Can You Connect A Keyboard To A Laptop?
When you buy a laptop that you’ve waited for long to get, or spent a fortune for, you want to cherish it. Because unlike desktops, if a part is damaged, it’s hard to get a replacement. After the display, the part that’s most prone to damage is the keyboard.
So how do you go all out? By getting an external laptop keyboard. Connecting a keyboard to your laptop is easy as long as it is a USB-type keyboard. You just have to insert it into the USB port and you can start using the keyboard immediately. But if you are to use a wireless keyboard or a ps/2, you will need to check a few boxes.
To know details about how can you connect a keyboard to a laptop, just scroll your mouse a bit…
Why do you need to connect an external keyboard to a laptop?
You need to take extra care of your laptop’s keyboard. Any key could get stuck, or fall out of place, or worse, you could lose it. Now, if you’re lucky enough, you might be able to unstuck it, or place the key that fell off back on the laptop.
But it’s a massive headache for you if it gets damaged or stops working. Then you’re left with two choices: get a replacement, which depending on your warranty could cost you a bit, or use an external keyboard.
Although the keyboard of a laptop doesn’t get damaged easily, all the more so if you have a laptop with mechanical keyboard; you could still be in a situation where it stops working for various other reasons: for example, having a faulty driver, accumulating dust, or maybe a manufacturing error.
Even I’m also using an external usb keyboard to write this post as we speak because my laptop’s keyboard stops working randomly after every windows update, it’s weird!
Whether you’re a gamer who needs to smash buttons like it’s the last day on earth or an author who needs to write a thousand words a day, having an external keyboard is never a bad deal. As for how you can connect an external keyboard to a laptop, I’m gonna talk about them in detail down below.
How to connect wireless keyboard to laptops
These days wireless keyboards are more popular than ever and most people are using such keyboards as an alternative to the laptop keyboard. The best part about wireless keyboards is their portability and user-friendliness.
There are days you just don’t want to get up and stay curled up in your bed, that’s when this keyboard comes to play. You can lie down and keep pressing the buttons and see it magically pop up on the screen.
Depending on how you are going to connect the wireless keyboard, the procedures are a bit different. You can connect a wireless keyboard in a few ways. I have described the most common connecting procedures step by step, so you can figure out which one is more convenient for you.
Connecting Wireless Keyboard Using Bluetooth
Connecting wireless keyboards using Bluetooth is pretty easy and convenient since you don’t have to worry about connecting a USB dongle and there’s nothing to worry about losing it. This way there’s no chance you might drop it off while you’re commuting somewhere.
With a few clicks, you will be able to pair and connect the keyboard to your laptop very easily. The first thing you need to do is turn the keyboard on using the switch. And before doing that, make sure you have charged the keyboard properly and it is not low on battery. Now follow these given steps to establish the connection.
- Go to the Start menu by clicking the Windows key or click the Windows icon that you see on the laptop’s screen.
- Now, go to the setting.
- From the setting options, click the “Devices” option to move forward.
- After clicking the devices, it will take you to a new menu page and you will have a few options. From those click on “ Bluetooth and Other Devices”.
- Toggle on the Bluetooth switch to turn it on.
- Now click on the “ Add Bluetooth or other devices” which you will find on the very top.
- A new window will appear and show you three options named Bluetooth, docs, wireless display.
- Click the Bluetooth.
Once you have completed the procedure correctly, your laptop will start scanning for available Bluetooth devices. If you have kept your wireless keyboard on, it will appear on the screen, and you will be asked to pair the laptop with it.
When you click the “pair” option on the screen, your keyboard connects to the laptop. Then you have to test if the keyboard is working by pressing a few keys. However, if you don’t see the name of your keyboard after scanning, turn off the keyboard and turn it on again.
For some devices, you will need to enter a PIN code so that they can pair with one another. And, that’s it, your bluetooth keyboard is connected!
Connecting wireless keyboard using receiver
A different yet similar medium of connecting a wireless keyboard is by using a receiver. But you can’t use a receiver with any wireless keyboard. Some wireless keyboards are based on a different technology that’s more straightforward.
A wireless keyboard that is supposed to be connected by using a receiver comes with the following parts when you buy them.
- A wireless keyboard
- One wireless receiver, in some cases an extra receiver is given
- Necessary software (CD)
- Manual
Given that you have the aforementioned things in your hand, you can establish a connection between your laptop and the wireless keyboard using a receiver. Let’s see how.
- Put the unifying receiver that you got with the wireless keyboard inside any of the USB ports of your laptop.
- Turn your keyboard on and check if the battery is fully functional and in the case of a keyboard that comes with built-in batteries, check if they are fully charged.
- Now, look for a connect button on your wireless keyboard and press that. This button’s placement may vary depending on the keyboard model and company.
- After pressing the connect button, your keyboard will be ready for use. Type any keys and see whether it is working or not.
Often due to various unidentified reasons, the keyboard doesn’t work. In such cases here are a few things that you can do.
- Turn off and then turn the keyboard on again. In some cases, this resolves the problem.
- Check if the batteries in the keyboard are functional, if in doubt, change them.
- Double-check whether you have placed the receiver inside the USB port properly or not.
- Don’t place the keyboard too far away from the laptop. Often the keyboard is out of range and that’s why the problem occurs.
- Update the keyboard drivers by reinstalling them.
Connecting wireless keyboard without the receiver
Wireless keyboards often come with a USB dongle, also called a USB stick, that people tend to lose. In such cases, it’s hard to establish the connection and you will have to buy a new wireless keyboard.
But before that, here are a few ideas that you can try out, and who knows any of these might work out for you.
- If your wireless keyboard supports Bluetooth, you can connect it to the laptop even after losing the dongle. For that, you will simply have to follow the procedure mentioned for the Bluetooth connection.
- You can call the customer care number of your keyboard company and see if they can do anything about it. Some companies send a substitute dongle.
- By installing software and drivers, you can try to connect the keyboard without a receiver. The software will match the frequency of the keyboard and work as a receiver. But the keyboard company has to have such software in the first place.
However, don’t use them when you’re on a competitive gamemode, the response time lag could probably lose you a match.
How to connect USB keyboard to a laptop
USB keyboards are the easiest to connect. You simply have to put the cable of the keyboard in the USB port of your laptop. USB keyboards are also the cheapest keyboard out there. When the laptop keyboard is not usable anymore, most people use a USB keyboard instead of buying a new one. They’re portable, cheap and you can keep replacing them as long as the usb hub is not damaged.
Instead of a full size keyboard, they even come in mini sizes only containing the necessary keys, which I think is great for college students and office workers.
And most importantly, the installation and connecting process of the USB keyboard is simple, all you need to do is plug it in. Let’s look at the steps of the connecting procedure.
Step 1: Find Suitable USB Port
You will need to make sure that your laptop has at least one working USB port which you can use to connect the keyboard. Even if you are using a wireless keyboard, you will still be needing a USB port. Now the keyboard that you have chosen will have a USB cable attached to it. You will have to insert the end of the cable inside the USB port.
If your laptop does not have a working USB port, you won’t be able to use a USB keyboard. Thunderbolt port and Type C port can not be used for this purpose either. You’ll just have to replace your built in keyboard
Step 2: Connect Correctly
Now all you have to do is plug the cable inside the USB port of your laptop. Don’t force while inserting the cable, if it is not going inside, try flipping it so it fits the port. You don’t need to keep the laptop turned off while connecting the USB port.
If your laptop has both the USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, connect to the USB 2.0 port and keep the faster USB port for some other connection.
How to Solve The External keyboard not working problem
Even after doing everything you are supposed to do, your wireless keyboard still might not work. And in such a situation, if you are certain that it’s not a hardware problem then it’s surely a software problem. The first solution to such a problem is to restart your laptop and often it solves the problem.
But if it fails to resolve your problem, then follow this procedure.
- Go to the settings and look for the device manager.
- Click the device manager and look for keyboards.
- When you click on keyboards, your laptop will show you the devices it found under this category.
- If there’s only a “standard ps/2 keyboard”, that means your wireless keyboard is not being detected by the laptop.
- Repeat the connecting process again and observe if you see any new device under the keyboard section.
- And if you see your external keyboard’s name, but it is not actually working then click on the name and you will find an option named “ update drivers”
- Click on that and the drivers will update and fix all the existing problems and you should be able to write using your external keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
Can any keyboard work with any laptop?
Pretty much any keyboard works with any laptop as long as you are connecting them in the right way.
What is the difference between a keyboard and keypad?
While the keyboard is a large gadget and has all the needed keys, the keypad is tiny in size and it’s a board with few keys which are used to give inputs to machines.
Which is the best keyboard for a laptop?
Individual preferences determine which keyboard is best for laptops. While some prefer a more portable and compact design, there are some who are into the game and prefer a mechanical keyboard with sturdy finishing and RGB lights.
How much does a keyboard cost for a computer?
The high-quality keyboards might cost you around 150 dollars or above but you can get a normal keyboard well under 100 dollars. Around 50-60 dollars, you can get yourself a decent keyboard.
Is an external keyboard better than a laptop keyboard?
External keyboards are definitely better than laptop keyboards. Laptop keyboards are often very fragile and you can’t put much pressure on them, while on the other hand, external keyboards are more sturdy and can take almost any amount of pressure.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article was helpful and now you can connect any type of external keyboard to your laptop without any fuss. Now if any of your friends or family asks can you connect a keyboard to a laptop and whether or not you can help them, you’ll be able to lend a hand as well. Just follow the procedures I have mentioned and you will use the keyboard as soon as it’s connected.