed languages.
Step 8. Add a new language (optional)
If the language you want to use does not appear in the list, you can install it manually by clicking on the button + located under the left panel of the window, choosing the language to add and clicking on the button add.
Step 9. Allow users to select keyboard layout on login (optional)
Are you in the habit of sharing your Mac with other people who use different languages? No problem: you can add a menu to the login screen to allow users to choose the input language to use before logging in. Follow these instructions:
- Click on the "Back" button, located in the upper left corner of the window, to return to the "System Preferences" window;
- Click on the icon Users and Groups;
- Click on the icon depicting a padlock, visible in the lower left part of the window, to allow you to make changes to the current configuration;
- Click on the tab Login Options visible in the lower left part of the window;
- Select the check button "Show keyboard menu in login window";
- Click the lock icon again to save the new settings and close the dialog box.
Method 5 of 6: Reinstall Keyboard Drivers (Windows)
Step 1. Open the "Device Manager" window
This Windows program allows you to interact with the hardware devices of your computer, also allowing you to reset them. The cause of keyboard problems (for example, freezing or unexpected behavior) on your PC could be a faulty driver. In this method, it explains how to remove the current keyboard driver and replace it with a new version. To access the "Device Manager" window, follow these instructions:
- If the keyboard works, click on the "Start" button, type the keywords device manager in the search bar, then click on the icon Device management which will appear in the list of results.
- If the keyboard does not work, click on the "Start" button, scroll down the list of apps, click on the item Windows system, choose the option Control Panel and finally click on the icon Device management.
Step 2. Scroll down the list and expand the Keyboard section
Click on the small icon representing an arrow on the left of the item Keyboard. A list of all keyboards currently connected to the PC will be displayed.
Step 3. Select the keyboard you want to reset
Click on the corresponding name to select it.
Typically, keyboards are given a generic name such as "Standard PS / 2 Keyboard" or "HID Keyboard". If you are using a laptop to which a second keyboard is connected (via USB cable or USB wireless adapter), the keyboard defined as "Standard" will be the native keyboard of the laptop, while the one defined as "HID" will be the external one
Step 4. Click on the "Uninstall device" icon
It is characterized by a X red and is visible at the top of the window.
Step 5. Click the Uninstall button to confirm
This will remove the keyboard from the list in the "Device Manager" window.
Step 6. Click the "Scan for hardware changes" icon
It features a stylized monitor and magnifying glass and is visible in the upper left of the "Device Manager" window. In this way, the PC will scan the hardware for all devices that do not have the appropriate driver (in this case the keyboard) and will automatically reinstall them.
- After completing this step, try using the keyboard again. If everything works normally, your job is complete. If not, you may need to download and install a specific driver. Alternatively, you can continue reading to try to update the driver currently in use.
- If the external keyboard is not detected, disconnect it from the PC (or turn it off completely, if connected via Bluetooth), then reconnect or turn it back on. At this point, Windows should automatically reinstall the drivers.
Step 7. Select the keyboard again
The corresponding name will appear in the "Keyboards" section. Depending on the driver that was used for the installation, the device identifier name may be different.
Step 8. Click on the "Update Device Driver" button
It is visible at the top of the window and is characterized by a black rectangle and a green arrow pointing upwards.
Step 9. Click the Automatically search for drivers option
It is the first item listed in the pop-up that appeared. This way, Windows will search for the best keyboard driver available.
Step 10. Wait for the new drivers to be installed
If there are any new keyboard drivers, they will be installed automatically.
- If there is no new driver version, click on the option Search for updated drivers in Windows Update. If an update is available, click the button Install to download. Windows Update is the best way to get your PC driver updates.
- After the driver installation is complete, you may need to restart your computer.
Method 6 of 6: Reset Keyboard Defaults (Mac)
Step 1. Access the System Preferences window
Click on the "Apple" menu visible in the upper left corner of the screen, then select the option System Preferences.
Use this method if you've changed some keyboard settings, such as abbreviations and autocorrect, but need to restore the default settings
Step 2. Click the Keyboard icon
It features a stylized keyboard and is listed in the "System Preferences" window. The "Keyboard" dialog box consisting of several tabs will be displayed. The one displayed by default is the "Keyboard" tab.
If the "Keyboard" tab is not displayed, click on the corresponding header visible at the top of the window
Step 3. Click the Modifier Keys… button
It is located in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 4. Click the Restore Defaults button, then click the button OK.
This will reset the Mac modifier keys (for example, the Command).
Step 5. Click on the Text tab
It is listed at the top of the window on the right of the tab Keyboard.
Step 6. Delete the settings for automatic replacement of text you no longer use
These are the automatic text correction settings that allow the Mac to replace certain words or combinations of words with other characters (for example, you may have set to replace "etc" with "etc"). To remove the text replacement rules, click on the desired one to select it, then click on the "-" icon displayed in the lower left part of the "Text" tab.
Note:
you will need to perform this step for any text replacement rules you want to delete.
Step 7. Click on the Abbreviations tab
It is visible at the top of the window. Within this tab, all hotkey combinations and their action are listed. For example, the key combination Shift + Command + 5 allows you to take a screenshot.
Step 8. Click the Restore Defaults button
It is located in the lower right part of the window. This will restore the default keyboard shortcuts. You will now be able to use the keyboard shortcuts created by Apple to perform the specified actions in the list (for example, take a screenshot).
Step 9. Click the "Back" button to return to the "System Preferences" window
It has an arrow pointing to the left and is located in the upper left of the window.
Step 10. Click the Accessibility icon
It is characterized by a blue circle inside which a stylized man is visible.
Step 11. Click on the Keyboard entry listed in the left panel
It is visible in the "Motor skills" section.
Step 12. Uncheck the "Enable Single Keys" and "Enable Slow Keys" checkbox
If any of these options are on, disable them to restore the default keyboard text input settings.
These accessibility options were created to make typing text much easier for people with limited motor skills
Step 13. Restart the Mac
Access the menu Apple, click on the option Restart …, then click the button Restart when required. The keyboard should resume normal operation as soon as the Mac completes the reboot phase.
Advice
- Resetting the keyboard to factory settings can help solve the problem, but remember that this will cause you to lose any custom device configuration.
- If your keyboard is powered by batteries, it is always a good idea to use the batteries recommended directly by the device manufacturer whenever possible.
- If resetting the keyboard to factory defaults did not solve the problem, there is likely a hardware malfunction.
