How To Unlock The Keyboard In A Dell Laptop? 5 Easy Ways You Can Try Today!

Dell laptops often come with a keyboard lock feature. This unique mechanism is quite useful, especially if you have kids or pets running around the house. But to use it to your benefit, first you need to know how to unlock the keyboard in a Dell laptop.

What I find quite funny is if you lock the keyboard without knowing how to unlock if afterwards! Well, I’ve actually been there before, and later figured out that there are a few ways to unlock a Dell keyboard.

A straightforward and quick solution is to restart your laptop. Though it may not work all the time, it can be a quick solution as it works sometimes. However, you can reinstall the dell keyboard driver or install the latest dell keyboard driver.

But wait! I have more fantastic ways to solve this problem. So, let’s get started!

Why Your Dell Laptop Keyboard Is Locked?

The truth is you may face this problem quite abruptly. So knowing the reason for this problem is very much important as a conscious laptop user.

Some of the common reasons why your Dell laptop may get locked are listed below.

Fn Lock

The FnLk, F-Lock key on a PC compatible keyboard is a toggle key used to start and stop the secondary functionalities of the F1 through F12 keys (hotkeys).

The F-Lock key, like caps lock, forces F1 through F12 to not perform their usual tasks as described by the application.

In most of the keyboard models, the “Fn” key is located right in the next position to the “Windows” button ( the button that has a Windows logo).

When you hit one of the function keys, such as the “F*” keys at the top portion of your Dell keyboard to raise or reduce brightness or whatever, they respond normally with no need to press the Fn key.

If all of the “F*” keys at the top of your keyboard do not react when you press them, it means you need to understand that the “Fn” key must be clicked concurrently.

“Num Lock” key

Num Lock is also known as a Mathematical Lock. It is in the numeric keypad of your keyboard (or any full sized keyboard).

The “Num Lock” key, similar to the “Caps Lock” key and the “Scroll Lock” keys, allows you to disable the number pad altogether.

The Numeric lock key is located on the upper-right portion of the keyboard. And, it is often recognizable by a locked padlock.

What you need to know is that if the right portion of your Dell keypad appears to be stopped or not functioning, it might mean that your “Num lock” key on the keyboard is disabled. So, it has to be activated.

Outdated Driver

Every component that is connected to your Dell laptop requires a driver to be loaded on your laptop PC in order for your system to comprehend and identify the device.

In the case when a single or multiple driver(s) is/are not correctly loaded or is out of current, your Dell reacts poorly and does not recognize the connection at all.

Simply uninstalling and reinstalling the driver of your keyboard is an easy approach to solve it. After you’ve finished reinstalling, restart your laptop.

When you restart your Dell laptop, this procedure will reinstall your keyboard drivers.

Faulty Keyboard Battery

This part is for those who use wireless keyboards along with their Dell laptop keyboard.

The battery is the most typical issue that arises when using a Bluetooth keyboard. It’s all too easy to overlook the need to recharge/replace the battery of a Bluetooth keyboard.

When a Bluetooth keyboard’s battery dies or is low, it becomes the reason for the keyboard to malfunction while in use. Your keys may become stuck or cease to work entirely.

Anyone experiencing this problem/issue may believe that their physical keyboard is somehow in a “locked” mode or it probably is not functioning properly, which is not the situation.

Damaged Keyboard

It is also possible that your laptop’s keypad is completely inoperable at times. It is excruciatingly terrible, yet it may be true in this situation.

If this occurs, it might be due to physical damage- dropping water on a keypad, for example.

As a result, take particular care of your keypad.

How To Unlock The Keyboard In A Dell Laptop?

Method 1: Restart Your Laptop

• Select the Restart button.
• Click the “Shut Down” button
• wait until it turns off
• Remove the charging port or battery and set it aside to cool.
• This issue can also arise as a result of the heat. As a result, take some time to cool it down. Then set the battery or charger port.
• Restart it. It might get back to work.

Method 2: Unlock The Fn Key

• Locate the fn key on your keypad and press it.
• Press the fn key and then the number lock key while holding the fn key. It has the potential to unlock the fn key.
• If you would not have a number lock key, press the esc key, which will function as a number lock. It’s also possible that it’ll unlock the fn key.

Method 3: Unlock The Number Lock key

• Select the Start Menu icon from the Start Menu drop-down menu.
• Select your preferences.
• Go to the tab on Ease of Access.
• Select “Keyboard” from the drop-down menu.
• Activate the On-Screen Keyboard option.
• If you would not have a number lock key, Activate the numeric keypad by going to the settings menu and selecting it.
• On the on-screen keypad, press the Num Lock key.

Method 4: Update Keyboard Driver

Step 1: Remove External Keyboard Drivers

• Make sure your laptop is connected to a secure WiFi network.
• Open the Device Manager on your laptop.
• To expand the menu, press the arrow in front of “Keyboards.”
• If you don’t have any other options, look for the driver on each keypad. Select each keyboard driver with a right-click.
• Select “Uninstall device” from the drop-down menu.
• Restart your computer.

Step 2: Uninstall the Built-In Keyboard Driver

• The driver for the built-in keyboard can be found here.
• Right-click the keyboard driver and select Properties.
• Select “Uninstall device” from the drop-down menu.
• Restart your laptop.
• The keypad driver should be reinstalled automatically by Windows.
• If it doesn’t help, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Update the Built-In Keyboard Driver

• Right-click the driver for the built-in keyboard and select Properties.
• Select “Update.”
• Select “Automatically search for updated driver software.”
• Wait until your software has been reinstalled.

Method 5: Update Your BIOS

• On your Taskbar, select Windows Search.
• Look up “bitlocker” on the search engine.
• From the list of options, select “Manage BitLocker.”
• “Suspend protection” should be selected.
• If a pop-up appears, select “Yes.”
• Go to dell.com/support for further information.
• Select “Detect PC” from the menu.
• Select “Drivers & Downloads” from the drop-down menu.
• Select the category “BIOS” from the drop-down menu.
• Install the most recent BIOS update and run it once it’s finished.
• In the program window, click “Update.”
• Continue until the BIOS has been updated.

You can as well learn to reset the BIOS of the computer to fix certain hardware challenges. This can come into play if the above steps fail.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

How Can I Unfreeze the Keyboard in My Laptop?

If your laptop appears to be inactive, your first action should be to hit Ctrl + Alt + Del at the same time to check if you can terminate a problematic software or process.

If you suspect that an issue with your screen is to blame, consider using the Win + Ctrl + Shift + B command to reset your video drivers.

How Can I Turn Off My Keyboard without Unplugging It?

To deactivate the keyboard in Windows 10, use KeyFreeze. After launching the app, press the button with the label “LOCK KEYBOARD & MOUSE” to deactivate the keyboard and the mouse.

To re-enable the keyboard and mouse, press the Ctrl button + Alt button + Del button at the same time (simultaneously) on the keypad which is disabled right now (in order to acquire the Ctrl + Alt + Del screen). And then, click the Esc button.

Is There A Keyboard Lock Button?

The lock keys are dispersed throughout the keyboard. Most keyboards include three LEDs in the top right corner above the Numpad that indicate which locks are activated.

Conclusion

Well, this sums up how to unlock the keyboard in a Dell laptop if you’ve locked it unconsciously.

This might not occur all the time but it can hamper your work flow quite badly. So keep attention to this problem and try to solve it as soon as possible. If you are not able to do so, you can call for an expert.

Good wishes for your work and have a nice time with your laptop keypad!