While a laptop’s keyboard is generally reliable, there might be situations where it malfunctions due to hardware problems and results in issues such as ghost typing. If you are ever in a situation where you need to disable a laptop keyboard, this tutorial shows you two methods to achieve that on Windows 10. Let’s get started.
Note: Unplug any external keyboard before proceeding.
Use Device Manager to Disable Laptop Keyboard
First, right-click on the Windows logo on the taskbar or press Windows key + X and choose Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, expand the Keyboards section, right-click on the keyboard device, and choose Disable Device.
That’s it. You’ve disabled the laptop keyboard. If there is no Disable Device option, follow the next method.
Disable laptop keyboard Using Group Policy
If there is no Disable Device option, the other way to get rid of the laptop keyboard is by stopping Windows 10 from installing the keyboard driver. You can do this using the Group Policy Editor. Without a driver, your laptop keyboard will not work and stays disabled. Here’s how to do it:
First, we need to find the laptop keyboard’s hardware ID and then add it to Group Policy so that Windows doesn’t re-install or update the driver automatically. To start off, press Windows key + X and select Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, expand the Keyboards section, right-click on your keyboard, and select Properties.
In the Properties window, go to the Details tab and select Hardware Ids from the Property dropdown menu. Next, right-click on the first ID in the Value section and select the Copy option. After copying, close the Properties window.
Now, press the Windows key + R shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Device Installation -> Device Installation Restrictions folder. Here, find and double-click on the Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device instance IDs policy.
In the policy properties window, select the Enabled option. Next, click the Show button under the Options section.
Double-click on the empty field and press Ctrl + V to paste the Hardware ID you copied earlier. Click OK.
Press the Apply and OK buttons in the policy properties window and close the Group Policy Editor.
After closing the Group Policy window, press Windows key + X and choose Device Manager. Expand the Keyboard section, right-click on the keyboard device, and select Uninstall device.
Windows will ask for confirmation. Click the Uninstall button.
After uninstalling the keyboard driver, click Yes to restart your computer.
That is it. With that, you have disabled the laptop keyboard.
Enable the Laptop Keyboard and Get It Back to a Working State
To enable the laptop keyboard and get it back to a working state, open the Device Manager, right-click on your keyboard, and select Enable Device. If you’ve followed the Group Policy method, disable the Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device instance IDs policy and restart the system. After restarting, Windows will automatically install the keyboard driver and enable it back.
And there you have it! It’s that simple to disable your laptop keyboard on Windows 10.
