Wireless Bluetooth keyboards are great not only for hassle-free working but for minimalist workstation design as well.
For those who hate wires, Arteck makes excellent high-quality and ergonomic keyboards.
Although Arteck keyboards are very well built with a very reliable steel base, they do malfunction sometimes and need troubleshooting to get them working again.
If your Artek keyboard is not working, this detailed troubleshooting guide will help you find the reason and fix it.
Why my Arteck keyboard not working?
The most common reason for the Arteck keyboard not working is Bluetooth connectivity. Either your Bluetooth is turned off, or the USB drivers for the Bluetooth dongle are not installed.
But these are not the only reason an Arteck keyboard might malfunction.
There are a few more, so let’s get down to troubleshooting your keyboard and get it working again.
1. Check On/Off slide switch
All Arteck wireless keyboards have a small on/off slide switch or button on the side, top, or on back. This should be the first thing you should check and make sure it is on.
This slide switch prevents batteries from discharging when the keyboard is not in use.
But people are not used to keyboards that need to be “turned off” so they often overlook this small button.
When the switch is on “ON” position, you will also see the green or blue LED on the top that indicates the power is turned on.
2. Check Keyboard on Another Device
To confirm that the keyboard is not physically damaged, you can check it on another device.
Arteck keyboards work with Windows, Mac, and Android devices, so you can test it on any of them and see if it works.
If the Arteck keyboard works on other devices but doesn’t work on one particular device, that means the keyboard is fine, but either the USB port on the device is damaged or it lacks the necessary drivers to support the dongle.
3. Restart Your PC
This should be among the first fixes you should try. Restarting any malfunctioning device can solve a lot of issues.
Restarting the PC can remove any software conflicts that might affect the correct functioning of your Bluetooth keyboard.
Restarting your PC will also refresh the cache and RAM and removes any blots that sometimes interfere with Peripheral devices like Bluetooth dongles used with the Arteck keyboard.
4. Re-plug the USB Bluetooth Dongle
Sometimes, everything is fine, and the computer just doesn’t recognize the Bluetooth dongle on the first try.
When that happens, it won’t install the correct drivers for it to work.
Just pull out the USB dongle, wait for a few minutes, and plug it back in. To go one step further, also restart your computer and plug in your USB dongle on a fresh boot.
This has worked a few times for my Logitech keyboard when it was not working so its a good step.
5. Check the Device Range
While you are using a Bluetooth keyboard, you need to make sure that you keep your keyboard at an operating distance.
Devices connected with Bluetooth need to be at a certain distance from each other. Beyond this distance, the signals are disrupted.
If you have kept your keyboard far away from your connected device, it may not work.
The operating distance for a Bluetooth keyboard is around 10 meters. You may consult your user manual to check your specific model operating distance, but usually, it’s around 10m.
6. Check the Battery
Some Arteck keyboards come with rechargeable batteries, and some have disposable AAA type batteries.
Depending on which model you got, you will have to either recharge or replace your batteries when they are empty.
The life of your battery depends on the daily usage of the keyboard and for how long you have been using it.
On average, the life of a rechargeable battery accompanying the Arteck keyboard is six months if you use it 2 hours daily.
A dead battery may be the reason that your keyboard is not working.
If you don’t see any LED lights on your keyboard after you flick the on/off switch, that means your keyboard lack power and needs to charge.
The power consumption of the latest Bluetooth technology is very minimal, and keyboard batteries usually last for a very long time, even with heavy usage.
Some Arteck keyboards [like this one] even come with small solar panels on top that charge with the ambient light in your room and keep your battery beefed up at all times.
7. Turn the Bluetooth ON
Arteck keyboard can pair to Windows PCs, Apple, and Android devices.
To make the keyboard work, you have to make sure the device you are using with your keyboard has its Bluetooth turned ON.
For Apple and Android devices, you can turn ON Bluetooth from the top menu bar. For Windows PCs, you can do that from the settings.
Sometimes, the smart power management system or any third-party battery saver app can turn the Bluetooth off to save battery, so make sure that is not the problem.
8. Turn OFF Airplane Mode
Airplane mode is useful even if you are not traveling in an airplane.
People use airplane mode to prevent rapid battery drainage if their battery is low or, in my case, avoid contact with other humans when working with focus.
If your device is in Airplane mode, it automatically turns OFF the Bluetooth and WiFi. When that happens, you won’t be able to connect your keyboard to your device.
However, you can turn only the Bluetooth ON in Airplane mode while keeping other wireless communication turned OFF.
9. Check for Bluetooth Interference
Bluetooth uses the very common 2.4GHz wireless frequency band.
Many other devices use the same band in your home, like your Wifi router, other Bluetooth devices, and even your Microwave oven.
All these devices create a crowded space for your Airteck keyboard to work properly. Some Bluetooth devices including wireless keyboards won’t work properly in such an environment.
There is another type of interference that is specific to the Bluetooth channel you are connected to.
If you are trying to connect more than one Bluetooth device using the same channel, it might not work properly.
To fix these interference issues, make sure you turn of all unnecessary devices that use the common 2.4GHz band. Here is a good resource to fix Bluetooth interference.
Also, make sure you are using only your Arteck keyboard on its dongle and that no other device is connected to your PC or laptop using the same dongle.
10. Incorrect or Outdated Drivers
Every external device that is added to your computer needs to have corresponding software on your computer to make it work. This software is called device-specific driver(s).
With the plug & play devices like your Arteck keyboard, the computer tries to download the relevant driver when you plug in the Bluetooth dongle.
Sometimes, the computer picks the wrong driver, or the driver becomes outdated due to newer updates to the operating system (Windows).
There are two ways to fix the driver issue. You either have to reinstall the device or update the drivers from the device manager.
Reinstall the device
- Plug in the Bluetooth dongle that comes with your keyboard and switch on the keyboard.
- Right click on the Start button and go to Device Manager (you can also search for this)
- In the keyboards section in the list, find your keyboard and right-click uninstall it. Your keyboard will be listed as ‘HID Keyboard’ or something similar.
- After the device is uninstalled, reboot your computer.
Once the reboot is complete, your computer will reinstall all the latest drivers when it detects a new device in the USB port, and hopefully, your malfunctioning keyboard will start working.
Update the drivers manually
This method is similar to the above one, but instead of uninstalling and reinstalling the device to get the latest drivers, you update the drivers from the options menu.
To do this, follow the steps below:
- From Device Manager, find your keyboard and right click on it to open the options
- From the list, select Update drivers
- Next, click on “Browse my computer for driver software.”
- On the next screen, select “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.”
- You will see two or more HID drivers in the next list. Click on the HID compliant device and install the driver.
- This will install the universal HID (Human Interface Driver) software for your Bluetooth dongle, and it should resolve your issue.
11. Check USB Port
Sometimes, the issue is simply an incorrectly inserted USB dongle.
To make sure that is not the issue, you might need to check whether you have correctly inserted the USB dongle into the port.
Make sure the dongle is fully inserted into the port and is not blocked by any debris or trash stuck inside.
USB ports that are not used regularly can have bad contacts due to dust.
You can clean the port using isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth wrapped in something thin enough to put inside the port.
Gently clean the contact areas and make sure they don’t have dust deposits.
You can also try other USB ports to make sure any particular port is not the root of the problem.
Contact Arteck Support
If all the above troubleshooting methods fail and your keyboard still doesn’t work, that means you got a dead keyboard.
If the keyboard is new and just arrived, you can return it and ask for a replacement.
You can also contact Arteck to get technical support. They are responsive to their customers. You can contact them if you have any problem or question regarding their keyboard.
Email: support@arteck.com
Arteck Keyboard Troubleshooting – Conclusion
Arteck keyboard troubleshooting is not that difficult. A lot of the time, you can solve your problem without consulting a professional.
Here is a summary of all the troubleshooting methods you can try if your Arteck keyboard is not working.
- Make sure your keyboard is switched ON
- Check your keyboard on another device
- Restart your PC and connect your keyboard again
- Take out and plug in the Bluetooth dongle
- Make sure your keyboard is in the Bluetooth range
- Charge your keyboard battery or put in new batteries
- Make sure your device’s Bluetooth is turned ON
- Turn OFF the Airplane mode on your PC/laptop
- Check for Bluetooth interference from other devices
- Update or reinstall the Bluetooth dongle drivers
- Check the USB port for any defects
Hopefully, these tips will work, and you will get your keyboard working again.