Laptop & screen keyboards are locked on screen login (for password entry)

[Jelybu]

Help!

One minute laptop was working fine, the next - nothing! Went back to login screen to get back on and...both laptop & screen keyboards are locked on screen login (for password entry). I have already tried turning laptop off & on again, turning on/off filter keys, rt hand shift button for 8 seconds. What else can I do? It has extended warranty, & is going in for "repair", but I want to get info off of it first! Thanks! JC

[Alden4]

Hi @Jelybu,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like your HP laptop is having a serious keyboard input issue, which can happen for various reasons. Since you have already tried some basic steps like restarting and turning off filter keys, here are a few additional steps you can try to regain access to your system and retrieve your data.

Use the On-Screen Keyboard (if it's accessible)

• On the login screen, look for the Ease of Access icon (usually at the bottom right, next to the power button).
• Click it and select On-Screen Keyboard.
• Use it to enter your password and log in. This might let you get access to your laptop for now.

Try Safe Mode

You can boot into Safe Mode, which may help bypass certain system errors that might be causing the keyboard to lock:

• Power off the laptop completely.
• Turn it back on and immediately press the F8 key repeatedly (or Shift + F8) before Windows starts loading.
• Once you see the Advanced Boot Options, choose Safe Mode.
• In Safe Mode, check if the keyboard works. If it does, you might be able to troubleshoot further.

External Keyboard

If you have a USB or Bluetooth keyboard available, connect it to your laptop and check if you can use it to enter your password. If the external keyboard works, this will help you log in and back up your data.

Try a System Restore (if accessible)

If you're able to access the Advanced Startup Options, try performing a system restore:

• On the login screen, click the Power button (bottom right).
• Hold down the Shift key and select Restart.
• In the Advanced Startup menu, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
• Choose a restore point prior to when the keyboard stopped working.

Perform a Hard Reset

If none of the above options work, try a hard reset:

• Power off the laptop.
• Disconnect all external devices (USBs, printers, etc.).
• Remove the battery (if it's removable) and unplug the charger.
• Press and hold the Power button for 15-20 seconds to drain any residual power.
• Reconnect the battery and charger, then power on the laptop.

[Alden4]

Access Data Using Bootable USB (via Recovery Media)

If you still can't log in, you can use a bootable USB (e.g., Windows Recovery Media or a Linux live USB) to access your files:

• Create a bootable USB drive on another computer (if you don't have one already).
• Plug it into your HP laptop.
• Restart and boot from the USB (you may need to press Esc or F9 to select boot options).
• From the recovery environment, you can use a file manager to access your data and back it up to an external drive.

Check for BIOS/UEFI Issues

If all else fails, you can check if the laptop's keyboard issue is related to BIOS settings:

• Power off your laptop.
• Press Esc or F10 during startup to enter the BIOS settings.
• If the keyboard works in the BIOS, it could be a Windows-related issue (software or driver conflict).

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support