You might want to disable your laptop keyboard to fix a hardware issue with it or if you want to use an external USB keyboard.
However, disabling a laptop keyboard isn’t as easy as it sounds. The process is a little strict keeping in mind that it shouldn’t happen accidentally.
In this set of a guide, we’ll show you how to disable the keyboard on your laptop safely.
Ways to Turn Off Laptop Keyboard
There are some easy and quick methods to disable your laptop keyboard. You can even disable the keyboard permanently. Check out all the methods mentioned below.
1. Using Device Manager
Uninstalling Your Laptops keyboard is the easiest way to disable it. Here’s how-
1) Press and hold Windows + X keys to open the startup menu and select Device Manager from the popup list
2) Search for Keyboards from the list of options and double-click on it
3) Here you’ll see the model name of your keyboard. Right-click on it and select Uninstall
Your laptop keyboard will be disabled until the time you reboot your PC. However, once you restart your PC, you keyboard drivers will be automatically reinstalled. Hence it disables your laptop keyboard temporarily.
2. Employ an Incompatible Driver
It is a quick and easy workaround to avoid automatic reinstallation of keyboard drivers in your PC. Here’s how you do it-
1) Press and hold Windows + X keys and select Device Manager from the popup menu
2) Go to the Keyboards Option from the list and double-click on it
3) Now, right-click on your Keyboard name
4) Choose Update Driver
3) Select existing drivers only when asked to choose between check online or use existing drivers
4) Now either choose to display your incompatible drivers or de-select the “Only use compatible driver icon”
Your Laptop Keyboard and your touchpad are now disabled on your laptop.
To restore your keyboard settings, select the compatible driver and reboot your PC.
3. How to Disable a Laptop Keyboard Permanently
As discussed above, whenever you try to uninstall your keyboard they get reinstalled automatically and become very annoying. You’ll have to turn off the Window’s ability tool to prevent your keyboards driver to get installed again. Let’s do it-
1) Hit the Windows key and type gpedit.msc in the search bar
2) Tap on the Computer Configuration file and go to Administrative Templates and head to the System, Device Installation
3) Now, go into Device Installation Restrictions. Here you’ll see many options (to the right)
4) Right-click on the “Prevent Installation of Devices not described by other policy settings” icon
5) Set it to Enabled by editing the option
Once it’s done, uninstall the drivers for your keyboard once again by repeating the steps mentioned in the first (1.) method. The keyboard on your laptop won’t function anymore.
To reinstall the drivers again the future, go back to gpedit.msc and make the changes again and reboot your PC.
4. How to Disable Keyboard in Mac Laptops?
One of the quick methods is to connect your mouse, keyboard and external monitor and run it in closed-display mode.
Some of the users found out that uploading AppleUSBTCKeyboard.kext could help in disabling the keyboard in your Mac laptops.
Another user said that a tool called Keyboard Cleaner also helped them disable the keyboard.
5. Use a Third-Party Tool to disable Laptop Keyboard
If nothing works for you to disable your laptops’ keyboard permanently or if it keeps reinstalling the keyboard drivers once you restart your PC.
We suggest you install a third-party device manager tool from the CNET (Computer Network).
Some of the third-party device managers allow you to disable the keyboard driver easily, instead of uninstalling them.
Tip: It is essential to create a restore save point on your PC so that you can get back to the previous settings allowing you to roll the changes back.
So we’re done! Most of these solutions can be used for all the Windows versions. Have any other issues while disabling your laptop keyboard? Feel free to drop down a comment in our comments section below.
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