Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
How to disable a laptop keyboard
In This Article
Need turn off your keyboard ahead of a presentation, or just want to shut it off while you watch some Netflix? Here is how to disable the keyboard on your laptop in just a few simple steps.
Whether you need someone to stop messing with your laptop while you’re not around, or you just want to clean your keyboard without bringing up a thousand tabs, it’s useful to know how you can disable your laptop keyboard.
It can be done in just a few simple steps and looks the same for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Keep reading to find out the easiest way to disable your laptop keyboard.
What we used
The Short Version
Step1
Press the Windows and X buttons at the same time
Click both the Windows button and the X button on the keyboard at the same time to bring up a pop-up menu.
Step2
Click on Device Manager
Choose the Device Manager option in the pop-up menu to proceed.
Step3
Find Keyboard in the list of devices
Once in the Device Manager, it will open up a menu of devices. Find Keyboards in this list, it should be in alphabetical order.
Step4
Click on the arrow to expand the tab
Click on the small arrow next to Keyboards to bring up the sub-section below it. Your keyboard should be the only option there unless you are also connected to another external keyboard.
Step5
Right-click on your keyboard
Right-click on your keyboard to bring up a small pop-up menu.
Step6
Click Uninstall or Disable Device
The pop-up menu will either have a Disable Device button or an Uninstall Device button, ours showed up with the uninstall option.
Step7
Click Uninstall laptop
A new pop-up will appear where you can confirm your choice to uninstall your keyboard. If you still need your keyboard in use, you can always come back and redo the process at a better time.
Step8
Restart your laptop
You will be prompted to restart your laptop to complete this process. Click Yes to confirm your choice and restart your device.
FAQs
No, you can always reinstall your keyboard by following back on what you did to uninstall it, meaning that you will be able to use your keyboard again after doing this if you choose.
You might like…
Gemma joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer after graduating from Leeds Beckett University with a Journalism degree. She’s worked with national outlets, covering breaking news stories to reviews fo…
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
