Want to get rid of those accidental keystrokes while watching your favourite Netflix season? Do you just need to clean your keyboard without bringing up a thousand tabs simultaneously? Or are you dealing with a malfunctioning key and intending to use an external keyboard or touchpad?
If yes, this article is for you !
The keyboard is an integral component of a laptop and disabling it permanently or temporarily can be a little tricky. Here, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide to deactivating your keyboard on Windows laptops.
Let’s get started!
How to Disable a Laptop’s Keyboard Temporarily
Method 1: Using the Device Manager
Microsoft Windows has many useful features for laptop users. You can turn off the built-in keyboard whenever or wherever you want with the Device Manager in your laptop's settings. Here's how you can effectively do it:
Open the Run dialogue box (Win+R) and enter "msc" in the command line to get into the Device Manager settings. Alternatively, you can also type "Device Manager" into the Windows search bar and click on it.
In the Device Manager window, you will see a list of all the connected devices. To view the list of linked keyboards, click the inverted triangle next to the Keyboards category.
Right-click on the built-in keyboard you want to disable and select "Disable device" from the context menu.
Click on "Yes" in the dialogue to confirm the action.
Here you go; you have successfully disabled the keyboard on your laptop.
Note: Some laptop models may not have a "Disable Device" button in the Device Manager but instead offer an "Uninstall Device" option. You can follow all the above-mentioned steps to achieve the same result by temporarily deactivating the keyboard.
Method 2: Using the Command Prompt
If you don’t want to face the inconvenience of disabling your keyboard with the Device Manager Settings, worry not! You can use the command prompt method to do so.
Tap on the Windows icon at the bottom left corner of your screen.
Search "cmd" and choose "Run as Administrator" under the command prompt.
Click on "Yes" to make sure that you allow the Command Prompt programme to make changes to your computer.
Wait for the command prompt windows to open, and then enter the following command and click on Enter. sc config i8042prt start= disabled
When a success message appears, close the Command Prompt window and restart your device.
If you change your mind and want to re-enable the keyboard, simply enter the following command: sc config i8042prt start= auto
Note: For this method to work, you first need to disable the keyboard through the Device Manager method, as mentioned earlier. The command entered on the command line disables Windows from automatically activating the keyboard upon restarting the laptop.
Method 3: Choosing the Wrong Driver
Deactivating your built-in keyboard using the wrong drivers is an effective but unorthodox approach. In this method, you pair your laptop’s keyboard with the wrong driver, using the hidden features on laptops.
Follow the steps to get the job done effectively:
Open the Device Manager by simply typing "devmgmt.msc" into the Windows command prompt.
Expand the "Keyboards" category in the Device Manager and right-click on the "Standard PS/2 Keyboard"
From the context menu, click on "Update driver".
At this stage, your laptop will show options regarding how you want to search for drivers. Select the option "Browse my computer for driver software."
A new window will be opened. Choose "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer."
Scroll through the list and tap on a manufacturer that is different from your standard keyboard. Then, choose any keyboard model listed by that manufacturer.
Navigate to "Next."
Windows may provide you with a warning message that the driver you are about to install may be incompatible with your laptop’s model. Click "Yes" to confirm you want to continue with the installation.
Close the "Drivers Update" window and restart your laptop to complete the installation process.
After restarting your device, you will notice your keyboard is not working; however, you can reactivate it by simply following the 1 to 4 steps and then entering "Search automatically for drivers". Check for compatible drivers and install them.
How to Disable Your Laptop’s Keyboard Permanently
Since the built-in keyboard is the core component of a Windows laptop, it is not quite easy to disable it permanently. To do so, you will need to turn off Windows’ capability to automatically install the driver again.
Here's how you can perform it:
Click on the Start menu and search for "group policy".
A new window will appear, then navigate to "Edit group policy," and the Local Group Policy Editor window will open.
Under the "Name" section, double-click on "Computer Configuration".
In the right pane, double-click on "Administrative Templates".
Next, choose "System."
Under the System, find and double-click on "Device Installation".
Navigate to "Device Installation Restrictions."
Double-click on the option named "Prevent installation of devices not described by other policy settings" and select "Edit".
In the same window, click on the circle next to "Enabled" to select it.
Finally, click "Apply" and then "OK" to confirm your selection.
After the settings are applied, follow the Device Manager method mentioned above to disable the keyboard driver. However, this time, Windows will no longer reinstall the keyboard driver automatically, resulting in the permanent deactivation of your Windows keyboard.
How to re-enable Keyboard via this method?
In the future, you can re-enable your device’s keyboard by opening the Local Group Policy Editor and deactivating the "Prevent installation of devices not described by other policy settings" setting. After doing so, restart your laptop to get the missing drivers re-installed automatically and your keyboard working again.
Wrapping Up!
Now you have comprehensive knowledge about how to disable your Windows laptop keyboard whenever you need to use an external keyboard, clean the dust particles, or prevent accidental keystrokes during gaming or streaming.
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Happy Computing!
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