How To Lock and Disable Built-In Laptop Keyboard Inputs

Having issues with your built-in laptop keyboard causing unwanted inputs? Want to disable it completely and solely use an external keyboard? You’ve come to the right place.

As a tech writer with over 10 years of experience, I’ve helped countless users troubleshoot keyboard problems. In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to lock and disable your built-in laptop keyboard in Windows, Mac, and Chromebook operating systems.

Why Disable The Built-In Keyboard?

Here are some common reasons you may want to disable your laptop’s built-in keyboard:

  • Using an external keyboard and want to avoid accidental key presses
  • Keyboard is damaged and causing erroneous inputs
  • Laptop screen is cracked and keyboard presses are activating the touchscreen
  • Keyboard needs cleaning and want to avoid pressing keys
  • Children are using the laptop and want to disable the keyboard to avoid misclicks

Temporarily disabling the keyboard can resolve these issues. You can also permanently disable it if you solely want to use an external keyboard.

Methods to Lock/Disable The Keyboard

There are a couple methods to disable the built-in keyboard depending on your operating system:

Windows 10/11

  • Temporarily – Disable from Device Manager
  • Permanently – Uninstall keyboard driver

MacOS

  • Use Karabiner Elements software

ChromeOS

  • Built-in keyboard can’t be disabled
  • Only on-screen keyboard can be turned off

Let’s look at these methods in more detail:

Disable Keyboard in Windows 10/11

Temporary Method

This method disables the keyboard for the current Windows session. It will be re-enabled on restart.

  1. Open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc in the Windows search bar)
  2. Expand the “Keyboards” section
  3. Right click on the laptop’s keyboard device > Select “Disable”
  4. Confirm the pop-up prompt

The built-in keyboard will now be disabled.

To re-enable, repeat the steps but select “Enable” in step 3.

Permanent Method

This method prevents Windows from automatically reinstalling the missing keyboard driver on reboot.

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Right click the laptop keyboard > Select “Uninstall device”
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm uninstallation
  4. Restart the laptop

The keyboard will now remain disabled even after rebooting.

If you wish to re-enable, you’ll have to manually install the keyboard driver again.

Disable Keyboard on Mac

Since MacBooks don’t have a disable option, you’ll need third party software for this:

  1. Download and install Karabiner Elements
  2. Open the program settings
  3. Go to the “Devices” section
  4. Check the box next to your external keyboard’s name
  5. Click the “Disable built-in keyboard” option
  6. Connect the external keyboard

This will disable the built-in keyboard whenever the chosen external keyboard is connected.

To re-enable, simply disconnect the external keyboard or uncheck the option in Karabiner Elements.

ChromeOS Keyboard

  • The physical keyboard on a Chromebook cannot be disabled
  • However, you can turn off the on-screen keyboard by:
  1. Going into ChromeOS settings
  2. Navigating to “Device” > “Keyboard”
  3. Disabling the “Show Virtual Keyboard” option

This will prevent the virtual keyboard from popping up when tapped in tablet mode.

When Do You Need To Disable The Keyboard?

Here are a few instances where temporarily locking or disabling the built-in keyboard can come in handy:

  • Gaming – Using a dedicated gaming keyboard and want to avoid accidental key presses of built-in keyboard keys.
  • Cleaning – Keyboard needs cleaning/maintenance. Lock inputs to avoid pressing any keys.
  • Transport – Carrying around the laptop in a bag can lead to inadvertent typing.
  • Repairs – Keyboard replacement or repair requires it to be fully disabled.
  • Children – Lock keyboard to prevent children from pressing buttons and keys.

So in summary, if you need an external keyboard to be the sole input method, disabling the built-in version can be useful.

Conclusion

I hope this detailed guide gives you a good understanding of how to disable and lock laptop keyboard inputs on Windows, Mac, and ChromeOS.

As you can see, the process is quite straightforward. In just a few steps, you can toggle the keyboard on or off.

While built-in keyboards are convenient for typing on the go, external keyboards provide more flexibility. Having the option to disable the internal version when not needed gives you the best of both worlds!

Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help troubleshoot any keyboard issues.