Fix: Ctrl Alt Delete Not Working [Solved]

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To reboot the PC, terminate an application task, or access the Task Manager, we use Ctrl + Alt + Del key combinations.

This is one of the security options we use when the system freezes or hangs.

But sometimes this security option may cease to work and you may find Ctrl Alt Delete not working.

Now in this article, I am going to demonstrate what you can do when you cannot use Ctrl + Alt + Delete key combination.

What To Do When Ctrl Alt Delete Is Not Working?

Table of Contents

Let us directly get into the solutions and know what to do when Ctrl Alt Delete is not working.

Also read: What To Do When Function Keys Not Working In Windows 10.

1) Check Your Keyboard

When you find Control Alt Delete not working, first of all, check your keyboard.

Often dust gets accumulated on the keyboard and the keys do not function properly.

So, clean the keys with compressed air to blow off the dirt. You may also check your keyboard by connecting it to some other PC.

2) Perform A Clean Boot

Sometimes the services and programs installed in your system can interfere and due to this, keys do not function properly.

To avoid these types of situations, clean booting is a perfect solution. Here is how you can clean boot:

Open Run utility by pressing Windows + R keys. Enter: msconfig in the Run command box and press Enter.

Now the system configuration window will show up. Go to the Services tab and from the bottom left side click on the checkbox box attached to Hide all Microsoft Services.
Next click on Disable all option.

This will disable all the services running in the background except the Microsoft Services.
Now, close the window and right-click on Windows Taskbar. Choose Task Manager from the given options.

From the Startup tab, right-click on the unnecessary apps with high startup impact one by one and click on the Disable option.

Restart your device and if still, the Ctrl Alt Del is not working after this, then go to the next solution.

3) Run Keyboard Troubleshooter

Windows provides built-in troubleshooters to fix the problems. So, run the keyboard troubleshooter when your keys are not functioning as expected.

This will detect the cause and fix the issue.

To run Windows 10 built-in troubleshooter, follow the steps given below:

Right-click on the Windows Start button and select Settings. Choose Update & Security option.

From the Troubleshoot section, click on Additional troubleshooters as shown below.

Next, select the Keyboard option and click on Run the troubleshooter.

Wait till the process gets finished. Now check if Ctrl + Alt + Del key combinations are working properly. Else, move on to the next solution.

4) Check The Keyboard Language Settings

Setting the wrong keyboard language can also affect the functionality of your keys.

So, check the keyboard language settings following the steps given below:

Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I keys on your keyboard.
Select Time & Language.

Click on language from the left pane. Check if the correct language is selected. If not then make the proper selection. To do that, click on Add a language option.

From the list of languages, select a preferred language and click on the up arrow for moving it to the top.

5) Update Keyboard Drivers

If the above steps did not solve the problem then update the keyboard drivers.

Windows releases regular updates with bug patches and the latest features. So, you must keep your device drivers updated.

If you cannot work with your Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys then this can be due to the outdated keyboard drivers.

So, update your Windows keyboard drivers and this should fix the problem.

6) Tweak Your Registry

Sometimes the third-party apps installed in your system modify your registry and changes the default values.

This can be the reason why Control Alt Delete not working on your keyboard.

So check your registry settings and make necessary changes if needed.

But be extra cautious while handling your registry as a small mistake can crash your system.

So, follow the steps as directed:

Launch the Run utility and enter: regedit in the command box. Press the Enter key.
When Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following path:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

If you do not find the System under Policies, then right-click on Policies and then choose New> Key as shown in the picture below.

Then right-click on the blank space at the right pane and click on new and then on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Rename it as Disable TaskMgr. Double-click on Disable TaskMgr and set its value to 0.

Restart your computer and check if the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination is working now.

7) Run A SFC Scan

If the system files get corrupted somehow then also you can find your Windows 10 Ctrl Alt Del not working.

To check and fix the corrupted or missing system files, run System File Checker or an SFC scan.

This command will troubleshoot the errors occurring due to the missing or corrupted Windows system files.

After running the scan, if you still get the same problem, then move on to the next step.

8) Check For Virus Or Malware

If some virus or malware affects your system, then also you may find the Ctrl Alt Del not working.

If you have used any USB device or external hard drive recently on your device, then make sure that those do not contain any virus.

To fix all these, run the antivirus software you use to keep your system virus-free.

To do that, open the antivirus and click on the Scan button.

From the next window, you can select to run a Quick scan or a Full scan and then wait till the process gets completed.

Closing Up

Let us know if the above methods have helped you when Ctrl Alt Delete is not working on your PC.

For solutions to any other tech-related issues, contact us and keep in touch.