My keyboard not working

[Eddie167]

My keyboard is not working it will work and stop and work again and stop and start typing itself 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Eddie167 

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

Thanks for explaining the issue so clearly. It’s genuinely frustrating when your keyboard behaves erratically—especially when it types on its own or stops responding without warning. What you’re describing points to either a hardware fault, driver instability, or electrical interference, possibly linked to the keyboard ribbon cable or internal shielding.

Let’s walk through a structured recovery path to help stabilize your keyboard:

 

Step-by-Step Fix for Intermittent or Phantom Keyboard Input

1. Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

This checks for physical faults in the keyboard.

• Restart your laptop and press F2 repeatedly to enter diagnostics.
• Select Component Tests > Keyboard Test
• Follow the prompts and note any failures or skipped keys

 

2. Update or Reinstall Keyboard Driver

Corrupted drivers can cause erratic input or ghost typing.

• Press Windows + X → open Device Manager
• Expand Keyboards
• Right-click your keyboard device → choose Update driver
• If no update is found, choose Uninstall device, then restart your laptop to reinstall automatically

 

3. Check for Malware or Background Scripts

Phantom typing can sometimes be triggered by malicious software.

• Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or a trusted antivirus
• Check Task Manager > Startup for unknown or suspicious entries
• Disable anything unfamiliar and restart

 

4. Disable Touchscreen (if applicable)

On convertible models, ghost touches can mimic keyboard input.

• Press Windows + X → open Device Manager
• Expand Human Interface Devices
• Right-click HID-compliant touch screen → choose Disable device
• Restart and observe whether the issue improves

 

5. Perform a Clean Boot

This helps isolate software conflicts.

• Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter
• Go to Services tab → check Hide all Microsoft services → click Disable all
• Go to Startup tab → click Open Task Manager → disable all startup items
• Restart your laptop and test the keyboard

You’ve already done the right thing by identifying the erratic behavior—let’s make sure your keyboard responds reliably and gets back to smooth operation. 

If you’d like help interpreting diagnostic results or preparing for service, I’m here to assist.

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