Wireless Keyboard Drivers

Drivers are the software provided by a computer hardware manufacturer that lets the computer communicate with the hardware. There are many wireless keyboards on the market, from a variety of companies. Wireless keyboards are updated versions of the traditional data input tool modeled after typewrite keyboards, but don’t rely on USB or keyboard port wires to connect with the computer. Wireless keyboards use wireless transmitters and receivers to send the same information without cables, making less clutter.

When wireless keyboard drivers are not installed at all, the wireless keyboard usually doesn’t respond. Some computers come with certain drivers installed. Microsoft computers usually have most Microsoft accessory drivers already installed, at least any accessories that have been released prior to the computer’s release. Most computer manufacturers also try to include any important drivers for accessories and hardware that come with computers purchased from them. Wireless keyboards that are purchased with a new computer system should already have the drivers installed.

Drivers may have been installed properly initially, but they can become outdated or need to be updated. Driver updates from the manufacturer of the wireless keyboard should be searched for every 3-6 months. Driver updates should also be found prior to attempting to install a new operating system. Wireless keyboards usually require different drivers for different operating systems, and it make take a few months for the manufacturer to produce new drivers for a newly released operating system.

Wireless keyboards with faulty or outdated drivers may exhibit a multitude of problems, such as:

-the keyboard not responding

-responding intermittently or unexplained loss of keystrokes during typing

-showing up as unknown hardware when the computer starts up

-the system crashing or freezing when trying to use the keyboard

After other common causes are ruled out, such as being out of the wireless range, low batteries in the keyboard, or interference from other devices operating on the same signal, updating the drivers may solve these problems.

Check the keyboard manufacturer’s website, or use a driver searching software to find updated and more compatible drivers for your wireless keyboard. Reinstalling intact copies of current but corrupted drivers is also a common issue. Even if the driver is not corrupt, reinstalling it should have no ill effects, and will help with the troubleshooting process.

Many wireless keyboards can use general keyboard drivers, and therefore may initially work when plugged into the computer even if accompanying software and drivers are not installed. However, many issues with the system, even issues that do not affect the keyboard, can stem from using hardware without the problem drivers installed. It’s important to install any drivers that come with new hardware, or to find more up to date or compatible drivers online from the manufacturer’s site or other trusted sites.

Incompatible, corrupted, or outdated drivers can cause a wireless keyboard to stop functioning, function intermittently, or cause system freezes or crashes. Once other common causes of these issues are ruled out, the next step is to update or reinstall the drivers.