It’s not quite common to disable your laptop keyboard, but with valid reasons, you should. However, disabling a laptop keyboard can be downright frustrating at times. Now, unlike computers, laptops have their peripheral devices in-built. On the other hand, a primary computer has its peripherals separately – the CPU, the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse.
In most cases, a peripheral on a laptop will prove hard replacing as in the case of a computer because all the peripherals are connected to the laptop. That means that when a peripheral in a laptop stops functioning, you can’t disconnect it. So you will have to contact a laptop specialist to open your laptop and replace the entire keyboard.
And the truth is that replacing an entire keyboard can be costly. That is why most people opt to buy a cheap external keyboard and connect it to their laptop instead of replacing the in-built keyboard. If that is the case, you’d most probably want to disable the internal keyboard, so that it doesn’t disrupt the functioning of the external keyboard.
How can I put out of action my laptop keyboard for the meantime?
- First, go to the start menu and type “Device Manager.”
- Open the Device Manager and navigate to the keyboards and click the left arrow.
- You should find the keyboard, and once you find it, click “Uninstall.”
The process above should help you temporarily disable your laptop. However, you can always turn it on when you need it. If this is the case, the keyboard drivers will reinstall automatically. So what happens if you want to disable your laptop keyboard for good?
How do I put out of action my laptop keyboard for good?
For one to disable a laptop keyboard permanently, there is a lot more work. That said, you will need first to turn off your Windows – not to allow it automatically reinstall the keyboard drivers every time you restart your laptop. If you don’t turn off Windows’ ability to reinstall these drivers, your laptop keyboard will resume normalcy each time you reboot.
Good news if you are operating on a Windows 10. Windows 10 has made it possible to disable your laptop keyboard. But before you start the process, it would help if you have an external keyboard connected to your laptop first. This will make it a lot simpler to disable the in-built laptop keyboard. So to disable your laptop keyboard in Windows 10, follow the process below.
- First, you need to go to your Device Manager. There are two ways to go to your Device Manager. The first way is through right-clicking the start menu and open your WinX menu, then Device Manager. The second way to access your Device Manager is to tap your Windows key + R on your laptop. This should help you open a run dialog. Once that is done, type “devmgmt.msc” in your run dialog and tap the enter key on your laptop.
- On the Device Manager, go to the keyboards and double click on it and expand it.
- In this section, you should see all the keyboards connected to your laptop. You need to locate your in-built keyboard and right-click on it, then Disable.
- Confirm that you are disabling the in-built keyboard by clicking, “Yes.”
In the case that you don’t see the “Disable” option, you don’t need to fret. You can still use the “Uninstall” option that will appear in the section. If you click “Unistall,” the in-built laptop drivers will uninstall. Once you have clicked on “Uninstall,” confirm that you want to uninstall by clicking, “OK.”
It is essential to note that Windows 10 might start updating the drivers if it detects your keyboard. If this is the case, go back to your Device Manager and uninstall the drivers before they mess you up.
Disabling defective keys on my laptop keyboard
Depending on the key you’d want to disable, the method will also vary. Even so, tons of features can be used to disable any key on your keyboard.
Keytweak, for example, is a free utility tool that lets you remap any key on your keyboard. The current keyboard is displayed using numeric scancodes to act as an alternative. All you need to do is select the key you want to disable and then click on the “Disable button.”
If you intend to temporarily disable the broken key, select any unused key such as “Scroll-Lock” and remap it as an alternative. Meanwhile, use the disable button to get rid of a specific key completely.
Upon satisfaction guaranteed, click the “Apply button” to effect the changes and restart your laptop. Your external keyboard is likely to be affected too during this period.
Additionally, rerunning Keytweak will outline some of the keys that need replacement even after you’ve done so. If that’s the case, you need to restart your laptop to default.
Method 1: Using the simple disabling key program
- The first step is to download your “simple disable key program.” Next, you need to run the setup and follow the prompts to install it.
- It is important to note that Windows will try and warn you about this program when you want to launch it.
- Ignore the warning and launch your simple disable key and then select your best language.
- If you want to disable a key, choose a key field, and tap the key you want to disable from your keyboard, then “Add Key.” For example, to disable the “G” key, tap on “G” on your keyboard and “Add G.”
- You should see a dropdown. Choose any that you want.
Method 2: Updating the incorrect driver
While updating a laptop using an incompatible driver isn’t recommended, in this scenario, it’s the ultimate solution. When you replace the incorrect driver with an incompatible one, the chances are that your keyboard’s functioning will come to a halt. Below are some of the steps to updating an incorrect driver:
- Search for device manager in your google then select Open once the results outline themselves.
- Expand your laptop’s keyboard, then right-click the standard PS/2 keyboard and click on “Update Driver.”
- Select Browse my computer for driver software. Once you’ve selected the update driver option, select “Browse my computer” to search for the driver software.
- A list of available drivers will be outlined for you, after which you can select one that’s suitable for your needs.
- The next step is to select the compatible software and uncheck them.
- Scroll down the page, select distinct drivers from your original keyboard, pick a model, and click on “Next.”
- Click on the “Yes” button.
- Once the driver is updated, select “Close.”
- Reboot your laptop by selecting Yes.
- Once your laptop restarts, the chances are that your in-built keyboard will cease to function. Click on Update driver in the device manager section on your keyboard, to reactivate the keyboard.
- Select “Search automatically” for the updated driver software.
- Click on Close.
Disabling your laptop keyboard using the group policy editor
Another option is to use the group policy editor if you want to disable your in-built laptop keyboard. It’s one of the best methods to use if you don’t want the drivers to reinstall. To disable your laptop keyboard using the group policy editor, follow the prompts below:
- The first step is to tap your Windows key +R, then enter “gpedit.msc.” Once you have typed that, choose “OK.”
- The next step is to go to your “Administrative Templates,” then “System,” then “Device Installation,” then “Device Installation Restrictions.”
- Now right-click “Prevent Installation Not Described By Other Policy Settings,” then tap “Edit.”
- Choose “Enabled” >> “Apply” >> “OK.” You should close the group policy editor once that is done.
- Tap on the Windows key + X and choose “Device Manager.” Next is to choose the keyboard you want to disable and expand it.
- Right-click the PS/2 keyboard and begin uninstalling the device. You need to confirm that you want to uninstall the device.
How do I use a USB keyboard on my laptop?
Using a USB keyboard on your laptop is very simple. All you have to do is to plug in your keyboard to one of your laptop ports. Once you do that, an installation of the hardware will begin. It is important to note that your in-built keyboard will still function even when you have plugged in a USB keyboard.
