Keyboard or Mouse Not Working? Start With These Simple Fixes

You sit down, wiggle the mouse, and nothing happens. Or you type and the letters don't appear. It feels like the whole computer has died, but most of the time only one small piece has stopped talking to it. The good news is that the fix is usually quick, and you rarely need to spend any money.

Work through the steps below in order. They go from the most common cause to the least common one.

First, find out what's actually broken

Is the screen still changing? If a clock is ticking or a video is playing, the computer itself is fine and only the keyboard or mouse is the problem. If the whole screen is frozen and nothing moves at all, that is a different problem, and holding the power button for about ten seconds to force a restart is the place to begin.

Also note whether it's one device or both. If the mouse works and the keyboard doesn't, you can ignore anything that affects both, such as the computer's USB ports.

If it's wireless: check the power first

Wireless keyboards and mice run on batteries or a built-in rechargeable battery, and they often die with little warning. Swap in fresh batteries, or plug in the charging cable for a few minutes, before trying anything else. Also look for a small on/off switch on the underside of the mouse. It gets bumped more often than you would think.

Many wireless sets use a tiny plug-in piece called a receiver (a USB dongle, about the size of a fingernail). Make sure it is pushed in firmly. Try a different USB port, ideally one on the back of a desktop computer rather than one on a hub or a keyboard, since those can share power poorly.

If yours connects by Bluetooth (a short-range wireless link, the same kind headphones use), open your computer's Bluetooth settings. Check that Bluetooth is switched on and that the device is listed as connected. If it says paired but isn't working, remove the device from the list, put it back into pairing mode (usually by holding a small button until a light blinks), and add it again.

If it's wired: check the connection

Unplug the cable and plug it back in, then try a different USB port. Look at the cable itself for kinks or fraying near the plug, where wear tends to happen. If you have another keyboard or mouse handy, even an old one, plug it in. If the spare works, you have confirmed the first one is the problem and not your computer.

Restart the computer

It sounds like a cliché, but a restart clears out the small background programs, called drivers, that let your computer understand a keyboard or mouse. If a driver got stuck, restarting resets it. If you can't click anything, press the power button once on a laptop or use the restart option on a desktop's power button menu, or hold the power button to shut down and then start it again.

Laptop touchpad not responding?

Touchpads are often switched off by accident. Many laptops have a key in the top row, sometimes combined with the Fn key (short for Function), that turns the touchpad on and off. Look for a key with a picture of a touchpad on it. Some laptops also have a tiny dot or notch in the corner of the touchpad that you double-tap to turn it back on. Plugging in a USB mouse can also turn the touchpad off automatically on some models, so unplug it and test again.

On Windows, you can also open Settings, choose Bluetooth & devices, and then Touchpad to make sure the main switch is on. On a Mac, check System Settings and look under Trackpad.

Typing is strange, not dead

Sometimes the keyboard works but behaves oddly: keys seem slow, letters repeat, or the computer beeps when you hold Shift. That is usually an accessibility feature that got turned on by mistake. Windows has one called Filter Keys, which ignores quick or repeated key presses, and another called Sticky Keys, which makes Shift and Ctrl stay pressed. Holding the right Shift key for eight seconds is a known way to switch Filter Keys on without meaning to. You can turn these off in Settings under Accessibility, then Keyboard.

If a few keys do nothing while the rest work, crumbs or dust may be stuck underneath. Turn the keyboard upside down and gently tap it, or use a can of compressed air in short bursts.

When nothing responds at all

If you can't click anything, you can still get around. On Windows, the Windows key opens the Start menu, and the arrow keys and Enter let you move through it. If the keyboard is the dead part and the mouse still works, Windows offers an on-screen keyboard you can click to type. Search for it in the Start menu.

If you have tried a second keyboard and mouse, a different port, and a restart, and neither one works, the issue may be with the computer's ports or its software. That is a good moment to ask a local repair shop or a knowledgeable friend, because the fix is no longer something simple you can do at home.

Quick checklist

One: replace the batteries or recharge, and check the on/off switch. Two: reseat the receiver or cable, and try another port. Three: remove and re-pair a Bluetooth device. Four: restart the computer. Five: on a laptop, make sure the touchpad hasn't been switched off. Six: look for accessibility settings that change how keys behave. Seven: test with a different keyboard or mouse to find out which part is at fault.

Most people find the answer in the first two or three steps. A dead battery is the most common cause by a wide margin, so start there before you worry about anything bigger.