Fix @ or # key not working on Windows computer
Well, here in this article, we will be talking about the fixes that you can try when the @ (Shift 2) and # (Shift 3) keys are not working on your keyboard. Let’s learn what all you can do when these keys are not working. But before you begin, you need to physically clean the keyboard and keys and see if that helps. Let us see the suggestions in detail.
1] On-Screen Keyboard
The on-screen keyboard is such a savior in such situations. You can open and use the on-screen keyboard if any of the keys on your keyboard stop working. To launch the on-screen keyboard,
Press Win+S and open the search bar. Type in on-screen keyboard and launch it.You will see a small virtual keyboard on your screen.You can now use the @ and the # key from this virtual keyboard.
2] Turn off the Filter Keys
Not everyone knows but the Filter Keys feature often causes issues with your keyboard. If some of your keyboard keys are not working, check if you have the Filter Keys feature turned on. Simply turn them off and see if that works. To turn it off-
Open the Settings by pressing Win+I on your keyboard. You can alternatively go to the Settings directly from the notification bar.Type Filter Keys in the search bar in Settings.Turn it Off and check if that resolves your keyboard issues and if the @ and # keys work now.
3] Turn off the Game Mode
Not always but some users have reported that the Game Mode when turned on causes issues with the keyboard. If @ or # or any of the keys on your keyboard are not working, try switching off the gaming mode and see if that works. To turn off the gaming mode-
Open Settings by pressing the shortcut keys Win+I.Type Game Mode on the search bar.Turn it off and see if that works for you.
4] Turn off the Sticky Keys
Just like the Gaming Mode and the Filter Keys, Sticky Keys may also cause issues in your keyboard and some of the keys might stop working. To turn off the Sticky Keys-
Go to the Settings and type Sticky Keys in the search bar.Go to Sticky Keys and turn it off.Check if now your @ and # keys are working on your Windows 11 keyboard.
5] Update the keyboard drivers
The issues could be because of the outdated keyboard drivers. You need to update the drivers and see if the issue resolves and your keyboard gets restored.
Follow one of the methods below to update your Graphics drivers: This should ideally solve your problem and make your keyboard work properly. Check if now you can use the @ and # keys.
6] Run Keyboard Troubleshooter
Troubleshooter, as the word itself, says, fixes almost every issue. Windows 11 PCs have a troubleshooter for every issue. To open the keyboard troubleshooter-
Go to the Settings and type Keyboard Troubleshooter in the search bar.Go to Find and Fix keyboard problems.This will open the Keyboard Troubleshooter.Click on Next to fix the issues.
Read: Keyboard shortcuts and Hotkeys are not working.
Why are some letters not working on the keyboard?
There are multiple reasons and the fixes are mentioned above. Turn off the Filter Keys, Sticky Keys, and Gaming Mode. If this doesn’t help, try updating the drivers and if the problem still persists, run the keyboard troubleshooter. You need to also physically clean the keyboard and keys and see if that helps.
Why is my keyboard typing wrong letters?
In the linked post, we will describe some solutions to fix the issue where your keyboard is typing wrong letters. Sometimes, the problem is not as complicated as users think. Hence, before you start troubleshooting steps, there are a few things that you should check if your Laptop keyboard or external keyboard are not working. It could be a temporary bug and restarting the computer may help. Read: Single or Double Quote key not working.
