Problems Solved
Are W10 updates affecting my laptop?
Q
At times my laptop keyboard just stops responding, but works again when I restart the machine. In addition, sometimes the mouse pointer also freezes, and my Wi-fi disconnects. Could all this be caused by a Windows 10 update? If so, how can I correct it? Oh, and my keyboard also clicks as I type. How can I stop this? I love your magazine and it helps me with regular insights on the use of many apps. Jack Blignaut
A
If all has previously been well then, yes, it’s possible that a Windows 10 update could’ve inadvertently caused these problems. Generally, such quirks are ironed out over time but you can steal a march on Microsoft’s roll-out schedule and your laptop manufacturer’s machinations by forcing a check for new drivers.
To do this, first launch Device Manager by pressing Windows key+r, typing devmgmt.msc (see screenshot 1 ) and pressing Enter. Next, click to expand the Keyboards setting, rightclick the entry representing your keyboard and then choose ‘Update driver’ (see screenshot 2 ), followed by ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ (see screenshot 3 ).
Now just follow the prompts. Repeat this for the trackpad and/or mouse drivers, and the Wi-fi adapter.
If there are no new drivers found then, realistically, there’s not a whole lot you can do except hope that the next Windows 10 update rectifies matters. Regardless, we’d keep a close eye on the manufacturer’s support page for your particular laptop model, to see if the symptoms you describe are known problems.
Alternatively, it’s possible that there’s some kind of underlying hardware problem. For example, heat dissipated by the processor could be warming up parts of the keyboard or trackpad components, causing them to warp a little and thus fail in some way – a classic ‘heat fault’. This might manifest itself as an inability to type or move the mouse pointer.
A reboot might provide just enough time for the parts to cool sufficiently for the problem to disappear, until the processor and other busy components warm up again, causing a recurrence. If this sounds likely then you’ll need to contact the laptop’s maker for service options, as there’s really nothing practical you can do to repair such faults yourself.
As for the keyboard clicks, those could have a couple of possible causes. If your laptop has a touchscreen and you’re using the touch keyboard, then click Start followed by the Settings cog and then Devices. Next, on the left, click Typing and then, on the right, under ‘Touch keyboard’, click to flip the ‘Play key sounds as I type’ switch to its Off position.
The other possibility is that you’ve somehow activated a similar option that’s hidden away in Windows’ accessibility features. To disable it, first click Start, then type control panel, then click Control Panel. Now click ‘Ease of Access’ followed by ‘Change how your keyboard works’. Next, scroll down to the ‘Make it easier to type’ heading and, below that, click the ‘Set up Filter Keys’ link. Finally, scroll to the bottom and, under ‘Other settings’, click to clear the tick from the box labelled ‘Beep when keys are pressed or accepted’ (see screenshot 4 ), and then click OK.