Q&A for How to Repair Dell Laptop Keyboard Keys

Sometimes an unresponsive key is just dirty and can be carefully popped off, cleaned, and restored. If that doesn't work, a full keyboard replacement may be necessary.

Make sure the language on your Windows OS is the same as for the keyboard, or change the keyboard.

First make sure your number lock ("NumLk") is off. If it is, you may need to take it in for repairs.

Carefully try to take it out with a key or scissors, and clean the contact part of the keyboard.

Check under the keyboard for any dirt or crumbs that may be stuck in between the keys and use short blasts with a spray duster to dislodge. Gently shake your laptop/keyboard from side to side to relieve stress under the keys. If this doesn't work, try getting special "Keyboard Slime" that you can mold and lay across the board. When it sets, it will pick up the dirt underneath the keyboard.

You should either try to pry it up, or you could keep pressing it with lots of pressure and it will pop up.

You don't need to replace them. Depending on the color, use a black or silver Sharpie to neatly write on the key. If you don't know what key it is, look for the letter/number/symbol that is missing, or Google a keyboard and check the key layout.

You may have something lodged underneath the key, causing it to tilt. Use an air duster to try and dislodge the item; if it doesn't work, you may have to remove the key, clean underneath, and replace.

You can remove the rubber cup and see if it works when you press the keyboard membrane; if not, then you need to replace keyboard, as the circuit under keyboard membrane is bad.

When keys do not respond, you likely need to replace your keyboard. because replacing the key won't fix this issue. You can remove the rubber cup and see if it works when you press the keyboard membrane, and if not, then you need to replace the keyboard.

This can often be the case when something is spilled on the laptop's keyboard, damaging part of its circuit board. You will likely need to replace the laptop's keyboard; if you're not comfortable disassembling your laptop, you'll need to take it in for repair. In the meantime, you can hook up a standard USB or Bluetooth keyboard to use externally with your laptop.

When the key does not respond, you need to replace the keyboard because replacing the key wont fix this issue. You can remove the rubber cup and see if it works when you press keyboard membrane, and if not, then you need to replace keyboard as the circuit under keyboard membrane is bad. Even if it's just one key not responding, you need to replace keyboard. You can only replace keys to fix the issue if the key still responds but the top parts are broken. You can buy replacement keyboard from laptopkeyboard.com

No, it would just make all the letters upper case. If you turn it off, the letters will all be lower case.

There could be several problems here, but I can offer a few solutions. One of your problems could be that you have a bad keyboard driver. Just reinstall the driver and that might fix it. Or, the actual keyboard could be broken. That is hard to fix, so I'd suggest you get a Bluetooth or wired keyboard and use that.

Laptopkey.com is a good source to buy keys from; they also have thousands of videos showing how to repair, reinstall and dissemble keys on many specific laptop brands. You can also keys and clips on Amazon and eBay.

Every word you type is gonna be a new "Save" to the file, before that countdown erases your newly typed words. Check to see which key that does that and make a work around. It is also time to get the keyboard to be repaired by a professional. Don't attempt to do that yourself because the laptop is hard to take apart and it is hard to get back on.