[Solved] Dell Inspiron 15 Keyboard Not Working (Here’s the Fix!)

Dell Inspiron 15s are reliable laptops that pack a ton of value and features in the $300 to $500 range.

Despite the Inspiron 15 being fairly reliable, some Inspiron 15 laptops might exhibit keyboard errors and malfunctions. Worry not – we will walk you through some troubleshooting tips to fix your malfunctioning keyboard.

How Can I Fix My Dell Inspiron 15’s Keyboard Problems?

Driver errors, system updates, malware, and hardware issues can cause your Dell Inspiron 15’s keyboard to stop working.

If your Dell Inspiron 15’s is not working, here are a few troubleshooting methods that you can do to restore keyboard functionality.

Restart Your Laptop

If your laptop keyboard was working fine the other day yet suddenly stopped working just a while ago, a simple restart/reboot might do the trick.

For some reason, Windows sometimes fails to load the necessary drivers that touchpads and keyboards need to function. Restarting should reload all the required drivers and restore full functionality on your keyboard.

Clean Your Keyboard

Although a rare occurrence, debris, and other electrically conductive materials might be shorting out your keyboard from the inside, which could cause the keyboard to stop functioning altogether.

Try cleaning out your laptop’s keyboard by turning it upside down and giving it a few puffs of air. If you have a can of pressurized air laying around, the better.

Another method you can try is to use a small fine brush to brush away all the debris and dirt stuck within the crevasses of your laptop’s keyboard.

System Restore

If your Dell Inspiron 15 keyboard stopped working after a system update, a System Restore should bring your PC back to the last known working version.

Windows updates and other software patches can sometimes introduce driver conflicts in devices such as touchpads, USB Ports, and keyboards.

How to do a System Restore on Windows

1. Right-click on the Windows Start Button
2. Select System
3. Under the About section, scroll down and look for Advanced system settings under Related settings
4. Under the System Properties window, click on the System Protection tab
5. Click on System Restore
6. Select the Restore Point where your keyboard was known to be working

If a faulty update was causing your keyboard to stop working, then initiating a system restore to the last known working period should restore keyboard functionality.

Reinstall Dell Keyboard Drivers

If restarting, cleaning your keyboard, or doing a System Restore doesn’t work, you can try to reinstall your Dell keyboard drivers instead.

There are instances when keyboards suddenly stop working due to a corrupted keyboard driver. Reinstalling the Windows keyboard driver for your laptop’s keyboard should fix the problem.

How to reinstall Dell keyboard drivers

1. Right-click on the Windows Start Button
2. Left-click on Device Manager
3. Click on the Keyboards arrow to expand the menu
4. Right-click on HID Keyboard Device
5. Select Uninstall device
6. Do this for every item within the Keyboard menu
7. Next, click on the Action menu in the upper right corner
8. Select Scan for hardware changes

Windows should automatically reinstall all the necessary keyboard drivers through the method above.

If your keyboard still doesn’t work, try restarting your laptop, as driver changes often need a complete restart to function properly.

Manually Install Keyboard Drivers

In case the method above still doesn’t restore keyboard functionality, then another method you can try is to manually install the latest keyboard drivers for your laptop from the Dell website.

How to download and install keyboard drivers

1. Go to the Dell Drivers & Downloads page
2. Enter your Dell laptop’s Service Tag (found on the bottom side of your laptop)
3. Under the manually find a specific driver for your Inspiron 15 section click on Find drivers
4. In the drop-down menu, type in keyboard in the keyword text box
5. Select your operating system
6. Download and Install the latest keyboard drivers for your laptop

Turn Off the Use your device without a physical keyboard option

The ‘Use your device without a physical keyboard option’ might be switched to the ‘On’ position in the Accessibility menu. Switch it off to restore keyboard functionality in Windows.

How to turn off ‘Use your device without a physical keyboard option

1. Right-click on the Windows Start Button
2. Click on ‘Settings’
3. In the Settings window, click on Ease of Access
4. On the left menu pane, scroll down until you find the Keyboard section under the Interaction section
5. Switch the Use your device without a physical keyboard option to Off

Turn Off Filter Keys

If Filter Keys is malfunctioning or bugging out, Windows might start ignoring all keypresses from registering within Windows altogether.

Windows Filter Keys is a built-in Windows functionality that ignores repeated keypresses from registering within Windows, this could cause your keyboard to stop working properly if left turned on.

How to turn off Filter Keys

1. Right-click on the Windows Start Button
2. Click on Settings
3. In the Settings window, click on Ease of Access
4. On the left menu pane, scroll down until you find the Keyboard section under Interaction
5. Scroll down to the Use Filter Keys section
6. Turn the slider to Off

If you have reached this section of the article and your Dell Inspiron 15 keyboard still doesn’t work, then we can try some more advanced methods to try and restore keyboard functionality on your laptop.

Rule Out The Possibility of a Hardware Issue

Your laptop keyboard should start working as soon you press the power button on the laptop.

One way to check if your keyboard is experiencing a hardware failure is by accessing the BIOS on your laptop upon startup.

How to access the BIOS on the Dell Inspiron 15

1. Turn on (or restart) your laptop
2. Wait for the DELL logo to appear
3. Immediately press the F2 button when the F2 prompt appears

If you are unable to enter the BIOS or if the F2 prompt does not appear, then your Dell Inspiron 15 keyboard issue is most likely hardware-related, as the F2 prompt will not appear if your laptop was unable to detect a keyboard.

Move on to the next section to try and troubleshoot the keyboard hardware issue.

Disassemble The Laptop and Check All Keyboard Connectors

Disassembling your laptop and checking for disconnected or damaged connectors is the last thing you can do by yourself before you ultimately have to take your laptop to a service center.

If all the above methods fail, this is one last method you can try to fix your laptop’s non-working keyboard.

Warning: Do not attempt this if your laptop is still under warranty as this method will void your laptop’s warranty. Take your laptop to the nearest Dell service center for repairs if it is still under warranty.

How to disassemble Dell Inspiron 15

1. Look up teardown videos for your specific Inspiron 15 model. (check the bottom of your laptop for the model number)
2. Follow the instructions carefully.
3. Once you have access to your keyboard connectors, try to take the ribbon cable and wipe it down with a paper towel
4. Carefully blow air into the keyboard connector port to dislodge dust and debris
5. While the laptop is still disassembled, carefully blow air around the laptop’s mainboard and other components to remove any built-up dirt and debris
6. Reinstall your laptop keyboard’s ribbon connector
7. Reassemble your laptop

Hopefully, your Dell Inspiron 15 laptop’s keyboard should be working by now. If your keyboard still won’t work, then it might be best to just bring your laptop to a trusted laptop service center for repairs.

Is it worth repairing the Dell Inspiron 15?

Depending on how old your Dell Inspiron 15 is, it might not be worth going through all the trouble to have it fixed by a third-party service center.

The Dell Inspiron 15 is an entry-level laptop, which means that Dell had to compromise on materials and components somehow to keep the retail price down.

If you happen to know somebody who can source and replace the keyboard assembly for you for a small fee, then lucky you. However, if you’re going through a reputable service center to have your keyboard fixed, then prepare to pay a hefty sum to have your laptop fixed.

Most of the time, repairing entry-level gear and electronics such as the Dell Inspiron 15 will end up costing almost as much as the laptop itself when new. In most cases, just shelling out for a completely new model would be the best option.

Sources:

Cuevas, Z. (2021, November). Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) Review. PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-inspiron-15-3000-3511

Wawro, A. (2022, May). The best laptops under $500 in 2022. Tom’s Guide.https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-laptops-under-500