How to Fix a Laptop Keyboard
- 1). Diagnose the problem. When you press a key on your laptop keyboard, does it get stuck? Does the computer respond to your inputs? In almost all of these cases, the solution will lie in opening up your notebook's keyboard. However, to prevent extra work, press every key (do this in a word-processing program) and see which keys are affected. If every single key on a keyboard does not respond, you might have a software issue, which may require specialized help.
- 2). Clean the area around the keys that are not working. A damp lint-free cloth should be used to clean the surface of the affected keys. If you have stuck keys, use a Q-tip to clean under them, but take care not to pry the keys up, as this could result in further damage to your keyboard.
- 3). Remove the keys that are not working. Do this by grabbing some fingernail clippers and pulling out the hook-like fingernail cleaner extension. Use the small hook to gently pull the key up , which will expose a collapsible plastic hinge (commonly known as a key retainer) as well as a small rubber circular piece. Gently lift both of these pieces out of the keyboard.
- 4). Wipe the keyboard sensors clean with a dry cloth. The sensors are the little silver foil-like strips you see after your key components have been removed. Be very careful wiping these down--if they are damaged, they are very expensive to replace. Just gently dab it with a dry lint-free cloth to remove any dust/crumbs/particles that are interfering with your keyboard's functionality. Do not moisten the cloth with water or cleaning solution, as this heightens the risk for damage.
- 5). Reassemble and replace the keys. Simply fit the key retainer as well the little rubber piece together in the way you found them and then firmly press the key cap back in place.
- 6). Test your keyboard. Open a word-processing program and then press the replaced keys. If they still don't work, try restarting your computer, or activating a system restore point (to ensure that the problem is not software-related). If the keyboard is still not working, then you may want to think about taking the computer to a repair shop or replacing it altogether. (Keyboard repairs are very expensive.)