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Fix: On-Screen Keyboard Not Working in Windows 10/11
Take a closer look at our quick solutions now
8 min. read
Updated onNovember 16, 2023
updated onNovember 16, 2023
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We have seen technology move towards mobile computing in the last few years.
Windows tablets have become more common, and the market is filled with these kinds of devices from top manufacturers and low-end ones.
Today, we will go through some methods of bringing up the Windows 10 On-Screen Keyboard in situations where it doesn’t come up automatically as it should.
What to do if the on-screen keyboard isn’t working on Windows 10?
Theon-screen keyboardcan be rather useful, but many users reported certain issues. Speaking of issues, these are some of the most common problems that users reported:
1. Change your settings
The first place to look for is theSettings panel. Click on theStart menuand selectSettings,or do a search for it and open it from there. Then head over toDevicesand selectTypingfrom the left side menu.
In the resulting window, ensure thatAutomatically show the touch keyboardin windowed apps when no keyboard isattached to your deviceis Enabled.
Some Windows 10 users have reported that even though this option was already activated, disabling it and then re-enabling solved the problem.
Make sure you also do areboot ofthe system before dismissing this solution as a possible fix.
2. Check if the on-screen keyboard is enabled
The On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10 can also be brought up from theSettingsmenu. Access it from theStart menuand select theEase of Accesscategory.
SelectKeyboardfrom the left side menu and enable it by switching onTurn on the On-Screen Keyboardoption.
3. Add the on-screen keyboard to the Taskbar
One of the best solutions for quickly accessing the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10 is adding a dedicated button in the Taskbar.
This can be achieved byright-clickingon thetaskbarand enablingShow touch keyboard button.
This will add a button next to the clock in the taskbar, which can be used for fast access to theOn-Screen Keyboard.
4. Start on-screen keyboard from the application list
The On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10 can also be accessed from theAll appslist. Scroll down to theWindows Ease of Accessfolder, expand it and selectOn-Screen Keyboard.
5. Create a new user account
If the on-screen keyboard isn’t working on your PC, the problem might be your user profile. Sometimes, a user profile can become corrupted, and that can cause this and many other errors to appear.
Profile corruption can occur for various reasons, and since there’s no way to repair your profile, the best solution would be to create a new one.
This is relatively simple, and if you need to create a new profile, you can do that by following these steps:
After creating a new user profile, switch to it and check if the problem still persists. If not, it means that the issue was caused by profile corruption.
As we already mentioned, there’s no way to repair the corrupted profile, so your only solution is to move your personal files to a new profile and start using it as your main one.
6. Check if the necessary services are running
Many users reported thaton-screen keyboardisn’t working on their PC. If you’re having this problem, the reason might be your services.
In order for theon-screen keyboardto work, you need to have certain services enabled.
To enable these services, just follow these steps:
For more ways to enable this service, visit our guide on how toenable Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel service.
After doing that, check if the problem is resolved. If the issue still persists, the cause might be dependent services.
Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel service depends on various services, and if those services aren’t running, you won’t be able to use theon-screen keyboard.
However, you can enable dependent services by doing the following:
After doing that, youron-screen keyboardshould start working again without any problems. Many users reported that this solution worked for them, so feel free to try it out.
7. Remove the problematic updates
Ifon-screen keyboardisn’t working, the problem might be a certainWindows update.
Windows 10tends to download updates automatically without your knowledge, and sometimes, a new update can cause certain issues to appear.
If you started having this problem recently, it’s rather likely that a Windows update caused the issue.
However, you can fix the problem simply by removing the update. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
Once you remove the update, check if the problem reappears. If not, the update caused the problem with youron-screen keyboard.
As we already mentioned,Windows 10tends to install updates automatically, and it will install the problematic update again on your PC.
To prevent this update from being installed, be sure to check our guide on how toblock automatic Windows updates.
8. Modify your registry
Another way to fixon-screen keyboardis to modify your registry. To do that, you need to start Registry Editor and make the following changes:
After making the changes, check if the problem with theon-screen keyboardis resolved. Remember that this solution works only with computers with touchscreen functionality.
If you can’t find the key fromStep 2, then this solution doesn’t apply to you.
9. Try using a third-party software
If theon-screen keyboardisn’t working on your PC, you might consider using a third-partyvirtual keyboardsoftware as a replacement.
In the past, we coveredthe best virtual keyboard software, and If youron-screen keyboardisn’t working, we encourage you to try one of these applications as a workaround.
You can switch to virtual keyboard software easily if you experience troubles with your physical or virtual keyboard. Also, in case you want to protect confidential data from keylogger threats.
More so, it is likely to choose from multiple layouts or styles that will customize your keyboard precisely how you need it.
I hope these solutions fix your problems with the Windows 10 on-screen keyboard or at least give you other options for accessing it quickly.
If you’re facing additional problems, please let us know in the comment section below.
More about the topics:Keyboard issues,tablet
Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.
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Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
