Virus Attack: Keyboard Not Working

TL;DR

Your keyboard isn’t working properly because a virus has likely infected your system. This guide will help you remove the virus and get your keyboard back to normal. We’ll cover scanning with antivirus, using safe mode, checking for keyloggers, and potential hardware issues.

1. Disconnect from the Internet

Immediately disconnect your computer from the internet (Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable). This prevents the virus from spreading further or sending your data to attackers.

2. Run a Full Antivirus Scan

1. Update Your Antivirus: Make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date. Most antivirus programs have an ‘Update’ button in their settings.
2. Perform a Full System Scan: Start a full scan of your entire computer. This can take several hours, so be patient.
3. Quarantine or Remove Threats: Follow the instructions provided by your antivirus software to quarantine or remove any detected threats.

If you don’t have antivirus software, consider installing a reputable free option like Windows Defender (built-in on Windows 10/11) or Avast Free Antivirus.

3. Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode starts your computer with only essential drivers and services running. This can help you remove the virus if it’s preventing normal operation.

1. Windows 10/11: Press and hold the Shift key while clicking ‘Restart’ from the Start menu or sign-in screen. Then, navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. After restarting, press the number key corresponding to ‘Enable Safe Mode with Networking’.
2. Older Windows Versions: Repeatedly press F8 during startup (before the Windows logo appears). Choose ‘Safe Mode’ from the boot menu.

Once in Safe Mode, repeat step 2 (run a full antivirus scan).

4. Check for Keyloggers

Keyloggers record your keystrokes and can be hidden by viruses. Use a dedicated keylogger scanner.

• Malwarebytes Anti-Keylogger: Download and run Malwarebytes (free version is sufficient) to scan for keyloggers.

malwarebytes --scan

5. Use a Virus Removal Tool

If your antivirus isn’t finding anything, try a dedicated virus removal tool.

• HitmanPro: Download and run HitmanPro (trial version available). It scans for advanced threats that other tools might miss.

6. Check Task Manager for Suspicious Processes

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Look for processes with unusual names or high CPU/memory usage.
3. Right-click on any suspicious process and select ‘Open file location’. If the location is unknown, search online for information about the process before taking action. Be careful not to end critical system processes!

7. Reset Your Web Browsers

Viruses often modify browser settings. Resetting your browsers can restore them to their default state.

• Chrome: Settings > Reset and clean up > Restore settings to their original defaults
• Firefox: Help > Troubleshooting Information > Refresh Firefox
• Edge: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values

8. Consider a System Restore (If Available)

System Restore can revert your computer to a previous state before the infection occurred. This will only work if you had System Restore enabled beforehand and have restore points available.

1. Search for ‘Create a restore point’ in Windows search bar.
2. Click ‘System Restore’.
3. Choose a restore point from before the date of the infection.

9. Hardware Check (If Problems Persist)

If the keyboard still isn’t working correctly after removing the virus, there might be a hardware issue.

• Try a Different Keyboard: Connect a different keyboard to your computer to see if it works.
• Check USB Connection: If using a USB keyboard, try a different USB port.