Troubleshooting Keyboard Lockup on IBM Thinkpad with Windows 7

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around troubleshooting keyboard lockup issues on an IBM Thinkpad running Windows 7. Participants explore potential causes and solutions for the keyboard becoming unresponsive while typing, with a focus on both hardware and software aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant experiences intermittent keyboard lockup and seeks simpler solutions beyond restarting the computer.
  • Another suggests unplugging and replugging the keyboard as a potential fix, drawing from personal experience with a mouse issue.
  • A participant proposes checking the keyboard driver through the device controller, although they express skepticism about this being the root cause.
  • It is noted that enabling "sticky keys" could lead to keyboard input being ignored, with a link provided for reference.
  • Concerns are raised about stuck ctrl or alt keys due to dirt and debris, with suggestions for cleaning methods, including a warning against using WD40 due to potential damage to plastics.
  • Another participant confirms that sticky keys were not enabled in their case.
  • A question is posed regarding whether the keyboard is cabled or Bluetooth, with a suggestion that a flat battery could be an issue for Bluetooth keyboards.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various potential causes and solutions for the keyboard lockup, but no consensus is reached on a definitive cause or solution. Multiple competing views remain regarding the best approach to troubleshoot the issue.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions depend on specific hardware configurations (e.g., cabled vs. Bluetooth keyboards), and there are unresolved assumptions about the state of the keyboard and software settings.

mathman
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Messages
8,130
Reaction score
575
On occasion my keyboard locks up. IBM thinkpad, Windows 7. It occurs when I am typing a message in a forum like now. Fortunately my mouse still works, so I can save the (incomplete) message and then restart the computer, freeing the keyboard. Any ideas why it is happening and is there a simpler way to free the keyboard?
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
Have you tried unplugging the keyboard and plugging it back in right away? My mouse locks up at startup sometimes because I have it plugged into a docking station. It always works as soon as I do that.
 
You should be able to use the mouse to navigate to the device controller and see if something is wonky with the keyboard driver. I think this is unlikely but it's worth a shot.
 
Could it be that the ctrl or alt keys have got stuck?
It happens with well used keyboards, fluff and dirt in there (including dead skin cells).
WD40 spray does a quick fix, but taking keys off and removing properly the gunk is best.
 
rootone said:
WD40 spray does a quick fix, but taking keys off and removing properly the gunk is best.
NO, please don't use WD40! It destroys some plastics by stripping out the plasticizers, leaving behind solids similar to cookie crumbs lightly stuck together.

(Had a customer several years ago who tried that. The keyboard crumbled upon disassembly. The local community college where he taught had to replace the keyboard. [Another learning experience for him.])
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: davenn
mathman said:
On occasion my keyboard locks up. IBM thinkpad, Windows 7

is it a cabled ( USB / other) keyboard or a Bluetooth keyboard ?
if a BT keyboard ... possibly flat battery
 

Similar threads

Keyboard Locked? How to Unlock Without Restarting
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Keyboard Lock-up: Causes & Solutions
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Computer Keyboard Hacks to Fix UI Problems
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
SSD crash after Windows 10 update on Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 5th Gen
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Need advice on a computer monitor that goes dark
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
1K
I cannot install Photoshop 6.0 onto my new laptop with Win11
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
7K
Solving Unusual Mouse Behavior on Windows 7
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Upgrading Win 7 32 bit to Win 10 64 bit
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
Computer Hardware Help: Fixing Issues with Keyboard
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Windows 7 desktop freezing every now and then
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K