There’s little as frustrating as a keyboard that isn’t cooperating: every little letter, digit or character that doesn’t work can hinder your workday. If your keyboard decided to go on vacation today, you’re probably asking yourself the question, “How can this happen and what should I do?” In this blog, we answer these questions and more.

Why your laptop keys stop responding

So it seems like your keyboard has a mind of its own, right when you need them the most. In this piece, we dive into the most common causes, so you know exactly why your keys stay in idle mode and what you can do about it.

Does your keyboard already have multiple defects like loose keys, broken keys or faded letters from all the tapping? If so, we strongly recommend that you replace the keyboard or ask one of our specialists for free advice.

Dust and dirt in your keyboard

If some letters, characters or numbers do not work, then there is a chance of dust and dirt accumulation. So it’s smart to do a major cleaning first. Dust, crumbs and other debris can quickly cause keys to get stuck or not respond at all. We’ll get you started with the following steps you can take with home tools:

1. Laptop shutdown: First, turn off your laptop completely and unplug it. Safety first!
2. Whisk out the crumbs: Gently turn your laptop over so that loose crumbs and dust fall out naturally. Give it a gentle tap for extra results.
3. Surface cleaning: Wipe over the keys with a soft microfiber cloth to remove residue and refresh the finish.
4. Test your keys: Restart your laptop and test your keyboard

Additional cleaning tips

1. Use compressed air: Aim a can of compressed air between the keys to blow away stubborn dirt, including in those tricky corners.
2. Slime Putty: Press a little slime putty on the keys and take it off. This rubbery cleaner helps pull residual dust and particles out of the crevices of your keys.

Although you can make a start with everyday cleaning products, for a thorough cleaning we recommend calling in the expertise of ThePhoneLab. Make your appointment right here.

Coffee or tea spilled all over your keyboard

What if you spilled a cup of coffee or tea all over your keyboard? Then there’s a good chance that you’ve suffered acute moisture damage, or over time, liquids will accumulate internally. This not only affects the operation of your keyboard but can also lead to the complete death of your laptop. In such cases, it is also important that your laptop gets a professional moisture cleaning quickly. Do not wait any longer and make an appointment immediately For a thorough moisture cleaning & read: Laptop water damage repair.

Software keyboard problems

Another possibility for your rebellious keyboard is that your computer went haywire for a while. Sometimes programs and not updated drivers cause your keys to not cooperate. A driver is what makes the connection between your hardware (your keyboard) and the software you use (your operating program). Yes, it sounds complicated, but no worries: here is a simple roadmap to solve this problem:

1. Reboot your laptop: Close all programs and give your laptop a reboot, this will give your system a quick power nap.
2. Update, update, update: Check if there is an update for your operating system and keyboard drivers. To do this, open your settings, then go to “update and security”, finally click on “Search for updates” and follow the instructions.
3. Reset your laptop to factory settings: Give your laptop a fresh start and reset it to factory settings, so that all the settings that mess things up fall back into place. Read how to do this safely in; Laptop to factory settings; here’s what to do
4. Check your keyboard with KeyboardTester.com
   Before looking further for a solution, test whether your keyboard is functioning properly. On KeyboardTester.com, you can easily check which keys are still responding. Open the site, press your keys and see immediately if there is a problem. If certain keys don’t work, you know action is needed.
5. Connect an external keyboard
   Connect an external keyboard to your laptop and check that it works. If the external keyboard works normally, the problem is probably with your built-in keyboard and not the software. This will help determine more quickly what solution is needed.

Professional help for your laptop

Whether it’s dirty keys, water damage from coffee or software problems, ThePhoneLab has the solution. At ThePhoneLab, we offer professional cleaning or a replacement of your keyboard, so you can get back to typing smoothly soon. Do not wait any longer and make an appointment today.