A slow keyboard can drive you crazy, especially when doing something important. If you are fed up of struggling with the keyboard, try these 9 methods to fix frozen Windows 10/11 keyboard.
Change keyboard properties
Changing some keyboard properties can help resolve input lag. Here's all you need to do:
- Press the key Win + Renter “control keyboard” into the text field of the dialog box Run and press Enter.
- There will be two options in the section Character Delay. Repeat delay Adjusts the delay between when you hold down a key and the start of repeating the key's output. Repeat rate allows you to adjust the rate at which this output repeats.
- Shorten Repeat delay and increase Repeat rate to eliminate input lag. Experiment with faster levels of response.
- Click OK to save and exit.

Update or reinstall the keyboard driver
Drivers tell your PC how to handle external hardware like your keyboard. If your keyboard driver is out of date, your computer will have difficulty communicating with the hardware and may cause keyboard input lag.
There are several ways to find and replace outdated Windows drivers. Here's how to update or reinstall your keyboard driver using Device Manager:
- Press the key Winenter Device Manager and press Enter.
- Right click on the keyboard driver and select Update drivers from the context menu.
- Click Search automatically for drivers. If the system has an available update, the system will notify you and you can proceed with the installation.
- If not, you can choose Search for updated drivers on Windows Update and install the updated version if available.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest driver version from the manufacturer's website. Then, follow these steps:
- Repeat steps 1-3 above and select Browse my computer for drivers.
- Locate and select the updated version you just downloaded and installed.
Disable Filter Keys
Filter Keys is an accessibility feature that instructs Windows to ignore short or repeated keystrokes. This could be the reason your keyboard is slow. You can fix it by turning off Filter Keys in keyboard settings.
- Open Settings by searching “settings” in the Start menu.
- Select Ease of Access and scroll down to the section Keyboard from the right pane.
- Click Keyboard and find Use Filter Keys.
- Below this heading you will find the toggle button. If this button is enabled, turn it off and close the Settings app.

If you're running Windows 11, you'll find the option to turn off Filter Keys in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Filter Keys.

Then try typing something into a text editor and see if it's still slow.
Turn off background programs
Sometimes, multiple background programs can cause the keyboard to respond slowly. So, close all unwanted programs in the background from the system tray or use Task Manager to end processes that you don't currently need.
Game Mode in Windows can also help you limit any notorious background processes while gaming. This mode has a history of causing input lag on Windows PCs, so you should disable it, especially when not gaming.

Access Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and turn off the toggle.
Check the keyboard in Safe Mode
Safe Mode runs Windows with minimal drivers and services and is a great way to isolate hardware problems. If the keyboard works fine in Safe Mode, you must reinstall the keyboard driver from the manufacturer's website. Follow these steps to boot into Safe Mode.
Use Windows Keyboard Troubleshooter
Luckily, Windows comes with some great built-in troubleshooting tools. Whether you're experiencing input lag or your keyboard isn't working, Keyboard Troubleshooter can provide you with a solution. Here's how to use it:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- You will now see a list of suggested troubleshooters. If not, just click Additional troubleshooters and find Keyboard. Click on it and select Run the troubleshooter.

If you're running Windows 11, you'll find the Keyboard Troubleshooter inside Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooter > Keyboard.

The troubleshooter will look for potential problems. If you find an issue that needs fixing, go ahead and follow the instructions. Unfortunately, Microsoft plans to discontinue the Keyboard Troubleshooter this year, and the feature is now gradually unavailable on more recent versions of Windows 11.
Perform wireless keyboard-specific fixes
The above methods apply to keyboards in general. However, some problems only occur with wireless keyboards. If your keyboard is wireless, try these fixes.
Replace the battery
Start by ruling out the possibility of lag due to a dead battery. To do this, replace the battery or fully charge the keyboard. If this doesn't fix the problem, try the next solution.
Check the connection
Start by trying to sync the keyboard with the USB receiver again. If this doesn't work, plug the USB receiver into another USB port on your computer if the current port doesn't have enough power. If possible, try placing the keyboard closer to the USB receiver.
Eliminate interference from wireless devices
If you have placed other Wi-Fi devices, such as a router or cell phone, near the computer, move the computer away and see if that eliminates the input lag.
Consider buying a new keyboard
If none of these solutions work, it could be a sign of hardware damage. Before you start looking online for a new keyboard, connect another keyboard that works well on another computer to confirm hardware damage is the cause.
While waiting for the new keyboard, you can use the Windows virtual keyboard. Search “onscreen keyboard” in the Start menu and launch the most suitable option.
Alternatively, you can use one of the many virtual keyboard applications available. If you don't like the idea of a virtual keyboard, you can use speech-to-text software to type, which is getting better over time.