How to Repair Your Keyboard

Keyboards are inexpensive, but if attached to your laptop or a keyboard that you particularly like, you may want to look into fixing it rather than replacing it. In most cases, damage occurs in the circuitry panel that lies beneath the keys. This problem is repairable with a little patience and a bit of time.

1. First: Check the driver

   Turn the computer off and back on and see if the keyboard starts working correctly. If it does not, remove and then re-install the driver for the keyboard. Sometimes part of the driver is lost because of a glitch in the computer, and the problem is with the connection between the computer and the keyboard, not with the keyboard itself. Checking for this problem first can keep you from taking the keyboard apart unnecessarily.

2. Second: Take the keys off

   Take the covers around the keys that are not working off. Blow out the area underneath the keys with compressed air. Often, crumbs or wads of dust that are caught below the keyboard prevent them from making a good connection with the circuitry and registering while you are typing.

3. Third: Clean dirty spaces

   Use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to clean the circuitry. Clean any of the areas in which liquid has spilled on them. Rub gently to avoid damaging the circuitry any further.

4. Fourth: Replace missing keys

   Contact the support hotline for the computer or keyboard you are using. Ask them to send you replacement keys for any that are broken or missing. Line up the circle on the back of the keyboard with the circle at the center of the key's space and press down firmly until you hear a click.