Windows users can work without a mouse, but not without a keyboard. You can end up with many issues while working on your computer; sometimes the monitors don’t work and other times keyboard and mouse. Many users complain about the keyboard typing wrong letters whenever they try typing something.
Well, this can be annoying when you want to finish an important presentation or documentation. You can use the on-screen keyboard until the problem is resolved. However, it is not feasible to type lengthy documents using on-screen keyboards. Nevertheless, you can troubleshoot the issues with the keyboard and resolve them conveniently without any technical expertise.
13 Solutions To Fix Keyboard Typing Wrong Letters
You can try out the solutions below to resolve the weird characters in keyboard issues. Also, you can use the mouse and digital keyboard to perform the solutions.
1. Run Keyboard Troubleshooter
Windows 10 inbuilt troubleshooters have made resolving issues pretty easy for its users. For example, you can use a keyboard troubleshooter to fix the keyboard typing wrong letters issue.
Press Windows key + I to open the “Settings” app and go to the “Update & Security” section.
Now, from the left panel, go to “Troubleshoot” and click on “Additional troubleshooters.”
On the next screen, search for “Keyboard” and click on it. Lastly, click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button.
Windows will run the troubleshooter and resolve the keyboard typing wrong letters issue for you.
2. Disable the Num Lock
If numbers are getting typed instead of letters and special characters, your num lock is probably enabled. And to type normally, you need to disable the num lock.
You can press the Function (Fn) key and Num Lock key simultaneously to disable the num lock on your computer.
However, if the Num Lock key is not present on your keyboard, press the Function key and Caps Lock key together to disable num lock.
Once the num lock is disabled, you can type freely without any errors or issues.
3. Reconnect Keyboard to Computer
Sometimes, a temporary glitch can result in the keyboard typing wrong letters and preventing you from typing correctly. In such a scenario, you can disconnect the keyboard from your computer, wait for some time, and reconnect it. This is possible only if you use an external keyboard; skip this fix if you use a laptop keyboard.
Before disconnecting the keyboard, shut down the computer. You can turn on the PC after connecting the keyboard back to it.
In the case of a wireless keyboard, remove the keyboard receiver and then reconnect it after a few minutes.
This will resolve temporary issues with keyboard drivers and PC.
4. Change the Language Settings
You can override the default input language to resolve the keyboard typing wrong letters issue. It is easy to do so via the Settings app. You can follow the detailed steps below to change the language settings and resolve the problem with the keyboard.
Open the “Settings” app and go to “Time & Language.”
In the Time & Language settings, go to “Language” from the left panel and click on “Keyboard.”
Now, select English (United States) – US from the drop-down menu under ‘ Override for default input method.’
However, if you use any other language on your PC, you can return to “Language” settings and click on “Add a language.”
You can now search for the language you want and install it. Now, follow the above steps again to Override for the default language and select your preferred language. However, make sure you don’t use the wrong language, as it will type wrong letters in such cases.
5. Update Windows Operating System
The outdated computer can be a cause of many issues. You can update your Windows PC to resolve the issue with the keyboard.
Go to Settings app ➜ Update & Security ➜ Windows Update and click on the “Check for updates” button.
Suppose any new updates are available for your PC; download and install them. After installing the latest updates, check if the keyboard is working properly without any issues or not.
6. Check for Viruses and Malware
The system infected with viruses and malware can act weirdly. You can scan for viruses and get rid of them to resolve keyboard typing wrong letters. The scan can be done using a third-party antivirus tool or the Windows Security feature. The steps below are with respect to Windows Security.
Step 1: Go to Settings app ➜ Update & Security ➜ Windows Security.
Step 2: Click on “Virus & threat protection.”
Step 3: Click on the “Scan options” link.
Step 4: Select “Full scan” and click on the “Scan now” button to begin the scan process.
Windows will scan your computer thoroughly and remove all the malware infections causing harm. You can reboot your computer after the scan and then check if the keyboard problem is resolved or not.
7. Check for Hardware Damages
If there are any hardware damages on your keyboard, there can be wrong character typing issues. You can check for any hardware damages on the keys that are typing incorrect characters.
Also, check if the cable connecting your keyboard to the PC is working correctly and has no signs of damage. If you are using a USB keyboard, check that the USB port is working properly and has no dust collected.
You can replace the cable and keyboard one by one to check the cause of the problem. Once you find the culprit, replace it with another one.
8. Switch between Keyboard Layouts
Simply switching the keyboard can help you resolve the keyboard typing wrong letters issue. Well, this is applicable only if you have multiple keyboard layouts. All you need to do is switch to another keyboard layout for some time and then come back to the one you are currently using.
To do so, click on the keyboard language shown on the taskbar and select another layout.
Wait for some time, and then select the keyboard layout you were using before. This will help you resolve the issues with the keyboard.
9. Update the Keyboard Driver
The outdated version of keyboard driver software can cause issues with the keyboard. You can update the driver with the latest version of stable and compatible driver software.
You can update device drivers manually via Device Manager or use third-party software like Driver Booster.
The keyboard drivers are available in Device Manager, under the Keyboards section. You can manually update the driver from there. Once the driver is updated, check if you can use the keyboard without any issues or errors.
10. Check Autocorrect Settings
If you are experiencing problems with the keyboard only in Microsoft Word, you need to check its autocorrect settings. Some words autocorrect on their own, leading to changes in the documents.
You can use your keyboard on Notepad or some other application to confirm if the issue is with only Word.
Once the issue is confirmed, open Microsoft Word on your computer and go to “File.” You now need to select “Options” and then go to “Proofing.”
Under Proofing, choose “Autocorrect Options.” Then check the list of all the words changed by autocorrect.
If you have any specific entries that convert some keys to other characters, you can delete them to avoid typing wrong characters.
11. Modify Language Settings via Registry Editor
If the keyboard is still typing the wrong letters, you can change its settings using the Registry Editor. We recommend backup the registry before making any changes. The backup will be helpful if something goes wrong while modifying it.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the “Run” window and type “regedit” there. Press the “Enter” key or click “OK” to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the below-mentioned path.
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\PreloadStep 3: Double-click on “1” DWORD to modify its Value data. You can change Value data as per the keyboard layout you prefer.
The common keyboards are mentioned below. If you are specifically looking for something else, you can find it in official Microsoft documentation.
00000409 – English (United States)
00000809 – English (United Kingdom)
00000407 – German (Germany)
00001009 – English (Canada)
Step 4: Click “OK” to save the changes and close the Registry Editor
You can reboot your computer after modifying the Registry Editor and check if this helps you fix the keyboard typing wrong characters issue.
12. Reinstall the Keyboard Drivers
You can uninstall the keyboard drivers and reinstall them to resolve the random letter from the keyboard issue. It is easy to reinstall the device drivers in Windows 10. You can uninstall the drivers from the Device Manager and reinstall them conveniently on your computer. This will resolve the temporary glitch in the device drivers if any.
13. Purchase a New Keyboard
If nothing from above is resolving the problem with the keyboard, it is time to treat yourself with a new one. You can buy a new keyboard of your choice, but make sure it is compatible with your system. The incompatible hardware devices cause more issues on Windows PCs.
Also, make sure you purchase a new keyboard from a trusted and authorized source. If you end up buying a duplicate device, it can malfunction, and you can lose your money. So, therefore, check the outlet before making a purchase.
Final Thoughts On Keyboard Typing Wrong Letters
Keyboard typing wrong letters can halt your work entirely as one can work without a mouse, but not without a keyboard. The digital or virtual keyboard is not a permanent solution in such scenarios. You need to resolve the issue with the hardware keyboard as soon as possible to work and operate your PC smoothly.
The above guide helps you with fixes to resolve the wrong keyboard character issues. You can perform all the fixes chronologically. If the issue is not that severe, the keyboard troubleshooter will resolve it for you. However, if there are hardware damages, you may need to purchase a new keyboard for your PC.
