The Shift key is a modifier key on a computer keyboard. It capitalizes letters, accesses special characters and symbols, and simultaneously deletes multiple texts.
If the Shift key stops working, it could disrupt your workflow. This guide explains how to troubleshoot and repair the Shift key not functioning on your computer.
1. Check for Physical Damage
If your shift key suddenly stops working, it could be a sign of physical damage. To check for physical damage, turn off your computer and carefully inspect the key for dirt or debris. you may also turn your laptop upside down and shake it gently. If you find any, use a soft brush or compressed air to gently clean the area.
If you need help, see our guide onhow to clean your keyboard and sterilize viruses and bacteria. Also, check out thistrick for cleaning under keyboard keys.
2. Restart Your Computer
If you’ve confirmed there are no physical connection issues,restart your computer. This gives the machine a fresh start and could potentially resolve minor software glitches that might cause the shift key to not work. Remember to save files or applications before shutting down to protect your work.
This will ensure that none of your work is lost because of the restart. After restarting, open a text document and try typing again. If the shift key remains unresponsive, there may be an issue with your software settings.
3. Check Your Keyboard Settings
The Filter key is an accessibility feature on Windows that could interfere with your keyboard’s normal functioning. It ignores brief or repeated keystrokes, which may fail to process the input entirely. To prevent this from happening, try disabling the Filter key option and see if it solves the issue.
Here’s how to do it:
Once done, close the Settings window and see if the shift key is now working.
4. Update or Reinstall Keyboard Drivers
If the shift key is still not working, it could be an issue with your keyboard drivers. Outdated or corrupt drivers may cause compatibility issues and prevent hardware from functioning. To fix this issue, update your keyboard drivers using the below instructions.
Now follow the instructions displayed on your screen to complete the process. After that, restart your computer and see if it solves the issue. If not, reinstall the keyboard drivers. This resolves compatibility issues and ensures hardware functions properly.
To reinstall the keyboard drivers, follow these steps:
Now close the Device Manager window and restart your computer. Windows will now automatically install drivers on startup. After that, test the shift key again and see if the problem is solved.
5. Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
Hardware and devices troubleshooter is a Windows program that scans your computer for hardware-related issues. Running this troubleshooter diagnoses and resolves underlying problems that may cause the shift key not to work.
To run this troubleshooter, follow these steps:
The troubleshooter will now scan your computer for hardware-related issues. When it’s done, restart your computer and check if the shift key now works.
6. Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter
This tool is similar to the hardware and devices troubleshooter but specifically addresses keyboard-related problems. It detects software conflicts or other issues that may prevent the shift key from functioning. Follow these steps to run this troubleshooter:
Wait until the troubleshooter finishes and restart your computer. After that, check if the shift key functions normally.
7. Scan for Malware
Viruses or suspicious programs interfere with keyboard functionality, leading to unresponsive keys. To check if this is the issue,scan your computer for malicious software.
you’re able to perform a full system scan using the Windows Security app. Here’s how to do it:
Wait for the scan to finish and check if it finds malicious programs. If threats are detected, remove them immediately. After that, restart your computer and see if the shift key is working now.
8. Try a Different Keyboard
If the suggested solutions do not solve the problem, chances are that the issue lies with your keyboard hardware. To isolate this from other causes, try a different keyboard and check if the shift key works now.
If you don’t have another keyboard, open a virtual one. This is an on-screen keyboard that lets you type without physical keys. To access it, pressWin + Ron your keyboard. This will open the Run command dialog box.
Typeoskin the text field and hitEnter. Now test the shift key on this virtual keyboard. If it works now, you should consider replacing the physical keyboard.
Start Using the Shift Key Again on Windows
The Shift key is useful for capitalization, symbols, and navigating Windows menus. However, if it stops working, tasks become tedious and productivity slows down. If other solutions fail, try performing a system restore to return your Windows computer to a previous state where the Shift key worked properly.
