Thanks to various shortcut keys on Windows, Windows users can use them to do various things on their PC or laptop. There are several shortcut keys are available on Windows PC that helps you to apply changes instead of manually doing things quickly. One of the most used shortcut keys in Windows is the Alt + F4 shortcut key. This shortcut helps you to close any active program or Window and also helps you to shut down, sleep or restart your PC without using the mouse. However, over time, many Windows users have reported that the Alt + F4 key not working on their PC or laptop.
Especially, users, who have recently upgraded their Windows version, has reported about this issue. So, if you are facing the same issue, and want to fix it, then you just have come to the right place. Below, we have described how you can easily fix the Alt + F4 key not working issue on your Windows PC or laptop. So, all you need to do is to follow the step-by-step guide below, and you’ll be able to fix this issue on your Windows PC easily. We have described several solutions that’ll help you do that. You can also read about Windows Shift S Not Working issue.
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Why Alt + F4 Not Working on Windows 10 or Windows 11?
There could be several reasons this particular shortcut key isn’t working on your PC or laptop. Below, we have described possible reasons why this shortcut key might not work on your PC or laptop.
- Keyboard Issue: If your keyboard is damaged or if the Alt or the F4 key isn’t working on your keyboard, you might face this issue. So, it could be due to the keyboard of your PC or laptop.
- Sticky Keys are enabled: If sticky keys are enabled on your Windows PC or laptop, it may conflict with other shortcut keys. So, because of the sticky keys, you can get the Alt F4 not working issue on your Windows PC or laptop.
- Keyboard Driver: If you have upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, sometimes you need to update the keyboard driver as well. So, because of an outdated keyboard driver, you may face this issue on your Windows PC or laptop.
- Registry Error: If there’s an issue with the registry editor of your Windows PC or laptop, you can face this issue. So, registry error could be another reason why you might face the Alt + F4 key not working issue.
How to Fix Alt + F4 Not Working Issue?
There are various methods are available to fix this issue. Below, we have listed some of the working reasons that’ll help you to fix Alt + F4 not working issue on your Windows 10 or Windows 11. So, you can just follow the methods one by one and fix this issue of Windows easily.
1. Restart PC
The first thing that you need to do when the Alt F4 key not working on your PC or laptop is, you should restart your PC. Restarting your PC will restart the processes as well. And if, because of a software, the shortcut key wasn’t working, it’ll be fixed. So, just try a simple restart and then see if it works or not.
2. Update Keyboard Driver
The next thing you need to do to fix Alt F4 not working issue is, you should update your keyboard driver. Sometimes, when you update your Windows OS, specially from Windows 10 to Windows 11, it can make the keyboard driver outdated and incompatible. So, in that case, you need to update your keyboard driver, and then see if it works or not. Below, we have described how you can update your keyboard driver. So, just follow the step-by-step guide below to do that easily.
- First of all, right-click on ‘This PC’ and click on the ‘Manage’ option from there.
- Then, go to the ‘Device manager’ option. You can also go to the search bar of Windows, and search for ‘Device Manager’, then open it.
- Double click on the ‘Keyboard‘ section and there, you’ll get the keyboard drivers.
- Right click on the keyboard driver and click on the ‘Update Driver’ option from there.
- Then, click on ‘Search automatically for drivers’ option.
- It’ll start searching for new drivers. So, just wait until it completes the searching.
- After searching, just update the new driver.
You can also use a 3rd party driver updater and update the drivers easily without any issues.
3. Disable Sticky Keys
Sticky keys is a special feature for Windows users. This feature helps you to use a shortcut on your keyboard multiple times without holding the keys. So, if the sticky keys option is enabled and you are trying to use the Alt + F4 key at that time, you may face the shortcut key isn’t working. In that case, you have to disable the sticky keys and then see if it’s working or not. Below, we have described how you can disable the sticky keys option. So, just follow the steps below to do that.
- First of all, open the search option of Windows and search for ‘Ease of access keyboard Settings’, then open it.
- Then, just turn it off from the ‘Use sticky keys’ option.
That’s it. Now, see if the Alt + F4 key is working or not. It should work when the sticky keys option is disabled.
4. Update Windows
If you are using an outdated version of Windows, then you may face various bugs and glitches on your PC. There could be different bugs when you don’t update your PC for a long time. So, you need to update your Windows OS to the latest version and then see if it works or not. Below, we have described how you can update your Windows PC. So, just follow the step-by-step guide to do that.
- First of all, open the search option of Windows and type ‘Check for updates’ and open it. You can also go to the Settings>Update & Security option and then select the ‘Windows Update’ option to check for update.
- Click on ‘Install now’ to install the updates.
After installing the updates, just restart your PC and see if the shortcut key is working.
5. Use the Fn (Function) Key
On some Windows PC or laptops, you need to press the Fn (Function) key to use the shortcut keys. On some keyboards also, you need to do the same thing. So, when using this shortcut, just use the Fn key along with Alt + F4 key, and then see if it’s working. This should fix the issue. So, just try this method, and then see if it’s working or not.
6. Replace Keyboard
It could be the issue of your keyboard as well. Sometimes, the keys of your keyboard can create issues. So, in that case, you need to replace the keyboard and then see if it’s working. Specially, when you have used your keyboard for a long time, you may face issues with the keys. This could create faulty keys, automatic typing etc issues with your keyboard. In that case, you just have to replace your keyboard, and then see if it works or not. Just get a new keyboard, and plug it in your PC or laptop. You can also try using a virtual keyboard and plug it to your PC.
7. Run Keyboard Troubleshooter
Keyboard troubleshooter of Windows helps you to troubleshoot the keyboard problems on your PC or laptop. So, you can run a keyboard troubleshooter on your PC and then see if there’s an issue with your keyboard. It’s easy to run the keyboard troubleshooter. So, you can just run the troubleshooter and check if there’s an issue. Just follow the below guide to do that.
- First of all, go to the search option of Windows and search for the ‘Control Panel’ option.
- Open control panel.
- Click on Hardware and Sound>Devices and printers>Keyboard, and right-click on your keyboard.
- Then, select the ‘Troubleshoot’ option from there.
That’s it. It’ll start the keyboard troubleshooter. Now, see if it finds any issue with your PC’s keyboard.
8. Check the Registry
The next thing you need to do is to check the registry settings of your PC, and tweak the registry settings. Sometimes, because of many reasons, the registry setting could be changed. So, you need to correct it, and then see if it works or not. Below, we have described how you can easily tweak the registry settings and set the value.
- First of all, open the search option of Windows and type the ‘Run’ option. You can also press the Windows Key+R option to open Run.
- Then, type ‘Regedit’ and hit enter.
- Now, navigate and open the following registry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
- From the right window, select ‘NoWinKeys’ and set the value data to 0 with Decimal.
- That’s it. Now, set the value and save it.
- Now, check if the Alt + F4 key is working on your PC.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the Alt + F4 key is one of the most used shortcut keys on Windows PC. However, if it’s not working, it could be annoying to do the work manually. So, just follow the above guide to fix this issue of Windows PC. If you liked this guide, you can share this guide on your social media platforms. Just use the share buttons below to do that. If you have any questions or queries, you can ask them in the comment section below. You can also provide your feedback in the comment section.
