If your keyboard isn’t working and you tried troubleshooting only to see the message Text Services Framework is not running, you have two options. You can enable TSF through the Command Prompt or use the CTF loader instead.

However, we recommend trying to enable the Text Services Framework first. And if that doesn’t do the trick, only then try the CTF method. Sometimes, setting up text services from the Control Panel seems to work fine too.

What Does Text Services Framework Do

The Text Services Framework (TSF) is a Windows-based redistributable service developed by Microsoft. It is this language-neutral and extensible system that helps with text input without having any device constraints.

Simply put, the TSF is nothing but an API (Application Programming Interface) for enabling advanced text input regardless of the source. Here’s what it does.

1. Allow Text Input to TSF-enabled Applications
2. Store Metadata
3. Enable Accurate Text Conversion
4. Offer Efficient Keyboard Input and Text Editing

How Do I Enable Text Services Framework in Windows

If the Text Services Framework is not working on your Windows device, perhaps you don’t have it set up. So, try enabling TSF using the following technique.

Inside the Windows search panel, type Control Panel and open it once it arrives. Go to Regional and Language Options, click on Languages, and then Details.

After that, click add from within the settings tab of the window that says Text Services and Input Languages. From there, you can select the text service of your preference.

Similarly, you can remove a previously added text service too. You only have to select the service you want to get rid of and then click Remove.

How Do I Fix Text Services Framework Is Not Running

There are two methods you can follow if your Text Services Framework is not working. The first one should get the API (Application Programming Interface) up and running on your Windows device, while the second uses an alternative approach for text input.

Method 1: Through the Command Prompt

1. Type in cmd in the Windows search bar. Doing so will bring up results for the Command Prompt. Right-click on it and choose the Run as administrator option.

2. Once the Command Prompt opens, type in the following command and execute it by pressing enter.

Command 1: 

schtasks /Change /TN “Microsoft\Windows\TextServicesFramework\MsCtfMonitor” /Enable

3. Next, execute the command below.

Command 2:

schtasks /Run /TN “Microsoft\Windows\TextServicesFramework\MsCtfMonitor”

4. After that, close the Command Prompt window and reboot your PC for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Use the CTF Loader

The CTF (Collaborative Translation Framework) loader is a Windows process similar to TSF that allows for smooth text input. Hence, it can handle handwriting, speech recognition, and dictation other than regular keyboard input. You can enable it in the following manner.

1. Type ctfmon.exe in the Windows search panel.

2. From the results, open ctfmon.exe labeled as Run command.

And that’s about it. Your keyboard inputs should now work flawlessly.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that using the CTF loader is not a permanent fix to the Text Services Framework not running problem. Although it lets you input text in all formats like voice and handwriting, it only works best with Microsoft Office. So, try to get TSF enabled even if that requires a visit to the repair shop.