How to repair a broken laptop keyboard
You start working on your laptop, and all of a sudden, a particular key stops working. Or maybe a whole section of keys is taking forever to respond. Worse yet, the keyboard cuts out entirely. While this can be a hassle, particularly when you have work due, there are a few things you can try yourself to get back to the job at hand. Sometimes the keyboard just stops working for no reason at all. This is probably due to voltage spikes that somehow reach the keyboard and again render the electronic controller unusable.
Broken or unresponsive laptop keyboards aren’t fun to deal with. Most professional repairs involve replacing the entire keyboard. Before you attempt random fixes, you need to identify the problem. If you can identify what the problem is, you can fix your keyboard and save yourself some few pounds. Start with the basics: is there something wrong with the keyboard hardware itself ? Is a software glitch preventing Windows from recognizing keystrokes? Is your keyboard powered on? Figuring this out can save you a lot of time later on.
Check for Crumbs
If you think your problem is hardware-related, you’ll need to work with your hands: Hold your laptop upside down to shake loose pieces of debris if they’re not lodged in your keyboard too tight. Sometimes, crumbs from working lunches or your last snack break can get stuck under the keys. We’re all guilty of eating at our desk, so it’s no big deal if there are a couple of cookie crumbs in there. You’d also be surprised at how much dust and debris can build up over time if you don’t clean your keyboard regularly.
If you have a keyboard vacuum or a can of compressed air, give the nooks and crannies of your keyboard a quick cleaning. The slender straw on the can is perfect for blowing as much air as possible between the keys to eliminate any debris that may be in your keyboard and hindering the keys from functioning correctly. It doesn’t take much to keep a keyboard from working like it should, so even if you think you don’t see much in there, using a can of compressed air could save you a trip to the repair shop.
If an extensive section of the keyboard is stuck because of liquid damage, like spilled cup of soda or coffee, your best recourse may be to have the keyboard assembly replaced.
Remove the battery
A laptop’s battery settling under the keyboard most times causes problems. Luckily, if your laptop has a removable battery, try shutting down the laptop, removing the battery, then plugging in the power cable. Try to boot the laptop without the battery installed, using only AC power. If the keyboard only works when the battery is removed, you may need your battery replaced.
Software issues
Another problem could lie with your OS or any of your keyboard’s drivers. An out of date, corrupted, or missing driver can cause the keyboard to cease functioning.
In Windows laptops, you can go to “Control Panel -> Device Manager -> Keyboards” to help you figure out the problem. If you see a red circle or yellow triangle on top of the keyboard icon, it means the driver is corrupt or not working. Right-click the keyboard and then select “Update driver software.”
So, you’ve already tried cleaning your keyboard, removing the battery, checking the software without any success. Now what? You can try replacing your keyboard or sell your laptop instead. Yes, it’s a bit tasking with filling forms and all, but it’s way better than just abandoning it.
