Step-by-Step Guide to Disable Laptop Keyboard Temporarily on Windows and Mac Operating Systems

Here in this article we will provide details about How to turn off a laptop keyboard. Although a keyboard is essential to how most people use laptops, it is not always required. It can be more detrimental than beneficial to use a touchscreen tablet if you don’t plan to type for a few hours.

Fortunately, there is a simple method for totally turning off the keyboard on your laptop. Most people will only want to do this temporarily, but if your keyboard isn’t working properly, it might be worth a go.

How to Turn Off a Laptop Keyboard

A laptop keyboard is a crucial piece of equipment that enables us to interact with our computer and do a variety of tasks. However, there are situations when you might want to either temporarily or permanently turn off your laptop keyboard. This might be done for a number of purposes, including keyboard cleaning, avoiding inadvertent key presses, and fixing technological problems.

We’ll go through how to disable your laptop keyboard for both Windows and Mac OS X in this article.

How to disable the laptop keyboard in Windows

1. Go to the Control Panel and select “Device Manager.”
2. Find the Keyboard option and expand it.
3. Right-click on the keyboard device and select “Disable.”
4. A confirmation window will appear, select “Yes.”
5. Your keyboard will be temporarily disabled, and you can re-enable it by following the same steps and selecting “Enable.”

Steps to turn off a laptop keyboard on Mac

1. Go to “System Preferences” and select “Keyboard.”
2. Click on the “Modifier Keys” button.
3. Select the “Off” option for the keys you want to turn off.
4. Your keyboard will be temporarily disabled, and you can re-enable it by following the same steps and selecting “On.”

However, there is another, more long-lasting option that prevents the keyboard from functioning even if you restart your device. This article discusses both approaches, which work with Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Also Read: Is Your Laptop Touchpad Not Working? Here’s the Fix

How to temporarily disable a laptop keyboard

Simply delete the required drivers from your laptop to temporarily deactivate the keyboard. This will last until you restart the device, after which the drivers will be installed once more automatically:

1. Open the Start menu and type ‘device manager’ into the search bar
2. Open the Device Manager, then find the ‘Keyboards’ heading and double-click it
3. You should see two or three drivers listed here. Right-click each one and choose ‘Uninstall’ or ‘Uninstall device’

It’s as simple as that! The keyboard now won’t register any input until you restart your laptop.

How to permanently disable laptop keyboard

It makes sense that Microsoft has made it a little trickier to disable the keyboard permanently. You must disable Windows’ ability to reinstall the driver automatically in order to achieve this. If you don’t do this, every time you reset your smartphone, the keyboard will be functional again.

Here’s how to permanently disable your keyboard.

1. Open the Start menu and type ‘group policy’ into the search bar
2. Click the result named ‘Edit group policy’ and the Local Group Policy Editor window should open
3. Under ‘Name’, double-click ‘Computer Configuration’

4. Next, double-click ‘Administrative Templates’, then ‘System’ followed by ‘Device Installation’
5. Double-click the ‘Device Installation Restrictions’ folder
6. Right-click the option marked ‘Prevent installation of devices not described by other policy settings’ and choose ‘Edit’
7. From the window that appears, click the circle next to ‘Enabled’ to select it and click ‘OK’ to confirm

8. Head to Device Manager and follow the same steps as to temporarily disable the keyboard

There has definitely been a permanent change. Open the Local Group Policy Editor again and turn off the “Prevent installation of devices not described by other policy settings” setting if you think you might wish to turn on the keyboard again in the future. It’s your last chance to prevent a keyboard from being permanently disabled.

Also Read: How to Connect a Laptop to Bluetooth Speakers

How to use a USB keyboard with a laptop

At some point, you’ll undoubtedly want to attach an external keyboard of your own instead of using the laptop’s built-in keyboard.

If your laptop has the appropriate connector, connecting a USB version is as easy as plugging it in. Once the hardware drivers have been installed automatically, you are ready to begin. The built-in keyboard will continue to function when the USB one is plugged in unless you’ve permanently deactivated it.

How to use a Bluetooth keyboard with a laptop

The process for a wireless keyboard isn’t much more difficult:

1. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your laptop by heading to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices
2. Turn on your keyboard, making sure it has enough battery and is in pairing mode if necessary
3. Back on your laptop, click ‘Add Bluetooth or other device’ and then ‘Bluetooth’
4. It will now search for your device, and with a bit of luck, find the keyboard. Simply click on it to complete connection

In conclusion, whether you are using Windows or Mac, shutting off your laptop keyboard is an easy process that can be completed in a few steps. This feature can be helpful for a number of things, including clearing your keyboard, avoiding unintentional key presses, and fixing technical problems. Consult a technical specialist for assistance if you run into any problems while disabling your laptop keyboard.