KEYBOARD TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

 KEYBOARDTROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO GET A NEW KEYBOARD

How do you know when it’s time to get a new keyboard?

 The answer to that question probably won’t surprise you, but you might need the nudge to take the plunge. Here’s my best advice to know if your trusty keyboard is in need of replacing. Said advice comes in the form of these questions:

 • Do you have broken key caps?

 • Do you have certain keys that either don’t work or only work when you press them a certain way? • Have you accidentally spilled liquid over your keys, causing some of them to stick? • If you look down between your keys, do you see a mass of hair, crumbs, and other nasties?

 • Did you answer “yes” to any of those questions? 

• If you did answer yes, are you willing to pop off those keys and give the keyboard the cleaning it requires—while replacing those broken keys? 

If you answered “no” to that final question, it’s time to replace that aging, disgusting keyboard. If, on the other hand, you are willing to do a bit of maintenance, you’ll most likely get considerable more life out of your favorite keyboard. I know, I know...you don’t want to. Shouldn’t a keyboard last a lifetime? No. Unless you have a keyboard that allows you to easily replace both keycaps and keys, you should expect about two years of usage out of that hardware. After all, you pound those keys daily and they collect untold amounts of gunk in the tiniest of spaces. If you aren’t willing to go the extra mile and care for that keyboard, expect to replace it every two years.

HOW TO FIX A BROKEN KEY ON A STANDARD KEYBOARD

Do you have keyboard keys that aren’t functioning properly? Jack Wallen shows you how to remove the keycaps so you can replace or clean those fussy keys. 

Disaster has struck your favorite keyboard and the S key is starting to stick or is failing to comply with your finger strikes. What do you do? Do you toss that keyboard and purchase a new one? Do you take on the task of fixing it yourself? Given how landfills are overflowing with bits of discarded technology, keeping that keyboard in working order is not only the financially responsible choice, but the environmentally responsible choice as well. What do you do when a key has stopped working? It depends on the keyboard.

TWO TYPES OF KEYBOARDS

Most standard keyboards have keys that are integrated by being soldered to the motherboard. In the case of the integrated key, there’s not much you can do. The only way you can actually replace a key, without having to de-solder it from the board, is if your keyboard keys are hot swappable. A great example of a hot swappable keyboard is the Drop ALT mechanical keyboard. This keyboard is a bare bones piece of hardware that allows you to purchase the exact keys you like and swap them out as needed. If your keyboard isn’t hot swappable, the chances are very slim you’ll be able to fix a broken key without knowing your way around a soldering gun and a motherboard.

However, you’re not completely out of luck. One of the most common reasons why a keyboard stops working correctly is not due to mechanical failure, but dirt and other gunk. That means, your first plan of attack might be using a vacuum to suck out all that nastiness under the keys. But what happens when that fails? You remove the keys.

HOW TO REMOVE KEYS FROM A KEYBOARD

In order to safely remove your keys from a keyboard, you need the right tool. That tool is a keyboard keycap remover (Figure A). 

Figure A

These keycap removers can be purchased from Amazon for less than $5.00 USD.

The way a keycap remover works is simple: Insert the wires between keys, such that they surround the key you want to remove, until they slip under the edges of the key. (Figure B).

 Figure B

Once the wires are under the keycap, carefully pull upward until the cap pops off.

If your keyboard isn’t hot swappable, you will at least be able to clean the keys and vacuum out any remaining gunk. Make sure you clean the key with isopropyl alcohol, while the computer is turned off and the keyboard is disconnected. After cleaning the key, allow it to dry, replace the cap, and move on to the next key. Do this until you’ve cleaned all of the keys and replaced the caps. Hopefully, after you’ve taken care of this, your keys will be working as well as they did when you first purchased the keyboard. If not, and this isn’t a hot swappable keyboard, you’ll either have to take the keyboard to a specialist well-versed in replacing soldered keys, or purchase a new piece of hardware. And that’s how you can gain access to keyboard keys to either replace them, clean them, or find out it’s time to replace your keyboard.

HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT COMMON KEYBOARD PROBLEMS

Jack Wallen offers tips to help you troubleshoot that ailing, troublesome keyboard. 

Your keyboard is the doorway to infinite worlds—with it you administer servers, program software, communicate with others, play games, write papers, and much more. When you find that perfect keyboard, it makes a world of difference. When something goes wrong with your keyboard, you find yourself at a loss...for words. Is your time with that particular keyboard at an end? It doesn’t necessarily have to be. Let’s take a look at some of the common keyboard problems and how you can troubleshoot them.

WHAT TO DO IF THE KEYBOARD HAS BECOME UNRESPONSIVE

I’ve had this happen on a number of occasions. Seemingly out of nowhere, the operating system won’t recognize the keyboard. No matter how many keys I hit, no matter how fast or slow, the keyboard doesn’t respond. Mouse? Sure, it’ll move across the screen and can even interact with the various windows and menus, but the keyboard is a no go. What to do? This one is generally quite simple. Most often a reboot will solve the issue. If not, make sure to check the connection to the computer. Has the USB cable come even slightly unplugged? If so, reset it and try again. If your keyboard is of the Bluetooth type, you need to make sure the connection to the keyboard is still functional. If not, run through the Bluetooth setup process and try again. If that fails, your keyboard battery (or batteries) could be out of juice. Either replace the battery (or batteries) or recharge the keyboard. If none of the above works, you’ll probably have to contact the manufacturer of your keyboard or buy a new one, as it could have died its final death.

SEE ALSO: Ten windows 10 network commands

WHAT TO DO IF THE KEYS ARE STICKING OR DIFFICULT TO PRESS

Stick happens. I’m guilty of this, because I tend to lunch at my desk, eating bagels with peanut butter or some other schmear-y substance. When I find I have myself stuck in a jam, I know it’s time to break out the cleaning tools and give those keys a good cleaning. 

What are said tools:

 • A keycap puller

 • Cotton swabs

 • Isopropyl alcohol 

• Vacuum cleaner

As far as a vacuum cleaner? You’ll want one with small enough attachments that can easily be used over your keyboard. I prefer the Metro Vac DataVac, because it’s incredibly powerful and contains a number of very small attachments which can really get into those nooks and crannies within your keyboard. When cleaning your keyboard, it’s important to get underneath those keys as hair and other types of nasties can find their way under the keys to gum up the works.

WHAT TO DO IF THE LETTERS ARE REPEATING

I’ve had this happen to me. It’s called key bounce and can be a real nuisance. This is caused by keyboard sensitivity settings, which are a part of the operating systems accessibility feature and is necessary for some users. How you resolve this issue will depend on the operating system you use. For example, in Linux (at least with the GNOME desktop), you’ll find it in Settings | Accessibility | Repeat Keys. If that feature is enabled you can configure the delay and speed which will set off the repeat. In Windows 10, open the Control Panel and type keyboard in the Search bar. Click Keyboard and then change the Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate until your keys no longer repeat. In macOS Big Sur, open System Preferences, click on Keyboard, and adjust Key Repeat and Delay until you find the repeat is no longer happening.

WHAT TO DO IF THE WRONG CHARACTERS ARE SHOWING UP ONSCREEN 

Let’s say you typed the letter “a” and “a” did not appear on the screen. What’s most likely happening is your keyboard layout has changed. Your operating system might have switched to another language or another layout, such as from QWERTY to Dvorak. Here’s how to return your keyboard layout to its regular input source (language): 

• In Linux (at least in GNOME), open Settings | Keyboard | Input Sources. Select the correct language you require.

 • In macOS go to System Preferences | Keyboard | Input Sources and select the correct language.

 • In Windows, go to Control Panel | Region | Formats and select the proper region from the Format drop-down. 

To change input methods (such as from QWERTY to Dvorak), do the following: • In Linux (at least in GNOME) go to Settings | Region & Language | Manage Installed Languages and select English Dvorak. • In Windows 10 go to Control Panel | Time And Language | Language | Choose Your Language | Options | Add A Keyboard | United States-Dvorak. • In macOS go to System Preferences | Keyboard | Input Sources | + | English Language | Dvorak. Note: In GNOME, you might have to enable the lesser-used keyboard inputs. To do this, open a terminal window and issue the common:

3 TIPS FOR PRESERVING THE LIFE OF YOUR KEYBOARD

Jack Wallen offers up a few simple tips to saving your favorite keyboard from an untimely death. Maybe you’ve had your favorite keyboard for years and you want to do everything you can to keep it working Maybe it’s been discontinued or it just has the perfect feel for your fingers. With that trusty interface you can type like the wind. Zero errors, zero issues, but it’s starting to show signs of wear and tear. Tragedy is just around the corner. I know this well. Because words are my livelihood, I develop emotional attachments to my keyboards. When I have a keyboard I really love, I’ll do everything I can to keep it in tip-top shape. To that end, I thought I’d offer up some of my best tips for saving your favorite keyboard from a premature death.

HOW TO KEEP IT CLEAN

Although this may seem fairly obvious, I find many people do not heed the advice from that fount of wisdom. Although you might do a great job of not spilling your morning coffee into your keyboard or dropping handfuls of pretzel crumbs over the device, there’s always debris collecting between and under those keys.

 One thing you can do is a daily shakedown of the keyboard. For this, I simply turn the device upside down and give it a bit of a shake. You’ll be surprised at how much falls out from between those keys. 

However, not everything is going to fall out. Yes, you’ll see crumbs, fingernail clippings, and other disgusting bits tumble to your desk, but what you won’t see are the dust bunnies and hairballs that inevitably gather in the shadows of those keys, seeking solace from their own untimely death. 

To combat this problem, I have a couple of different vacuums that I use. One is made specifically for vacuuming computers, the Metro Vacuum DataVac. 

This thing is incredibly powerful and includes very small nozzles that can help you get in between those keys.

 Another option is using a vacuum like a Dyson stick. Remove the long tube and attach the angled nozzle to help suck up that debris beneath your keys. As you’re vacuuming, you might find stubborn hairballs. For that, I use a toothpick and run it between the keys—those hairballs will lift right out and you can finish the job with the vacuum.

Thanks for reading

CHEERS!

By ken