A few keys have stopped responding, or the whole keyboard has gone dead. Either way it makes the machine close to unusable, and it is one of those faults where people either replace the whole laptop unnecessarily or struggle on with an external keyboard plugged into a portable machine.
Most of the time it is fixable, and sometimes it is free. Here is how to work out which.
Is it the keyboard or is it Windows?
Rule out software first, because it costs nothing and it is more often the cause than people expect.
Restart the laptop. Obvious, but a stuck driver or a hung process can leave a keyboard unresponsive and a restart clears it.
Plug in a USB keyboard. If the external one works normally, the machine and Windows are fine and the fault is in the built-in keyboard. If the external keyboard also misbehaves, the problem is software or the board rather than the keyboard itself.
Check the on-screen keyboard. Press Windows key and Ctrl and O together, or search for On-Screen Keyboard. Type with it. If that works normally, Windows is receiving input correctly.
Check for a stuck Filter Keys setting. In Windows Settings under Accessibility and then Keyboard, make sure Filter Keys is off. When it is on, it deliberately ignores brief or repeated keystrokes, which feels exactly like a failing keyboard.
Check the language setting. If letters type but produce the wrong characters, particularly the quotation marks, the at symbol and the backslash, the keyboard is working and the layout is wrong. That is a settings change, not a hardware fault.
Reinstall the keyboard driver. Right-click Start, open Device Manager, expand Keyboards, right-click the standard keyboard and choose Uninstall device. Restart, and Windows reinstalls it automatically.
If none of that helps, it is hardware.
What does it mean when only some keys stop working?
The pattern tells you a lot.
A cluster of neighbouring keys dead together usually means damage to that part of the membrane beneath them, most often from liquid.
Keys scattered randomly across the keyboard, with no pattern, often points to the ribbon cable rather than the keyboard itself, because a partially seated ribbon loses some of the contacts and not others.
A single key is usually mechanical. Either the key mechanism itself, or debris underneath.
The entire keyboard dead points at the ribbon cable being disconnected, or the keyboard having failed completely, or the connector on the board.
Keys that type multiple characters or repeat are usually a dirty or worn contact rather than a dead one.
Can a loose ribbon cable cause this?
Yes, and it is worth checking before you buy anything, especially if the machine has been opened recently for any reason.
The keyboard connects to the motherboard with a thin flat ribbon that slots into a small connector with a hinged retaining clip. If that ribbon is not fully seated, or the clip has not been closed properly, you get exactly the symptoms above. Some keys work, others do not, or the whole thing is dead.
This is a very common outcome after someone has had the machine apart to change a drive or clean a fan. If your keyboard stopped working right after a repair, this is the first thing to check.
Reseating it means opening the machine, so if you are not comfortable doing that it is a quick job for someone who is. It costs nothing in parts.
What if I spilled something on it?
Liquid is the most common cause of a keyboard failure, and the timing is often misleading because the failure can appear days or weeks later as corrosion develops.
If it has just happened, shut the machine down immediately, do not wait for Windows to close properly. Unplug the charger. Turn the laptop upside down to let liquid drain out rather than further in. Leave it off and drying for at least 48 hours before trying to start it.
Sugary drinks are worse than water. Water can evaporate and leave the keyboard working. Anything with sugar in it dries sticky and keeps the contacts bridged, so keys stick or type continuously.
Do not use a hairdryer, and do not put it in rice. Heat damages components and rice does very little.
Once liquid has got into a keyboard, cleaning it rarely restores it properly. Replacement is usually the answer. The important thing is checking whether the liquid reached the motherboard as well, because a keyboard replacement on a machine with a corroded board is money wasted.
Should I clean it or replace it?
Cleaning is worth trying if the problem is a single sticky key, obvious debris, or keys that feel gritty. Turn the machine off, turn it upside down and tap gently to dislodge crumbs, then use compressed air across the keys at an angle. Individual keycaps can often be prised off carefully on many models, though the clips underneath are fragile and easily broken.
Replacement is the answer if multiple keys are dead, if liquid has been spilled, if the ribbon is torn, or if the keyboard is simply worn out from years of use.
The good news is that a laptop keyboard is one of the cheaper parts, and on many machines it is a straightforward job. On some it lifts out from the top after removing a few clips. On others the whole palmrest has to come off, which is more work.
How do I order the right keyboard?
Three things have to match, and getting any of them wrong means a keyboard that does not fit or does not do what you expect.
The exact model. Keyboards are model-specific and even machines in the same family can differ. Our guide on finding your laptop model number covers how to get it.
Backlit or non-backlit. These are different parts with different ribbon connectors. A backlit keyboard fitted to a machine whose board does not support the backlight will type perfectly but never light up.
The layout. US, UK and European layouts differ in the shape of the Enter key and the position of several symbols. Someone used to one will notice the other immediately.
With or without a pointing stick. Business machines, ThinkPads in particular, often have the red pointer in the middle, and keyboards come in both versions.
The most reliable approach is the part number printed on the underside of your existing keyboard, on the metal backplate. That identifies the exact variant including backlight and layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have only some keys stopped working on my laptop? A cluster of neighbouring keys usually means membrane damage, often from liquid. Randomly scattered dead keys often point to a partially seated ribbon cable rather than the keyboard itself.
Can I fix a laptop keyboard or does it need replacing? Single sticky keys and debris can often be cleaned. Multiple dead keys, liquid damage or a torn ribbon usually mean replacement, which is one of the cheaper laptop parts.
My keyboard stopped working after a repair, why? Most likely the ribbon cable was not fully seated or the retaining clip was not closed when the machine was reassembled. Reseating it costs nothing in parts.
What should I do if I spill liquid on my laptop keyboard? Shut it down immediately without waiting for Windows to close, unplug the charger, turn it upside down to drain, and leave it off for at least 48 hours. Do not use a hairdryer.
Do I need a backlit keyboard replacement? Only if your laptop came with one. Backlit and non-backlit keyboards are different parts, and a backlit keyboard will not light up on a machine whose board does not support it.
Need a replacement keyboard? Send us your laptop model or the part number from the underside of your existing keyboard and we will match the correct one, including layout and backlight.
