F5 refresh key not working in Windows 11

Is the F5 key not working properly on your Windows 11/10 PC? The F5 key is typically used to refresh the desktop or explorer or reload a web page. However, some of our readers have reported that the F5 key is refreshing their computers and not working properly.

How to enable F5 refresh in Windows 11?

To refresh your Windows PC, just press the F5 key. On some laptops or desktops, you may need to press the Fn F5 key combination to complete the refresh operation.

Why doesn't F5 refresh work?

If you are unable to refresh your computer by pressing the F5 key or are experiencing issues on Windows 11/10, it may be due to the function keys being locked. Other potential causes include damaged keyboard or F5 key, faulty keyboard driver, BIOS settings, malware infection, software conflicts and corrupted system files. To solve these problems, you can try to unlock function keys, replace damaged keyboard or F5 key, update keyboard driver, check BIOS settings, scan and remove malware, resolve software conflicts, and repair system files. By eliminating these possible causes one by one, you can hopefully solve the problem of being unable to refresh your computer or having the F5 key fail.

Fix F5 refresh key not working in Windows 11/10

If the F5 key is not working properly on your Windows PC, use the following fixes to resolve the issue:

1]Perform some initial checklist

F5 failure to work properly may be caused by a hardware or system glitch. Before proceeding, it is recommended that you perform the following preliminary checks:

• First, check your keyboard to make sure it is physically working. Please make sure the F5 key is not damaged.
• You can try restarting your computer and see if it helps.
• You can also try restarting File Explorer to see if it works. Use CTRL SHIFT ESC to open Task Manager, right-click on the Windows Explorer task and select the Restart option.
• Another thing to make sure is that your Windows is up to date.
• Run SFC and DISM scans to repair corrupted system files and repair Windows images.
• It is also possible that a malware scan is causing the problem. So, run a virus scan and remove the detected threats to fix the issue.

If the problem persists, you can move to other fixes to resolve the issue.

2]Unlock function (FN) key

If you are unable to refresh your computer by pressing the F5 key, it is likely that the function keys are locked. To unlock the function keys, press the Fn key on your keyboard and then press the F5 key.

For multiple keyboards, you need to press the Fn and Esc keys simultaneously to lock or unlock the function keys. On some keyboards, the Esc key is used as a toggle switch for function keys. So make sure to press the appropriate key to enable the function keys and then use the F5 key to refresh your desktop or web page.

See: Keyboard volume keys not working in Windows.

3]Activate function keys in BIOS

You can also enable function keys by adjusting your BIOS settings. Here are the steps to achieve this:

• First, use Win i to open the Settings application, then go to System >Recovery.
• Now, click on the Restart now button next to Advanced startup options.
• On the Advanced Boot Options screen, select Troubleshooting options.
• After that, click on the UEFI Firmware Settings option and press Restart.
• Next, go to Keyboard/Mouse settings and enable F1-F12 as the main function settings. In some BIOS you may need to go to the system configuration menu and enable the Action Key Mode option.
• Finally, save the new settings and restart your PC to check if the problem is resolved.

Depending on the motherboard manufacturer, the function key settings in the BIOS may vary. So go to the respective settings and make the changes accordingly.

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