Mechanical keyboard key stopped working? Here’s a fix.

Last Updated on June 17, 2023 by Dave Farquhar

Cheap mechanical keyboards are all the rage these days. People will brag on Youtube or on forums about the cheap (probably tenkeyless) mechanical keyboard they found and how great it is. Read the reviews and most people are thrilled. But there’s always someone complaining that a key quit working. In this blog post, I’ll tell you what I do when a mechanical keyboard key stopped working. I’ve fixed several, and you can too.

Mechanical keyboard keys typically stop working either due to the switch getting dirty or an intermittent electrical problem. Of the two, a dirty switch is more common, and it’s easy to fix.

Mechanical keyboards went out of style because they were expensive. But now that good-enough mechanical key switches cost around 10 cents apiece rather than a dollar apiece, they’re making a comeback because many people find a mechanical keyboard nicer to type on. I find they help reduce wrist pain.

Table of Contents

1. Try this quick keyboard fix first
2. Is the mechanical keyboard under warranty?
3. How to fix a broken mechanical keyboard key or switch for $8
4. Why mechanical keyboard keys stop working
5. What if the fix doesn’t work?
6. What to look for in a cheap mechanical keyboard
7. What to do with a broken mechanical keyboard

Try this quick keyboard fix first

Occasionally I’ll have a random key on my mechanical keyboard decide to quit working suddenly. I unplug the keyboard and plug it back in and it starts working again. If your mechanical keyboard key stopped working, it’s not always this easy, but it only takes a few seconds to try. And if it doesn’t work, you’re not out anything.

One of my mechanical keyboards has a detachable cable. I found replacing the detachable cable definitely reduced the issue, if it didn’t eliminate it entirely. Your keyboard may vary, but mine uses a standard USB mini type A cable. It’s a little thicker than the connector on the cables we use to charge an Android phone.

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Is the mechanical keyboard under warranty?

Of course, if the keyboard is under warranty, you could consider sending it back for replacement. But that can be a hassle, and you may have to pay shipping one way. The reason some people throw out their broken mechanical keyboards is because they don’t want that much hassle over a $20 gadget. And, of course, you end up having to go without your keyboard for a week while you wait for the replacement to arrive.

What if I told you that you could fix it yourself for about the same cost as shipping the keyboard back?

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How to fix a broken mechanical keyboard key or switch for $8

If a mechanical keyboard key stopped working, you can fix it for around $8. If that seems a little expensive, the product you use lasts a long time so you can fix more than one key with it if you need to. I’ve used this trick multiple times, most recently on a Redragon mechanical keyboard I bought at the local computer recycler.

You can buy the magic elixir you need at Home Depot, of all places. The fix is CRC QD contact cleaner, which is critical. You need a contact cleaner that doesn’t leave any residue. CRC QD fits the bill, it’s readily available, and inexpensive. A can costs about $8 and lasts a very long time. Other hardware and home improvement stores likely carry it as well.

Fixing a key that quit working just takes a few minutes. First, unplug the keyboard. This is important so you don’t accidentally short out the keyboard and cause permanent damage.

Insert the straw on the spray can’s nozzle. After removing the key cap from the mechanical switch, press down on the key stem and push the straw down into the stem. Give the can one or two squirts. Don’t squirt in more than two squirts. It doesn’t take much for the contact cleaner to do its job.

Now just press the stem up and down and move it side to side for about a minute to distribute the contact cleaner. Flip the keyboard over and repeat pressing the stem, for another minute or so. Then set the keyboard back down and let it sit. Five minutes is probably more than you need, but play it safe.

Replace the keycap, then plug the keyboard in, and you’ll probably find the switch works just fine again.

And of course, if it happens again with another key, you already have the spray, so you can fix it for free.

You can also try compressed air, but the problem is more likely something compressed air won’t help. Compressed air can be effective on dirt, but it doesn’t have any effect on oil. It won’t hurt anything to try though.

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Why mechanical keyboard keys stop working

From what I am able to gather, during the manufacturing process some of the makers of the less expensive types of mechanical keyboard switches don’t get all of the plastic parts completely clean. Once enough of that oily residue from the plastic parts gets onto the metal contacts, the key can stop working.

Contact cleaner dissolves oily residue readily, restoring electrical contact and making the key work again.

Another possible reason this can happen is the common practice of spraying lubricant into the key switches to make them smoother. In theory, if you spray too much into the switch, the excess can get onto the contacts and make the key stop working. But contact cleaner is the cure for that as well.

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What if the fix doesn’t work?

Generally there are two things that can go wrong with they keys on a cheap mechanical keyboard: dirty switches and broken solder joints. The fix with contact cleaner takes care of a dirty switch, but it won’t help a broken solder joint. If you’re comfortable disassembling the keyboard and touching up the solder joint, it’s not difficult. Check the solder joints on the switch for the key that gives you trouble. It might have a dry or cold solder joint.

The TLDR on cold solder joints: If the solder joints are dull or cracked or otherwise don’t look the same as the solder joints on working keys, touch them up and add some fresh solder. It’s not a difficult repair but it requires some level of comfort with a soldering iron. There will be two joints for the switch itself and two for the LED. If either of the solder joints for the switch have a problem, the key will work intermittently or not at all.

Suffice it to say not everyone will be comfortable doing that. But if you are, look at the PCB under magnification and a strong light. Note any solder joint that looks dull or broken. A brief touch-up of any dull or cracked solder joint with a soldering iron can do a world of good.

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What to look for in a cheap mechanical keyboard

One trend in mechanical keyboards is user-changeable switches, also known as hot swappable switches. These keyboards cost more, and the selection of switch types is more limited. But the appeal of a keyboard with DIY changeable switches, such as the Mechanical Eagle Z-77, is that if a single key stops working and you can’t fix it with a squirt of contact cleaner, you can just change the switch. And if you get tired of blue switches and like red switches better, you can swap in red switches. Or a combination if you become a keyboard connoisseur.

If I ever find a DIY changeable keyboard with semi-quiet brown switches like the one I use for work, I’ll buy one in a heartbeat. As it stands, I’m likely to buy one at some point and swap in brown switches.

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What to do with a broken mechanical keyboard

If you have a broken mechanical keyboard you can’t fix and it’s out of warranty, you shouldn’t have too much trouble selling it on Ebay or Craigslist. The keycaps are worth $10 and the switches are worth almost as much to someone willing to desolder them from the board to reuse them.

There are people who build their own mechanical keyboards. They don’t save any money doing this. But someone who builds their own keyboards can spend a bit less on their hobby by salvaging switches rather than using all-new switches. When you list it, just make sure you mention that the keyboard doesn’t work, say what’s wrong with it, and that you’re selling it for parts and salvage only. Especially if the problem is just that one mechanical keyboard key stopped working, someone will want it.

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