Before you troubleshoot the issue, ensure that it really is the keyboard that’s causing the problem. Sometimes, you may be inadvertently doing things that cause your Windows PC to slow down, which can also be a reason for keyboard input lag. However, if that’s not the case, here are some easy fixes you can try to rid yourself of the annoying keyboard input lag.
1. Change the Keyboard Properties
Changing a few keyboard properties may help resolve the input lag. Start by pressing Win + R, typing “control keyboard,” and pressing Enter. This will open the keyboard properties window, where you will see the option to adjust the Repeat delay and Repeat rate.
The Repeat delay allows you to set the delay between you press-holding a key and the initiation of the repeated output of the key. The Repeat rate allows you to adjust the speed at which this output is repeated.
Shorten the Repeat delay and increase the Repeat rate to eliminate the input lag. This may require some experimentation before you find the sweet spot, but there’s a convenient test box built right into the Keyboard properties window to help you find the right balance. When you’ve found an ideal Repeat delay and Repeat rate, press OK at the bottom to save and exit.
2. Update or Reinstall the Keyboard Driver
Your system’s driver tells your PC how to handle external hardware like your keyboard. If your keyboard’s driver is outdated, your computer will struggle to communicate with the hardware. As such, an outdated driver is a possible cause of your keyboard input lag.
There are a few ways to find and replace outdated Windows drivers. The most common method is using the Device Manager.
To update the driver via this method, press Win + R and run the Device Manager by typing “devmgmt.msc” and pressing Enter. Once the Device Manager opens, look for your keyboard driver and right-click on it. Select Update driver.
You can either let Windows Search automatically for drivers or select Browse my computer for drivers if you’ve downloaded the updated drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
However, if your keyboard input lag is due to a corrupt or incompatible driver, you will need to reinstall the keyboard driver afresh. As such, you need to uninstall the current driver from the Device Manager.
Right-click on your keyboard driver and select Uninstall device. Confirm the uninstallation when you see a prompt. Next, click on Action from the menu bar at the top of Device Manager and click on Scan for hardware changes.
Alternatively, you could just restart your PC, and the keyboard driver will reinstall automatically. Once you’re done, check if your input lag issue has been resolved.
3. Disable Filter Keys
Filter keys is an accessibility feature that instructs Windows to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes. This could potentially be a reason for the delayed output of your keyboard. You can fix this by disabling Filter keys from the keyboard settings.
Open Settings by searching for “settings” in the Start Menu. Select Ease of Access and scroll down to the Keyboard section from the right pane. Click on Keyboard and look for Use Filter Keys.
Under this head, you will find a toggle button. If it’s enabled, disable it and close the Settings app.
If you’re running Windows 11, you’ll find the option to disable Filter Keys in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Filter Keys.
Then, try typing something into your text editor and see if it still lags.
4. Run Keyboard Troubleshooter
Fortunately, Windows comes with some great built-in troubleshooting tools. Whether you’re experiencing an input lag or your keyboard isn’t working at all, the keyboard troubleshooter can provide you with a solution.
Open the Settings app to use the Keyboard troubleshooter. Next, navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot, and you’ll see a list of recommended troubleshooters. If there are none, simply click on Additional troubleshooters and look for Keyboard. Click on it and select Run the troubleshooter.
If you’re running Windows 11, you’ll find the Keyboard troubleshooter in Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooter > Keyboard.
The troubleshooter will look for potential issues. If it finds something to fix, go ahead and follow the directions. When you’re done, see if the issue has been resolved.
5. Use the DISM command-line tool
DISM is an administrator-level command-line tool that you can use to repair your system’s Windows image. This tool can help address your keyboard input lag when it’s being caused by an error rooted deeper into your Windows image that the system file checker can’t repair.
Start by running the Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator. Then, run the following commands in this order:
Let the process finish, then verify if this trick solved the keyboard input lag.
6. Fixes for Wireless Keyboards
The above issues apply to keyboards in general. However, some issues are specific to wireless keyboards. If your keyboard is wireless, try the following fixes.
Replace the Batteries
Start by ruling out the possibility of the lag being caused by a drained battery. To do this, replace the battery or recharge your keyboard to full. If this doesn’t fix the problem, try the next solution.
Check the Connection
Start by trying to re-sync your keyboard with the USB receiver. If that doesn’t help, insert the USB receiver into a different USB port on your computer if the current port lacks enough power. Try placing the keyboard closer to the USB receiver if possible.
Remove Interference from Wireless Devices
If you’ve placed other Wi-Fi devices such as a router or a cell phone near the computer, move it away and see if that eliminates the input lag.
7. A New Keyboard
If none of these solutions work, it could be a sign of hardware damage. So before you start searching online for the best keyboards, try plugging in a different keyboard that works fine on another computer to confirm hardware damage as the cause.
While you’re waiting for your new keyboard, you can use the Windows onscreen keyboard. Search for “onscreen keyboard” in the Start Menu and launch the Best Match.
Alternatively, you can use on of the several virtual keyboard apps available out there. If you don’t like the idea of virtual keyboards, you can use a speech-to-text software to type without having the user your keyboard.
Back to Buttery-Smooth Typing
Keyboard input lag can be a real annoyance. Hopefully, one of these solutions worked for you, and you’re now back to blazing-fast typing as usual. If you want to type even faster, consider creating a custom keyboard layout.
