The driver for the keyboard may also be responsible for malfunctioning keyboards. They may require the replacement of several keys or even the whole keyboard. However, larger spills may result in damage beyond simple clean ups. A cotton swab may also be effective in getting between the keys of a dirty or sticky keyboard. Address this issue by cleaning between the keys using a thin, clean cloth and a little warm water or a few drops or rubbing alcohol. This is especially true for sticky beverages such as soda or fruit juices. If you’ve spilled or splashed a beverage on your keyboard recently, this could be the cause of a keyboard outage. You might be surprised to see what has accumulated. Canned, compressed air makes a great solution, so pick up a can at your local office supply store and use it regularly to blow the debris out from under the keys. Even those who never snack while using their computer may find this type of debris causing a problem.
Over time, a keyboard accumulates dust and debris particles that coat the sides and undersides of the keys, impeding and impairing their functioning.
Usually, anything beneath the keys or inside the keyboard will shake out of the device, freeing up the keys for effective functioning once again. The simplest fix is to carefully turn the keyboard or laptop upside down and gently shake it.
It’s a common problem for those users who snack while typing or surfing the internet. This is a more likely issue with older devices than it would be with newer keyboards. (As opposed to letting it simply slip into the more- vulnerable “Sleep” mode.) Snacking and Typing? Check for CrumbsĬrumbs and other small debris becoming lodged beneath the keys of a keyboard is another possible culprit behind many keyboard issues. If it works, let it serve as a reminder to shut your computer down regularly. It just takes a minute, and you might find that your keyboard is working fine again once the computer is up and running. The computer reboot is a great, single-step solution to many computer problems, including some common keyboard issues. What follows is a list actions to take to get the keyboard working again: Reboot Your Computer Fortunately, there are some keyboard troubleshooting steps you can take to help determine the cause – and a solution. This can be not only frustrating, but detrimental if it’s a business computer. With your keyboard not working properly, productivity can come to a halt. Most of us take our computer keyboard for granted – until it starts acting up, or stops working altogether.