Keyboard Typing Wrong Letters / Characters? – 4 Ways to Fix

Is your keyboard typing the wrong letters and characters? You may find yourself in a situation where your keyboard is not working as expected and types incorrectly.

This is a common issue that can be encountered due to software issues such as corrupted keyboard drivers, incorrect input type and even hardware issues like faulty hardware. 

So what do I do to fix the keyboard typing wrong letters and characters issue? In most cases, the issue can be fixed by tweaking some settings, but if the keyboard is faulty, you will have to replace the keyboard.

Let’s go through all the troubleshooting steps you can follow to fix this issue, Whether you use Windows or Mac PC. 

Fix Keyboard Typing Wrong Letters and Characters

If you are facing issues with your keyboard and it is typing wrong words, then you can follow the steps given below to fix this issue.

However, before you continue, ensure the Num Lock and Fn lock keys are disabled. Also, ensure nothing is pressing the keys, and there’s no pressure on the keyboard. 

1. Clean Your Keyboard

Keyboard typing wrong wrong letters and characters issues can be caused if something is stuck in the keys of your keyboard. You should try cleaning the keyboard and removing all the dirt within the keys.

If you use a laptop’s keyboard or a membrane keyboard, use a cleaning brush that comes with the laptop cleaning kit to clean the keyboard. Ensure you clean between the keys to remove all the dirt. 

If you have a mechanical keyboard, remove the keycaps and clean the keyboard with the brush. Mechanical keyboards come with keycaps remover, which you can use to remove the keys. Clean the keyboard and then put back the keycaps.

2. Check Default Input Method

Ensure the input method is set to the correct language for your region. If the keyboard input is set to a different language, then that can cause this issue.

You will have to set the correct input method by following the steps given below to fix the issue-

1. Open the Settings app on your Windows PC. 
2. Click on Time & Language > Typing.
3. Next, click on Advanced Keyboard Settings.
4. Click on the drop-down list under Override for default input method, and select the correct language.

If your region’s language is unavailable, you will have to manually set the language. This is how it can be done-

1. Head to the Settings app. 
2. Then head to the Time & Language > Language & Region. 
3. Click on the Add Language button.
4. Search for and select the language you want to add, and click on the Next button.
5. Next, check the checkboxes for all the language features you want to install with the language and click on the Install button.
6. Once the language has been installed, you can follow the steps mentioned above to change the input language. 

3. Reinstall Keyboard Drivers

The issue can also be caused if the keyboard drivers are corrupted. Driver files can get corrupted if the updates are not properly installed. To reinstall the keyboard drivers, follow the steps given below-

1. Right-click on the Start icon, then click on Device Manager.
2. Now, double-click on Keyboards to expand it. 
3. Right-click on your keyboard and select the Uninstall Device option. 
4. Next, click on Uninstall to uninstall the keyboard.
5. Once done, close the Device Manager and restart your PC. This will automatically reinstall the driver. 

4. Check for Faulty Keyboard

For Desktop

If you are still facing the issue, then probably your keyboard is faulty. For PC users, use some other keyboard and see if the issue is still encountered.

If you no longer face the issue with the replacement keyboard, then the keyboard you were using was faulty. Your keyboard’s manufacturer brand will replace the keyboard if it is still under warranty and does not have any physical damage.

For Laptop

Laptop users can try using an external keyboard to check the issue with the internal keyboard. However, before that, you will have to disable the laptop’s keyboard first. You can do it by uninstalling the keyboard driver.

Once you have done that, connect an external keyboard to the laptop and see if you still face the issue. You will have to get your laptop’s keyboard repaired if the issue is no longer encountered when using the external keyboard. You can contact your laptop brand’s service center for the same.

Bottom Line

Unable to use your keyboard because it types incorrectly? There is nothing to worry about; you can follow the steps mentioned above to solve this issue you have been facing with your keyboard.