Fix @ or # key not working on Windows computer

It’s so annoying when some of the important keys on your keyboard stop working. Suppose you have to send an email and the @ (Shift 2) key is not working on your keyboard, or you have to post something on Instagram and the # (Shift 3) key is not working. It could be frustrating right?

Fix @ or # key not working on Windows computer

Well, here in this article, we will be talking about the fixes that you can try when the @ (Shift 2) and # (Shift 3) keys are not working on your keyboard. Let’s learn what all you can do when these keys are not working. But before you begin, you need to physically clean the keyboard and keys and see if that helps.

1. Use On-Screen Keyboard
2. Turn off the Filter Keys
3. Turn off the Game Mode
4. Turn off the Sticky Keys
5. Update the keyboard drivers
6. Run Keyboard Troubleshooter

Let us see the suggestions in detail.

1] On-Screen Keyboard

The on-screen keyboard is such a savior in such situations. You can open and use the on-screen keyboard if any of the keys on your keyboard stop working. To launch the on-screen keyboard,

• Press Win+S and open the search bar. Type in on-screen keyboard and launch it.
• You will see a small virtual keyboard on your screen.
• You can now use the @ and the # key from this virtual keyboard.

2] Turn off the Filter Keys

Not everyone knows but the Filter Keys feature often causes issues with your keyboard. If some of your keyboard keys are not working, check if you have the Filter Keys feature turned on. Simply turn them off and see if that works. To turn it off-

• Open the Settings by pressing Win+I on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can go to the Settings directly from the notification bar.
• Type Filter Keys in the search bar in Settings.
• Turn it Off and check if that resolves your keyboard issues and if the @ and # keys work now.

Read: Windows 11 Tilde key not working

3] Turn off the Game Mode

Not always but some users have reported that the Game Mode when turned on causes issues with the keyboard. If @ or # or any of the keys on your keyboard are not working, try switching off the gaming mode and see if that works.

To turn off the gaming mode-

• Open Settings by pressing the shortcut keys Win+I.
• Type Game Mode on the search bar.
• Turn it off and see if that works for you.

4] Turn off the Sticky Keys

Just like the Gaming Mode and the Filter Keys, Sticky Keys may also cause issues in your keyboard and some of the keys might stop working. To turn off the Sticky Keys-

• Go to the Settings and type Sticky Keys in the search bar.
• Go to Sticky Keys and turn it off.
• Check if now your @ and # keys are working on your Windows 11 keyboard.

5] Update the keyboard drivers

The issue could be caused by the outdated keyboard drivers. You need to update the drivers and see if the issue is resolved and your keyboard is restored.

Follow one of the methods below to update your Graphics drivers:

1. You may check for Driver Updates via Windows Update to update your drivers
2. You may visit the manufacturer’s site to download the drivers.
3. Use a free driver update software
4. If you have the INF driver file already on your computer then:
   • Open Device Manager.
   • Click the driver category to expand the menu.
   • Then choose the relevant driver and right-click on it.
   • Select Update Driver.
   • Follow the on-screen wizard to finish updating your audio drivers.

This should ideally solve your problem and make your keyboard work properly. Check if now you can use the @ and # keys.

6] Run Keyboard Troubleshooter

Troubleshooter, as the word itself, says, fixes almost every issue. Windows 11 PCs have a troubleshooter for every issue.

To open the keyboard troubleshooter-

• Go to the Settings and type Keyboard Troubleshooter in the search bar.
• Go to Find and Fix keyboard problems.
• This will open the Keyboard Troubleshooter.
• Click on Next to fix the issues.

I hope the post helped you.

Read: Keyboard shortcuts and Hotkeys are not working.

Why is my keyboard typing the wrong letters?

If your keyboard is typing the wrong letters on Windows 11/10, then the first thing you should do is unplug the keyboard and plug it in another USB port, and check. If this doesn’t work, then run the built-in Keyboard troubleshooter tool of Windows 11/10 that helps to find the issues and fix them easily. You should also check if you have added the correct keyboard layout.

Related: Media Keys not working.

How do I fix my key pressing on my keyboard?

If the keyboard key is stuck typing the same letter on your Windows 11/10 computer, then you must clean your keyboard physically. In addition, change the character repeat rate speed and repeat delay and see if it helps. You should also turn off the Filter keys and reset keyboard settings to default.

Read: Single or Double Quote key not working.