How to Fix Windows Key not Working

How to Fix Windows Key not Working

Windows Key is one of the most important keys that you can find in your computer keyboard. It can be used to get most of the work done in day to day life.

In fact, the Windows Key can help you to save a lot of time because it can trigger some useful and effective shortcuts. However, you will come across certain situations where your Windows button would not work. In such a situation, you shouldn’t be worried too much.

That’s because you have the possibility to get the problem fixed on your own.

This issue could happen on any version of Microsoft Windows including Windows 10, Windows 8, 8.1 or Windows 7.

From this article, we will share some of the most prominent reasons on why your Windows key is not working along with the solutions that you should follow to get those problems fixed. Therefore, you will be able to receive impressive results.

Check if the problem is with hardware

Keyboard is one of the most fragile hardware components that you can find in your computer. Hence, there is a possibility for hardware issues to arise at any given time. During such a hardware issue, your windows key would not work.

Therefore, you will not be able to get any work done out of the windows button.

If you notice that your windows key is not working, you should initially pay your attention to this. You must check if all the other keys in the keyboard are working.

If you have a USB keyboard, you can attach it to another computer and see. If the problem is with the hardware key, you will need to go for a keyboard replacement.

Take a look at the start menu

If your physical hardware key is working fine, you need to take a look at the start menu. In fact, you need to check and see whether there is any possibility for you to access the start menu at all.

When you press the Windows button on the computer, start menu will open.

But if there is a problem with the start menu, it will not open even if you keep on pressing the windows key. Hence, you need to make sure that there is no problem with your start menu.

In order to resolve this problem, you can go ahead and enable the start menu. For this, you need to right click on the Windows logo icon that can be found in the taskbar. Then you need to pick Run from the dropdown menu that you see. You should then enter Regedit.

You must do that without quotes. As the next step, you should navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Now you must click on the right-hand side panel and click on it. You should then enter New and click on DWORD 32-bit value. Along with that, you can call it EnableXamlStartMenu.

Now you have enabled the start menu. Hence, you can exit from the registry and see whether it can deliver positive results to you.

Disable the gaming mode

People who use gaming keyboards often come across the problem where they notice that Windows button has stopped functioning. If you come across such a situation, you need to go ahead and disable the gaming mode on the computer.

This could be done through Start Menu > Settings > Gaming in Windows 10.

You need to take a look at the specific approach that you should follow to disable the gaming mode. In most of the instances, you can see a keyboard shortcut to do it.

You can simply do it to disable the gaming mode and see if you can get the Windows key to be responsive.

Use the Win Lock key

In some of the keyboards, you will be able to discover a special key, which has the ability to turn off the Windows key. You need to check and see if you have pressed this button accidentally on the computer or not.

If you have accidentally pressed the button on your keyboard, you will not be able to access the Windows key or the functionality offered by it. Therefore, you must double check and see if you have pressed the key.

Update the keyboard drivers

Last but not least, you need to think about updating your keyboard drivers. You should do this when your Windows key is not working along with the other keys in the keyboard as well. You can update the drivers by going to the Device Manager.

You can right click on the start menu and access device manager. Then you should navigate all the way to keyboard. You need to right click on it and then click on update driver. Then device manager will automatically search for drivers on the internet. Once drivers are discovered, your keyboard will be updated automatically and you will be able to use it.