Keyboard shift keys not working

[Lukee12]

Hello, 

I need some help with my HP Pavilion laptop - I cannot use the shift keys to write symbols at all. Furthermore, the arrow keys on the keyboard for left and right do not work. I don't really understand why this is the case but it's both shift keys, so I cannot add things like speech marks, pound signs, or even navigate to a different part of what I am writing, although for some reason the up and down arrow keys work. Any help much appreciated. I have tried updating the drivers, restarting the laptop, and the fact that both shift keys are not working indicates to me that it is not a case of cleaning or dirt/dust.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Lukee12,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP Pavilion laptop’s Shift keys and left/right arrow keys are not working, while other keys (including up/down arrows) still function. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Turn off accessibility keyboard features
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
Make sure Sticky Keys, Filter Keys, and Toggle Keys are all turned Off, as these can block modifier keys like Shift.

Check the keyboard language and layout
Open Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
Confirm the keyboard layout matches your physical keyboard (for example, UK vs US), and remove any extra layouts.

Test the on-screen keyboard
Open the On-Screen Keyboard from Accessibility settings.
Click Shift and the left/right arrow keys there—if they work, the issue is likely hardware or a low-level driver, not Windows text input.

Test in Safe Mode
Restart the laptop into Safe Mode.
If Shift and arrow keys work there, a background app or utility is intercepting those keys in normal mode.

Disable key-intercepting software
Check for screen recorders, gaming overlays, macro tools, remote desktop apps, or keyboard remapping utilities.
Temporarily disable or uninstall them and test again.

Reinstall the keyboard driver
Open Device Manager > Keyboards.
Right-click the keyboard device, choose Uninstall, then restart so Windows reinstalls it automatically.

Check for recent Windows updates
Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
If the issue started after an update, use Uninstall latest quality update and restart.

Check BIOS keyboard behavior
Restart and press Esc, then F10 to enter BIOS.
Test whether the arrow keys work in BIOS menus—if they don’t, this points to a hardware or keyboard matrix issue.

Test with an external keyboard
Connect a USB keyboard and test Shift and left/right arrows.
If they work externally, the internal keyboard is likely faulty.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,