An unresponsive spacebar is one of the common problems that the user faces and it is indeed very much irritating as well. It can be very annoying when suddenly your system’s spacebar stops responding when you are doing something really important. If you experience such an issue of spacebar not working on your Windows 10 operating system, then there are hacks and methods that will help you to solve the problems. 

If your keyboard is physically damaged then you need to replace it. However, let’s try some hacks. These easy methods will help you to solve the problem of the spacebar not working.

Fixes when the Spacebar not Working

The methods to solve the problem when the spacebar not working are listed below, follow the instructions accordingly. 

1. You can Enable Sticky Keys and Filter Keys
   

   These sticky keys are shortcut keys that allow pressing one key at a time. Microsoft has built this feature to make it easier for users. This feature helps the user to save the spacebar back to use. 

   So, when you see that the spacebar not working, you need to check the stick keys. This is one of the quick fixes. The steps are given accordingly:

   • First, you need to press the Windows key + I key together so that the Setting window opens. 
   • After the ‘windows setting’ appears you need to find the ‘ease of access’. You will find this option on the right side after you scroll down. 
   • You have to click on the ‘ease of access’ option. Then, you need to click on the keyboard which is on the left pane. 
   • Then, you need to turn off the sticky keys option and also the filter keys option. If you see that problem is still there, then you need to go for some alternate methods. 

2. You need to Reinstall the Earlier Version of the Keyboard Driver
   

   You will often see that the latest version is the main reason why your spacebar not working. In this case, you have no other option than to go back to the earlier version. Try to reinstall the earlier version so that the problem can be solved. The steps are given below.

   • The first and foremost thing that you need to do is to open the Device Manager in your system. Also for quick access, you can use a shortcut key: Win key+X key together to open the ‘device manager’. 
   • After that, you need to search for the keyboard option and expand it. 
   • Then, you need to right-click on the Properties option. 
   • Now, you have to search the ‘roll back driver’ option and have to click on it.
   • If the ‘roll back driver’ is not visible, then you have to download the previous version from the web.

3. You can also Upgrade the Keyboard Driver Option to Solve the Issue
   

   If the above two methods are not working, then you can go for this one. This is one of the best ways to get rid of the issue. The process of updating the keyboard is given below.

   • You need to first open the ‘device manager’. You can also use the shortcut key. By pressing Windows key+R, the Run box will appear, you have to type ‘devmgmt.msc’. Then, press Next to initiate the process. 
   • You need to find the Keyboard option, click on it, and expand it. 
   • Then, you will see the option ‘Standard PS/2 keyboard’ and select the option. And, then select the ‘update driver’ option on the box that appears. 
   • You need to select the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’. Wait for a few minutes to install the latest diver automatically.
   • Now, you have to reboot your PC to see whether the problem of the spacebar not working is solved or not. 

   If the problem is still continuing then you need to go back and start from the very beginning. But, this time you will have to choose ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ after selecting the Update Driver. Then, it will ask you to pick the list of the available driver, you just need to click on it. And, click on Next, again you need to reboot the PC, it will save all the changes and also resolve the problem. 

4. You can again Install the Keyboard Driver
   

   If you see that the above methods are not working then you can go for reinstalling the keyboard driver. Below are the steps to initiate the process. 

   • First, you have to go to the Driver Manage, for that you need to press Windows key +R to open the Run box. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and press the Enter button. 
   • Now, search for the Keyboard option and expand it. You have to right-click on the standard PS/2 keyboard option and select the Uninstall option. 
   • You just need to reboot your system and the keyboard driver will automatically reinstall it. This process will solve your problem hopefully.

5. You need to Scan your System and see if the Malware is causing any Problem
   

   If none of the methods works, then it can be possible that the core reason is malware. Hence, you are advised to use a scanning tool for malware and viruses. This might solve the spacebar not working issues. You can download any effective anti-virus, for example, Malwarebytes antivirus, for this process. 

   First, you need to download the latest version and then start the scanning process. You can also use the antivirus that you already have.

   • First, you need to go to the Taskbar, and then double-click on the Windows-security icon.
   • Then, you need to click on the ‘virus and threat protection’. And, then click the Scan option to initiate the process. 
   • You have to select the option ‘Full scan’ and finally hit the ‘Scan now’ option. This will help you to remove the virus that affected the keyboard. 

6. You can also go for Windows Update
   

   If none of the methods works, then you can try for Windows update. This can solve the problem of the spacebar not working issue. The steps are given below:

   • You have to press Windows key+I to go to the Settings. And in the Settings, you have to click on the ‘update and security’ option. 
   • On the left-hand side, you will see a menu, and over there you need to select Windows Update. 
   • Then, you have to click the ‘check for updates’ option on the right side. You just have to download and also have to install the pending updates.

7. You can also run SFC
   

   Often it has been seen that if something is wrong in the system the keyboard gets affected and this can be the reason why your spacebar not working. Fortunately, there is a scanning tool that will help you to scan, as well as will repair all the files in your system. You can follow the steps to initiate the process. 

   • First, you need to open the Start menu, and then you have to search for the word ‘cmd’.
   • A menubar will appear and you have to choose the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
   • Then, you will see a command prompt box appear, and you need to type the command ‘sfc/scannow’. Then, you need to press Enter to move forward.
   • After this command, you will see that the Windows have started scanning and will also repair the damaged files. You can use the spacebar.

Conclusion…. 

So, this was all about how you can fix your spacebar not working issue. These methods are effective and will definitely help you to fix the issue. You can also take any kind of help from professionals if required.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

How do I fix an unresponsive spacebar?

What is the alternate key for spacebar?

You can add the second additional space bar on the right Ctrl key, or you can use both Ctrl keys as spacebars, and make the SpaceBar a Ctrl key. You can have as many Ctrl keys as you wish.