A computer without a mouse or keyboard is like a car without wheels. Maybe not exactly, but you get the picture. Similarly, some Windows 10 users cannot use their computers due to malfunctioning mice and keyboards.
Your Windows PC’s Mouse and keyboard may have ceased operating for unknown reasons. In this piece, we’ll look at potential solutions. Safe mode can only be accessed by restarting your computer, pressing a key on the keyboard (usually F8), selecting the Safe Mode option, and pressing Enter.
If your keyboard does not function properly, Windows will usually start and will not boot into Safe Mode with Networking.
You may, however, adjust the boot settings in Windows so that the computer will automatically boot into Safe Mode when it is restarted after a power failure. You will not require a keyboard in this situation.
The keyboard and mouse stop working on the welcome screen every time you start your computer. If this is the case, and you are unsure of what to do, don’t worry; we will solve the problem for you immediately.
In addition, if you have just upgraded to Windows 10, you may be experiencing this issue since the old drivers may become incompatible with the new version of Windows. It makes no difference whether you use a USB or PS/2 mouse or keyboard; both will be stuck on the welcome screen, and you will be unable to restart your computer; you will need to manually power down your computer by pressing and holding the power button.
How to Fix Mouse and Keyboard not working in Safe mode
In Safe Mode, the mouse and keyboard may or may not work. If the mouse and keyboard function, you should look at a driver issue. Consequently, your mouse and keyboard drivers may be corrupted, outdated, or incompatible with Windows. However, third-party software or drivers may interact with the mouse and keyboard drivers, causing the issue.
The possible causes are hardware issues, Windows turning off system USB ports, and difficulty with the Fast Startup function. The troubleshooting technique provided below will teach you how to repair the mouse and keyboard not working in Windows 10.
- Before continuing, please check your hardware.
- Connect your mouse and keyboard as needed after unplugging your USB gadgets.
- Disconnect your USB mouse from your computer and reattach it later.
- Try attaching other USB items to a different USB port to see if that helps.
- Verify that the USB cord is not damaged.
- Test your USB device on another PC to determine if it works properly.
- Check for debris obscuring the USB ports.
- If you have a wireless mouse, try resetting it.
Restart your PC
In this case, Windows has failed to recognize, connect to, or adequately load the drivers responsible for the mouse and keyboard’s functionality. Consequently, rebooting your computer may be enough to re-establish device driver communication and restore mouse and keyboard functioning.
However, since the keyboard and mouse aren’t working, you’ll need to ‘Hard Reboot.’ Remove the detachable battery from your computer and re-plug it before restarting. Otherwise, keep the power button down for a few seconds to manually turn it off. Hold the power button for 2–5 seconds when you want to turn it back on.
This should help with the inactive mouse and keyboard issues. Continue with the instructions in the following section if your mouse and keyboard don’t work on the welcome/startup screen.
Use Windows Troubleshoot
Several Windows users who have had similar issues have claimed success using both the mouse and keyboard in Safe Mode. Consider starting your computer in Safe Mode and following the troubleshooting steps listed below.
Try these instructions if your computer’s mouse and keyboard aren’t working.
- You may turn off your computer by holding the power button.
- Hold the power button to restart it.
- If Windows is loading and a spinning dot is visible on the screen, continue to hold the power button.
- Repeat this method two or three times.
- Once Windows has recognized that you are trying to fix a problem, it will immediately boot into the Recovery Environment.
- This is when you can boot into Safe Mode with Networking.
- On the Recovery Environment tab is Troubleshoot.
- On the Troubleshoot screen, select Advanced options.
- Select Startup Preferences.
- To restart the computer, click Restart in the bottom right of the Startup Settings page.
- You will be given many Startup options to choose from.
- For ‘Safe Mode with Networking,’ hit the number 4 on your keyboard.
Your mouse and keyboard should work now that your computer is in Safe Mode.
Try the troubleshooting steps mentioned below to see if they assist address the issues preventing the mouse and keyboard from working, usually during Startup.
Update/Change Mouse and Keyboard Drivers
If your computer’s mouse and keyboard don’t work right away, it’s conceivable that their drivers are outdated and incompatible with the new operating system.
Follow the steps below to update or alter your mouse and keyboard drivers.
- Hold down the Windows key and the X key on your keyboard to reach the Quick Access menu.
- The drop-down menu has Device Manager.
- Then right-click the keyboard driver and select Update driver
- On the following page, select Browse my computer for driver software.
- Then click Allow me to select from a list of available drivers on my machine.
- Uncheck the Show appropriate hardware box.
- Select a different driver and click Next.
- Restart your computer when the driver installation is complete.
- Restart the computer and check if the Mouse driver (under ‘Mice and other pointing devices’) works properly.
If none of these work, try the next option.
Turn Off Fast Startup
Fast Startup is a Windows 10 that helps users swiftly boot their computers. However, the function has a history of producing issues with Windows shutdown and preventing the mouse and keyboard from operating correctly during Windows restart. Disabling this feature (while the PC is in Safe Mode) may assist with mouse and keyboard difficulties.
- On your PC, deactivate Fast Startup.
- Type the control panel into the Windows search box and hit Enter.
- Then choose Hardware and Sound.
- Choose Power Options from the menu.
- Select Choose what the power button does from the drop-down menu on the left.
- Then select Change unavailable settings from the drop-down box.
- Uncheck the Turn on speedy Startup (recommended) item and save your settings.
Uninstall Recent Update
If your mouse and keyboard stopped working after an update, the update might have been troublesome. Delete the update to keep your hardware working until a reliable update that doesn’t crash your mouse and keyboard is released. Follow the steps given below in Safe Mode.
- To reach the Windows Settings menu, press the Windows key and the I key simultaneously.
- Drop-down menu: Update & Security.
- To view update history, go to Windows Update in Control Panel.
- Click the Uninstall updates button to get rid of all the updates.
This will open a new window with a list of all the updates installed on your machine. These updates are sorted by installation date, making it easy to find the most recent one that broke your computer’s mouse and keyboard.
- Uninstall the updates by right-clicking on them and selecting Uninstall from the drop-down menu.
- Restart your computer after removing the application to test your mouse and keyboard.
- In computer terms, this is called “System Restore.”
You could restore the backup you made using Windows’ built-in backup program before your mouse and keyboard broke. This will allow you to use your mouse and keyboard again. Boot into the Advanced Recovery Environment and follow the steps detailed here.
- Choose Troubleshoot from the menu.
- From the drop-down menu, select Advanced.
- Then select System Restore.
- Then pick the account or user profile you want to restore your backup to.
- If the password is typed correctly, click Next.
- If the account has no password, leave it blank and click Proceed.
- Follow the on-screen steps to restore the backup data.
- Any changes you made to your computer after the last time you backed up or restored your laptop will be lost.
- Before starting the System restore, create a backup of any critical data on an external disk.
Microsoft would want to enhance the overall performance of your computer via Windows updates. While these updates are generally safe, they may create issues with your PC’s functioning, such as the mouse and keyboard. If you find yourself in this scenario, any options described above should help.
FAQ
Why doesn’t the keyboard work in safe mode?
To enter Safe Mode, restart your computer, hit a key on the keyboard (typically F8), choose Safe Mode, and press Enter.
Windows will not start in Safe Mode with Networking if your keyboard is broken.
How do I unlock my keyboard in Windows 11?
Repress and hold the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds to deactivate Filter Keys.
You may have accidentally enabled NumLock or are using an incorrect keyboard layout.