Imagine that you’re just about to go on your usual workday, and then, suddenly, your keyboard starts typing on its own. And it starts pressing random keys without your intervention. You’ve just encountered an issue called keyboard auto-typing.
Keyboard auto-typing frustrates users as it interferes with accomplishing their tasks. It’s as if your keyboard has a mind of its own and has just gone crazy. Whether you are in the middle of a chat or a meeting, it’s a struggle to control it.
But, fortunately, there are various ways to fix the keyboard auto-typing issue. And in this guide, we’ve listed down several troubleshooting techniques that you can perform to help you solve it.
Keyboard Auto-Typing
Like any other device, keyboards are prone to malfunction at times. This occurs especially when you’ve been using the same keyboard for a long time.
There are plentitude of reasons why a keyboard auto-typing issue occurs, and we’ve listed them down:
- Hardware issues
- OS-relevant issues
- Driver issues
- Keyboard settings issues
- Keyboard bugs
- Malware issues
Let’s now proceed with the various troubleshooting techniques to perform.
Perform a Hardware Check
So, first things first. Since the keyboard is an external component of the whole PC, we should first check the keyboard itself.
Listed below are tips that will aid you upon checking your keyboard:
- The keyboard is uniquely designed with several keys. As time passes, it accumulates dirt and particles that may cause issues like auto-typing. Make sure to clean your keyboard using a small brush or a blower to dust off debris or small particles settling in between your keys.
- If you are using a silicone cover for your keyboard, ensure that the silicone cover is sticking properly on your keyboard, preventing dirt from entering. If you have a worn-out silicone cover, then it’s time to replace it with a new one to ensure protection.
- Disconnect and then reconnect your keyboard. A keyboard may malfunction when it’s not connected properly to the CPU.
- Scrutinize the keyboard itself and its cables. Ensure that cables are not damaged.
- Check the other connecting ports and cables. Clean and dust off using a brush or a blower, if possible.
Related: How to Remove Keyboard Layouts on Windows 11
Check Your Keyboard Using a Keyboard Tester Website
When encountering a keyboard auto-typing issue, oftentimes, your keyboard randomly and consistently presses a specific key. For example, your keyboard auto-types the letter A, appearing as AAAAAA in any text field. This can happen due to dirt or particles between your keys.
To rule out if this is really the issue, look for a reliable keyboard tester website on the Internet, or you can simply click this link to proceed with the troubleshooting process.
Wait for the website to load.
After that, click the “Launch the Tester” button to start.
The keyboard tester will launch.
As you can see on the image below, no keys are currently being pressed.
Now, let’s try pressing random keys to see the difference.
Located in the text box are the keys that were pressed. A green indicator will notify you of the keys that were pressed.
Using a keyboard tester website lets you know immediately if your keyboard is malfunctioning due to specific keys that are currently being pressed.
Disable Sticky Keys
First in the list of software-related troubleshooting methods is disabling the sticky keys.
Sticky Keys is a Windows accessibility feature that helps users who have physical disabilities. It works by allowing modifier keys, such as ctrl and shift, to remain active without constantly pressing them.
It is an excellent feature that aids users when pressing shortcut key combinations. However, sometimes, it causes the keyboard auto-typing issue.
So, if you are using Sticky Keys, then it’s time to temporarily disable them to see if this causes the problem.
Start by going to the Control Panel > Ease of Access.
In the Ease of Access window, select “Change how your keyboard works” among the options.
Ensure that you unchecked all the boxes under the “Make it easier to type” to disable features, including the Sticky Keys.
Once done, just click the “Apply” button and see if the issue has been fixed.
Use a Different External Keyboard
Whether you are a desktop or a laptop user, this method will work swiftly.
If you have an extra keyboard, try disconnecting your current keyboard, and then, connect the extra one.
If the keyboard auto-typing issue has been resolved, then the issue lies on the external keyboard itself.
After all, you wouldn’t want this issue to interfere too much with your day.
Related: The 10 Pros and Cons of Using an External Keyboard
Update Your Keyboard Driver
As discussed at the beginning of this article, one possible reason for the keyboard auto-typing issue lies in OS-related problems. If your keyboard is auto-typing, it may be caused by outdated keyboard drivers. Updating the keyboard driver will help you solve the problem.
To update your keyboard driver, first, open the Device Manager by typing it on the search bar.
Select “Keyboards”, and then, click the arrow to expand.
After that, select the keyboard that you want to update.
And then, double-click for keyboard device properties to be displayed.
Now that you’re in the HID Keyboard Device Properties window, select “Driver” among the categories.
Next, select “Update Driver”.
After that, follow the instructions on how to update drivers to proceed.
Once done, check if the keyboard auto-typing issue has been fixed.
Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter
The Keyboard Troubleshooter is a program that checks all your keyboard settings. You can also see if all the settings are working properly and are set at its default values.
To run the Keyboard Troubleshooter, start by typing “Find and fix keyboard problems” on the search bar.
Launch the program that’s located in the Control Panel.
A dialog box will appear.
Click “Next”.
Wait for a few minutes while Windows diagnoses the keyboard problems.
Follow the steps if ever there are issues encountered.
On the other hand, once the troubleshooting process is done and there are no issues found, another dialog box will appear.
Just click the “Close” button to exit.
Install Windows Updates
Installing Windows updates prevents your computer from encountering glitches and issues, such as the keyboard auto-typing issue.
To check and install Windows updates, start by opening the Settings app, and then, select “Windows Update”.
In the Windows Update tab, click the “Check for updates” button located on the right side.
Windows will prompt you to check if there are any available updates to be installed.
Wait for a few seconds while Windows checks for any available updates.
Install available updates, if any.
If your system is up-to-date, Windows will notify you after completing the process.
Related: How to Uninstall Updates on Windows 11
Scan for Malware
Malware causes the system or even external devices to malfunction.
To ensure that your keyboard auto-typing issue is not caused by a malware attacking your PC, you must ensure to perform a malware scan.
To scan for malware, start by typing “Windows Security” on the search bar.
Click “Open”.
Now, in the Windows Security tab, choose “Virus & threat protection”.
Click the “Quick Scan” button.
Wait for Windows to finish the process. This will take a few minutes.
Make sure to address any malware-related issues, if any.
Encountering a keyboard auto-typing issue is troublesome. It gets in the way of accomplishing your tasks. But with the list of the various fixes that we have tackled, hopefully, you were able to resolve the issue.
