Question Keyboard stops working after being plugged in/out a few times, requires PC restart to fix it ?

[cear]

Not really sure what's going on, but for context I recently got a new 60% keyboard for some games/majority use on my pc, I use it for basically everything but I have a few games that I play that I need to use arrow keys in, so I kept my old 100% keyboard for those games and swap to it when needed.

The problem arises after a few swaps of my keyboards, for some reason they just both stop working, as in Windows just isn't letting them type? I've checked device manager and I see both keyboards being registered so it's not like they stop being detected, all of their keys work that involve keyboard hardware functions, such as changing colors of the LEDs or even using the volume switch, but I cant type, cant alt tab, cant hit esc, basically everything else.

Only way to fix this is to fully restart my computer, and then they work fine and after a few swaps, it's all over again. It's just getting kind of annoying at this point as I have 0 clue what's happening, every driver has been updated and they show up completely fine with no errors pretty much everywhere, but just can't type, I've also tried just unplugging/swapping them a lot in BIOS and they work completely fine there and never stop working.

 

[Colif]

Parallel, simultaneous use of multiple input devices on one computer is technically possible, but not widely supported because there is lack of demand. It would require extra software developer time to design, test, and maintain such a feature. Most software companies, including Microsoft, choose to devote developers' time to other features that are more in demand.


However, some companies decide it is worth putting in the extra effort. Mouse Party is an example of software that supports up to 9 mice pointers simultaneously on one computer:

No OS that I know of supports two independent cursors, or keyboard inputs to the same session.
Microsoft does however support two (or more) different users sessions on one PC. It's called Windows Multipoint and is aimed at medical and educational situations, but could work anywhere really. This allows a PC to have two keyboards, mice, and screens at the same time; and the sessions on the screens are independent.
HP makes a MS 6000 desktop that does this, and T100 modules to plugin additional stations. You can add quite a few additional stations if the workload is very light.
X can already do this sort of thing by setting up two different X servers with different configurations (for the screen, keyboard, and mouse).

Why can't I use two or more keyboards/mice at the same time on one computer?

This is just a question of curiosity. Why cannot I use two keyboards at the same time in Windows? For example, typing in Notepad using 2 keyboards in real parallel mode. Is there any multitaskin...

superuser.com

You need a KVM - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVM_switch

 

[cear]

Why can't I use two or more keyboards/mice at the same time on one computer?

This is just a question of curiosity. Why cannot I use two keyboards at the same time in Windows? For example, typing in Notepad using 2 keyboards in real parallel mode. Is there any multitaskin...

superuser.com

I'm not trying to use two keyboards at the same time, it's a single cord that I unplug from the keyboard and then swap between the two, but even if I didn't swap, and just unplugged and re-plugged the exact same keyboard in and out, it would still stop working randomly.

 

[Colif]

its obviously confusing windows as it sees them both being same keyboard

have you heard of Interception drivers?

I'd like to suggest my solution. I recently became aware that my PC had this problem when unplugging devices such as mice, keyboard, and my Steam controllers. Since I've lately started to regularly unplug my controllers this had become an issue, I assume I had this problem for a long time without noticing.

No thread I found about this problem was marked as resolved so I had to investigate myself.

For me it was the interception driver. It's used by programs such as Povohat's mouse acceleration driver and djlastnight's Gaming Keyboard Splitter, both of which I used in the past. (Apparently there is now a version of the mouse acceleration driver that doesn't depend on the interception driver.)

If you have the interception driver installed, try uninstalling and see if that resolves the issue. If you need that driver then unfortunately you'll have to live with unplugging not working properly.

link

I can assume you don't hold all the keys down when you unplug it - https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb...nnecting-d6370de2-7854-f653-fa27-a0244fd8787e

One answer I saw was to repair install windows but that might be the final choice... not now.

 

[Hootyawn]

Not really sure what's going on, but for context I recently got a new 60% keyboard for some games/majority use on my pc, I use it for basically everything but I have a few games that I play that I need to use arrow keys in, so I kept my old 100% keyboard for those games and swap to it when needed.

The problem arises after a few swaps of my keyboards, for some reason they just both stop working, as in Windows just isn't letting them type? I've checked device manager and I see both keyboards being registered so it's not like they stop being detected, all of their keys work that involve keyboard hardware functions, such as changing colors of the LEDs or even using the volume switch, but I cant type, cant alt tab, cant hit esc, basically everything else.

Only way to fix this is to fully restart my computer, and then they work fine and after a few swaps, it's all over again. It's just getting kind of annoying at this point as I have 0 clue what's happening, every driver has been updated and they show up completely fine with no errors pretty much everywhere, but just can't type, I've also tried just unplugging/swapping them a lot in BIOS and they work completely fine there and never stop working.

This is up here for anyone having this problem in the future.
I had this bizzare problem withe keys like K G L H not working randomally on two different keyboards..
I tried reinstalling drivers, Updating, driver manager tricks, Repair kits and workarounds tricks.. nothing worked.

After all that i gave up and tried not to game much and use my on screen computer for regular use. This kept going for over a year.

4 days ago I routinely cleaned my desk and i was too lazy too unhook my keyboard and just slid it to the left end of the table..

To my surprize i accidently clicked one of the keys that does not work and by random chance the cursor was on search engine waiting for input prompt..
The letter G was suddenly working.

Without moving the keyboard i enter ther rest of the keys that historically did not work. Worked an i was buffled it was a bizzare solution to a bizzare problem.

Turn out my table was not leveled to 90° complete degrees, I would never think keyboards has a level feature that mess with it's operation.

I'm still not sure its 100 precent the solution, but so far i didn't move thekeyboard and it's still working.
Such a weird problem.

 

[Colif]

That is strange, so your keyboard not being level on the table was enough to stop 4 keys working? If not being level was a reason for keys to stop working, i would have it all the time as I don't use a table, I lean keyboard on my lap instead. Its never been used on a table since I got it. Its rarely level.

were both keyboards the same brand?

Sure they didn't just have dirt under them and moving keyboard dislodged it? Its possible, i used to get hair and stuff in my last keyboard... I expect it will happen on current one too, its just not old enough yet.

I would have tried to remove keycaps to see if they dirty instead of just ignoring 4 keys that didn't work. I had problems with the qwer keys on my last keyboard. I have had broken keys before but its not been in every keyboard.

 

[Hootyawn]

That is strange, so your keyboard not being level on the table was enough to stop 4 keys working? If not being level was a reason for keys to stop working, i would have it all the time as I don't use a table, I lean keyboard on my lap instead. Its never been used on a table since I got it. Its rarely level.

were both keyboards the same brand?

Sure they didn't just have dirt under them and moving keyboard dislodged it? Its possible, i used to get hair and stuff in my last keyboard... I expect it will happen on current one too, its just not old enough yet.

I would have tried to remove keycaps to see if they dirty instead of just ignoring 4 keys that didn't work. I had problems with the qwer keys on my last keyboard. I have had broken keys before but its not been in every keyboard.

The chances two keyboards
disfunction due to dirt faulting the same keys is very low.

I had the first dragon keyboard very cheap
Keyboard but new, Same keys stopped working- Since it was cheap I opened it 4 times in a raw within a month.
Nothing burnt or twisted the plastic/silicon layer was clean
And no particles found.

The next keyboard Razr Cynosa Light which i'm using now inherited the same problem.. nothing could fix it again.

It's really weird but it only worked when the keyboard was not on the center parallel to the screen, I don't know what else to word that, and(my table sinks in the middle)

the solution is so stupid that I am not proud of it. not 100 sure it is the leveling as I written before, but moving the keyboard elsewhere worked for ME. probably something a technician of keyboards might explain if they tested this at factory, as he knows exactly how they work.

Again not sure it was the leveling, I just don't havr any logic explaintion to why my keyboard magically and very accidentally works.

 

[Colif]

its very strange. I do agree 2 keyboards having same problem is unlikely, it was just a thought. Its not completely improbable.

Red Dragon keyboard? they aren't amazing. Company doesn't support them very long after made, I have helped people trying to find rgb software that works with them.. but anyway.

other possible cause is windows. I guess same computer involved. Might have been some other program to blame and you randomly fixed it... keyboards can do weird things.

I can't find anything about having keys on an angle. I am prepared to be wrong about this

 

[Hootyawn]

its very strange. I do agree 2 keyboards having same problem is unlikely, it was just a thought. Its not completely improbable.

Red Dragon keyboard? they aren't amazing. Company doesn't support them very long after made, I have helped people trying to find rgb software that works with them.. but anyway.

other possible cause is windows. I guess same computer involved. Might have been some other program to blame and you randomly fixed it... keyboards can do weird things.

I can't find anything about having keys on an angle. I am prepared to be wrong about this

Dragon was cheap but solid and build quality is crazy for the price. It's not sturdy but the chances for mechanical problems are slim. The unit is well built and almost unpenetratable.

Save for factory resetting windows I tried every possible angle, mechanical, and software wise that i could find on the web, nothing helped. Then, I left it brokn as therr was no use to buy a nee keyboard,
I reloaded a backup restore point when the keyboard was ok, didn't work.

I refuse to believe it's Windows related since it works now, And i didnt install or deleted any program on my computer,
The keyboard had random periods that it could work sometimes and sometimes wont. Also the fact that i just moved the Keyboard which is the prime reason it worked.

like playing with old Tvs' antena placement for better view on your screen-Almost like it depends on sheer Iuck.

 

[Colif]

Did it fix the problem with the Red Dragon?
Have you tried?
Just curious. It should still be broken if it is the table to blame. I assume it's not on the table still. If it fixed it, and keyboard wasn't on table, how does that work?

 

[Hootyawn]

Did it fix the problem with the Red Dragon?
Have you tried?
Just curious. It should still be broken if it is the table to blame. I assume it's not on the table still. If it fixed it, and keyboard wasn't on table, how does that work?

No, i didn't try it with the Red Dragon but i do remember it goes Off and On for no apparent reason,
I had no other keyboard to test so unfortunatly i threw the red Dragon in to the the trash and bought the Cynosa just to face te same problem Day One..
I do agree about that it can't be the table, But I'm lost pointing out the real cause..