My Backslash Key ist not working

[Thomas_Lanz]

Brand new Notebook, Keyboard Swiss German, The L--Key has 3 additional Keys, smaller than (<), bigger than (>) and the Backslash,  which does not work. ALT GR and the L-Key does display nothing. 

Its a stupid keyboard layout with an icon-key and a key to start a game or an HP Apps. Useless gimmicks!

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @Thomas_Lanz 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand how frustrating it feels when a brand-new notebook doesn’t let you use a key you rely on. Thank you for describing the keyboard layout in detail—it helps narrow down the possibilities. 

Let’s go step by step to make sure the backslash key is recognized properly in Windows 11.

 

Step 1: Confirm Windows keyboard layout

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
• Go to Time & language > Language & region.
• Under Preferred languages, select your language (e.g., German (Switzerland)).
• Click the three dots > Language options.
• Under Keyboards, make sure “Swiss German” is selected.
• If another layout is active, remove it so only Swiss German remains.

 

Step 2: Test the key in different apps

• Open Notepad and press the backslash key.
• Try the same in Word or a browser search bar.
• If the key still does not produce output, continue to the next step.

 

Step 3: Use the On-Screen Keyboard

• Press Windows key + Ctrl + O to open the On-Screen Keyboard.
• Select the backslash key there.
• If it works on-screen but not physically, this points to a hardware or mapping issue.

 

Step 4: Update drivers

• Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
• Expand “Keyboards.”
• Right-click “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” (or similar) and choose “Update driver.”
• Select “Search automatically for drivers.”
• Restart the computer after updating.

 

Step 5: Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

HP provides a tool to test the keyboard hardware directly:

• Restart the computer and press F2 repeatedly to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.
• Select “Component Tests” > “Keyboard Test.”
• Follow the instructions to check if the backslash key is detected.

Here’s a direct guide from HP on using the diagnostics tool:
HP PCs - Testing for hardware failures

By confirming the Windows layout, testing across apps, and running the hardware diagnostics, we can see whether the issue is software mapping or hardware detection. Once the diagnostics test is complete, you’ll know if the backslash key is being registered at all.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye