Sign in with Microsoft
Sign in or create an account.
Hello,
Select a different account.
You have multiple accounts
Choose the account you want to sign in with.

Symptoms

If a keyboard is disconnected while a key is being held down (either intentionally or accidentally), when the keyboard is reconnected, it may not respond, or it may act as if the key is still held down. This is mainly an issue if it was the Ctrl, Shift, Alt, or Windows key being held down.

This can happen if the keyboard is unplugged from the USB port while a key is held down, or if a laptop or tablet is undocked while a key is held down on a keyboard connected to the dock through USB.

Cause

Windows does not reset the state of the keyboard when the keyboard is reconnected.

Resolution

Try each of the following steps one at a time until the issue is resolved:

  1. Press the key that was held down once. If you do not know which key was held down, you may want to try pressing each key (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, and the Windows key) in turn.

  2. Use the touch screen or mouse to bring up the on-screen keyboard. Using the on-screen keyboard should reset the physical keyboard.

  3. Reboot the device.


Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Was this information helpful?

What affected your experience?
By pressing submit, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services. Your IT admin will be able to collect this data. Privacy Statement.

Thank you for your feedback!

×