How to fix jammed keys on a laptop

Your laptop is probably dirty. My laptop is probably dirty. At this point in the 21st century, it’s just about inevitable that we all have a speck of dust or two (or three) living where our fingers hang out every day. The good news is keyboards are one of the most modular pieces of modern laptops (with some exceptions, obviously), and are therefore not too difficult to deep-clean should the need arise.

The first question you should ask yourself is how thorough you would like to be. This process can be quick if all you need is a wipe down, or it can be incredibly lengthy if you have a tendency to eat nachos while you type or like to nitpick when you clean. We’ll go all the way to the nitpicky steps in this guide, but feel free to stop wherever you feel satisfied.

What You Will Need

• Opening Picks or something else to pry keyboard keys off your laptop
• Q-tips

Your laptop keyboard (aka: the place where your fingers hang out all day) is probably dirty. 

You may think you can get away with keeping your laptop on while you do this, and you may be right—but believe us, this process is much easier with your laptop shut off.

Step 2: Loose Debris

This is hands-down the easiest step of keyboard cleaning. If you are a busy person, or just don’t have much patience for cleaning, this is still something you should do every now and then to keep larger pieces of gunk from seeping into places you don’t want them.

Take your open laptop and hold it upside-down, so the keyboard is facing the ground. If you have a friend nearby, ask them to hold it for you—it’s easier to see what you’re doing when you don’t have to hold and clean. Run compressed air or a microfiber cloth back and forth across the upside-down keyboard to dislodge any loose debris that may be hanging out around or under your keys. If you notice something is still stuck under a certain key, try tilting the laptop to different angles to get it out. Most laptop keys have tiny edges on them that can trap debris, making it hard for larger pieces to escape out the cracks you see between the keys and the chassis of your laptop. If there’s something under there that you can’t quite get out with compressed air, it’s time for brute force tactics—skip to “Icky Stic-keys” below. Otherwise, it’s time for a wipe down!

Step 3: Grease & Grime

In our experience, this is the most common type of laptop filth. It’s easy to forget about how grimy your keyboard is until someone else points it out, or one of the keys gets stuckkkkkkkkkk. The solution is simple: a little isopropyl alcohol! Wet a microfiber cloth or a cotton swab with the alcohol, and start wiping. You may have to go over trouble spots a few times, but you should be able to get rid of most residue (and bacteria!) this way. After this step, your keyboard should look good-as-new!

Note: Isopropyl alcohol over 90% is generally free of impurities, so you don’t need to worry too much about getting it where it shouldn’t be, but it’s still a good idea to be careful! Whatever you use to wipe the keyboard should be damp, not dripping wet.

Nothing beats a relaxing full-course meal with your laptop—just make sure to wipe it down afterward!

Step 4: Icky Stic-keys

Update, May 2020: Since first publishing this post, we’ve learned a lot more about MacBooks sold between 2015 and 2019 with “butterfly” keyboards. These problematic keyboards can malfunction in ways that make them seem “stuck” or to have grit underneath, but without any real means of fixing them. We recommend checking Apple’s list for its Keyboard Service Program to see if your MacBook qualifies for a free keyboard repair—once Apple’s stores and repair centers are open again. Prying off butterfly-style keycaps should be approached as a last resort.

If you’ve got a sticky key or large debris stuck under one of your keys, find something thin that you can pry with (we use our Opening Picks, but other soft plastic or wood implements can work—just avoid metal). Techniques for prying vary from keyboard to keyboard, but even thin keys can come off in one piece if you are careful. The exception here is spacebar keys, which can be extremely difficult to pry off without breaking. Proceed with caution! Once you have the sticky key removed, use a Q-tip with some alcohol on it to carefully wipe away sticky residue where the key was, as well as any residue on the key itself.

Underneath the key you’ll find the actuation hinge, (also known as a key retainer, or “that white plastic thing”). This hinge can also be a source of stickiness. If yours looks goopy, wipe it down with alcohol or soak it for a minute in some hot, soapy water—just make sure it’s dry before you put it back on the keyboard! If you do take out the hinge (or if it comes out with the key) make sure you take note of the way it is oriented in there—they can be a pain to put back if you don’t know how they are supposed to go in.

If you do happen to lose (or break) a key or a hinge during this process, don’t stress! It’s easy and fairly cheap to replace an individual key, or the whole assembly.

Be careful removing thin keys from your laptop, especially the spacebar!

Step 5: Nitpick

When you popped your sticky key off, you may have noticed that it was like, really gross under there. Pet hair and small crumbs have a tendency to find their way under keys and go unnoticed for years. You may not care about this (remember, we did use compressed air earlier! No more dust!). Or, if you’re of the nit-picky population, it may slowly begin to eat away at you until you decide that something must be done. If you are ready to go all the way, set aside a couple hours and start prying those keys off, one by one. Make sure you keep your hinges and keys organized, and remember that compressed air and Q-tips are your friends!

We hope these tips help you feel empowered to exterminate the free-loading dust bunnies living in your laptop keyboard. If you got hung up somewhere along the way, you can try looking for a laptop-specific keyboard disassembly video online, or check out our iFixit guides that come with step-by-step photos and more precise instructions!

What fixes have you found for sticky, stuck, or crunchy laptop keys? Let us know in the comments, or tell us on our social channels: Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Got questions for Ask iFixit? Ask away! Leave them in the comments, or send them on social media with the hashtag #AskiFixit.

What if a keyboard keeps automatically typing on its own? The keyboard may type the same letter or character continuously for no reason, leaving the user wondering what the problem could be. A jammed keyboard key is a common issue that faces many computer owners. It can be caused by a myriad of reasons, such as driver issues or food crumbs. Luckily, the problem is fixable. Below, we show you how to fix the ‘keyboard typing the same letter itself’ issue so that you can get back to typing normally again.

How to Fix the Keyboard Typing Multiple Letters on Windows 10

Fix 1: Clean the Keyboard

Your computer’s keyboard is an essential component that allows you to enter commands, write texts, and basically use your PC. However, with time, the keys may experience damage, defects, or internal system-related issues. If your keyboard is stuck typing the same letter repeatedly, it indicates that that particular key is stuck.

To address the issue, we are going to start with the basic troubleshooting step – cleaning the keyboard physically.

Most people work on their laptops or desktops while enjoying a snack or eating lunch. As a result, food crumbs may find their way under the keys. When food particles or liquids get into the keyboard, the keys might get sticky and cause the keyboard to keep pressing the same letter over and over again. To resolve this, try cleaning the entire keyboard using canned air or an air blower and a dry brush to see if it stops. An old toothbrush can also do the trick.

The same case can happen if your keyboard is too old. Due to wear and tear, the keys might begin to stick physically – that is, they don’t release back when you press them to type – so the keyboard keeps repeating the same key or multiple keys. When this happens, it might be a sign that you need to replace your keyboard.

Fix 2: Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

Windows 10 comes with built-in troubleshooters that help to identify and fix various PC issues on your computer. The keyboard troubleshooter is designed to fix keyboard-related issues, especially if they are caused by system-related settings. Here is how to use the troubleshooter:

1. Press the Windows logo on your keyboard, type in “troubleshoot”, and select “Troubleshoot settings”.
2. This will open the “Settings” app, with the “Troubleshoot” tab selected by default.
3. Find the “Keyboard” option and select it to reveal the “Run the troubleshooter” button. Click on this button and allow Windows to initiate diagnostics. Once it’s done, it will display the results of the scan and the suggested fixes. Apply them all and restart your PC.

Try pressing the problematic key to see if it is now working correctly.

Fix 3: Disable Filter Keys

The Filter Keys functionality in Windows 10 allows you to control the keyboard repeat rate and ignore repeated keystrokes. It’s a useful feature for people with hand tremors or inaccurate finger movements.

However, this feature can lead to problems, especially for fast typists. Disabling Filter Keys may provide the solution in your case:

1. Open the “Settings” app using the Windows logo key + I combination.
2. Open “Ease of Access” and go to the “Keyboard” tab in the left pane.
3. Find the “Filter Keys” option and check if it’s enabled. If it is, click the toggle button to turn it off.

Fix 4: Configure the Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate

The repeat delay in Windows 10 describes the pause between pressing a key and when it starts repeating while you’re holding down that particular key. The repeat rate defines the speed at which the system repeats the character of the key you’re holding pressed. Changing these settings might help to resolve the issue:

1. Press the Windows logo key, locate the Control Panel, and open it. Alternatively, press the Win + S key combination to open Windows Search. Type “Control Panel” (without quotes) into the Windows search box and press “Enter”.
2. In the “View by:” drop-down, switch to “Large icons”.
3. Find the “Keyboard” applet and select it. This will open the “Keyboard Properties” window.
4. Under the “Speed” tab, move the “Repeat delay” slider towards “Long” and the “Repeat rate” slider towards “Slow”.
5. Click Apply > OK.

Fix 5: Update or Reinstall the Keyboard Driver

Your system needs device drivers for the corresponding hardware, like the keyboard, to function properly. If the keyboard driver is outdated, damaged, or missing, it might lead to errors like the keyboard typing the same or multiple letters repeatedly by itself. The best option is to install the latest keyboard drivers.

Below we show you two methods to update the keyboard driver: manual and automatic.

Manually Update the Keyboard Driver

1. Press the Win + R shortcut, typedevmgmt.mscinto the “Run” dialog box, and press “Enter” to open Device Manager.
2. Expand the “Keyboards” option, right-click on your keyboard, and select “Update driver”.
3. Select “Search automatically for updated driver software” and wait patiently for Windows to search online for the latest driver. If an update is available, it will automatically install it on your PC.
4. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

You could also try reinstalling the driver:

1. In the “Device Manager” window, expand the “Keyboards” section, right-click your keyboard and select “Uninstall device”.
2. Confirm your selection and select “Uninstall device”.
3. Restart your PC. Windows will detect the missing driver and automatically install it for you. Alternatively, go to “Device Manager” and click on “Scan for hardware changes” to install the keyboard driver.

Automatically Update Your Keyboard Driver

In some cases, updating your drivers via Device Manager may not install the latest driver versions. A better method would be to use a reliable third-party program like Auslogics Driver Updater. This tool is designed specifically to fix driver-related issues on your PC.

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