The initial step to troubleshoot a keyboard typing incorrect characters is to check the keyboard settings in the operating system. It is possible that the keyboard layout has been changed to a different language or layout, which might cause characters to be interpreted incorrectly. While updating drivers or checking the Num Lock key can resolve some issues, they are unlikely to cause incorrect characters to be typed. Moreover, disassembling the laptop to check the connection might be necessary only if initial software checks do not resolve the problem.