A malfunctioning USB keyboard can be extremely frustrating, especially when the volume keys don’t work. Even more so in the era of Windows 11 and 10 – it affects both laptop keyboards and desktop peripherals! Volume control is essential for customizing sound levels during an event or presentation; if this critical capability isn’t working correctly, creating the perfect atmosphere you wanted becomes very difficult. This article will look at ways to fix keyboard volume keys not working on Windows 11/10.
Fix USB Keyboard Volume Keys Not Working on Windows 11/10
There can be numerous causes for volume keys to not work on your keyboard, each of which can have different fixes. Make sure you check out all of them to find out the right one for your issue. Here’s all that’s covered:
- Reinstall Keyboard Drivers
- Start HIDserv
- Try Another USB Port
- Check If Other Keys Are Functioning Properly
- Run Windows Keyboard Troubleshooter
Let’s now have a detailed look at all of these methods.
1] Reinstall Keyboard Drivers
Keyboard drivers can often get corrupted due to a conflicting software change or deletion of essential files. To overcome this issue, reinstalling the keyboard drivers is recommended. Here’s how to do it:
- Access the Device Manager by pressing the Windows key + X simultaneously, then select Device Manager from the menu that appears.
- Locate and expand the Keyboard category within Device Manager, right-click on your specific keyboard driver, and choose Uninstall from the context menu.
- To confirm your decision to uninstall the keyboard driver, click Uninstall once and again when prompted. It will uninstall the device along with the drivers.
- Next, restart your PC to detect the keyboard. Post that, download the driver from the OEM website and install it.
2] Start HIDserv
HIDserv is a Windows service responsible for designation and enabling hotkeys like volume keys, play and pause buttons, and others on the keyboard. Here’s how to start HIDserv:
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc to access the Windows Task Manager swiftly.
- Proceed by navigating to the Services tab within the Task Manager window.
- Look for a service called HIDserv, and take note of its current state.
- If it is stopped, right-click on HIDserv and choose Start from the context menu that appears.
- After completing these steps, test your volume keys to see if they function correctly.
3] Try Another USB Port
Occasionally, the problem may lie within the software rather than your system’s hardware components. In such cases, if an alternative functioning and compatible USB port are available on your computer, attempt connecting the keyboard to that particular port and observe whether it operates as expected. Should the issue persist even after trying a different port, this could indicate a malfunction within the USB interface.
You can also try plugging the keyboard into another system to verify its functionality. Suppose the keyboard performs without any issues when connected to a different device. In that case, it becomes more likely that your original computer’s USB port is experiencing some difficulty or failure.
4] Check If Other Keys Are Functioning Properly
It is common to encounter a situation where only specific keys on your keyboard cease functioning correctly. This issue particularly plagues membrane keyboards, which are more susceptible to such problems. Find that specific keys are unresponsive. It may be helpful to carefully remove them from the keyboard and thoroughly clean any dust or debris that has settled beneath those keys. By doing so, you can restore their functionality.
5] Run Windows Keyboard Troubleshooter
Windows troubleshooter is a handy utility that has been present on the operating system for a long time. Troubleshooters can be used to determine the root cause of hardware and software errors on your Windows computer and how to fix them. Here’s how to use Windows Troubleshooter to fix keyboard problems:
- Open Windows settings by pressing the Windows+I key.
- Now, open the system section from the left pane.
- In the system settings, look for the Troubleshooters option and open it.
- In Troubleshooters, click on the Other troubleshooters option.
- Now, scroll down to find the keyboards option. Click on the Run button next to it.
Now, this will identify the underlying issues with your keyboard and suggest possible fixes.
Conclusion:
This article discussed possible fixes for volume keys on the keyboard not working on Windows 11/10 PCs. The keyboard is one of your computer’s most important peripheral devices, and having it malfunction can hamper your work. Keep the peripheral devices up and running to avoid any issues. We hope you found the article to be insightful. Please make sure that you share it with everyone.
How Do I Enable the Volume Button on My Keyboard in Windows?
If you have dedicated volume buttons on your keyboard, and it’s not working, then there can be only a few reasons. You have not installed the keyboard driver, or it only works with Fn keys, or it could be a minor glitch that a PC restart should resolve. An easy way to fix this is to install the driver from the OEM website or unlock the FN key on your laptop.
Is There a Keyboard Lock Button?
Some OEMs offer dedicated keyboard lock buttons for some of their models. It is available for laptops and for external keyboards as well. Usually, they come with indicators, such as light, so you can quickly figure it out. In case you can not, check the user manual. Turning it on or off should help you fix the problem if it’s a glitch.
