How to Remove Keyboard Keys

How to Remove Keyboard Keys – Keys get stuck on the keyboard, especially if you keep sticky hands. They do not come off and leave traces behind. You are at risk of damaging your laptop keyboard or mobile phone that brings down the cost of repair. You can follow the few steps to fix this problem instead of throwing your device away.

Why Should You Remove Keyboard Keys Occasionally?

Keeping your keyboard in tip-top shape is very important. Stuck dirt that you left uncleaned could be one of the causes of a laptop keyboard not working. That is why you should make sure to clean your keyboard regularly.

You should remove your keyboard keys occasionally to ensure that they are free from debris or anything that can affect its functionality. Also, removing them is an effective method of cleaning the board and the switches underneath. Cleaning your keyboard ensures that the performance will remain at the desired level as well as prolonging their lifespan.

Removing your laptop keys is possible but should be done as infrequently as possible to prevent the keys from malfunctioning. However, if something is spilled on the laptop, removing some or all keys to clean underneath them will be necessary. To safely remove your laptop keys, and reattach them, follow the steps below.

How to Remove Keyboard Keys

Method 1: Removing Keys with a Keycap Puller

1. Acquire a keycap puller tool from an electronics repair shop or online. These small accessories are designed to wrap around keys to remove them without causing any damage to them or the switches they sit on top of. Call around to local electronics repair shops to see if they sell these tools.
   • Keycap pullers come in plastic and wire types. The wire variety is considered better than the plastic kind because they are more durable and less likely to scratch the keys. Both varieties will work just fine to remove keys. However, if you are concerned about scratches you should use the wire kind.
2. Slide the prongs of your keycap puller underneath the edges of a key. If you are using a plastic keycap puller, you should hear a click when it has snapped onto the key. With a wire keycap puller, you will need to twist the handle once the prongs are underneath the key to hook the wire loops underneath two corners of the key.
3. Pull up on the keycap puller to remove the key. The key will slide right off of the switch below that it is attached to. If you need to remove multiple keys, take the key you just took off out of the keycap puller and repeat the process.
   • With wire keycap pullers, you can remove 3 or 4 keys in succession before you need to take them out of the puller.

Method 2: Using Household Tools

1. Use a flathead screwdriver or butter knife as an alternative to a keycap puller. Make sure that the screwdriver or knife blade will fit underneath the keys on your keyboard. Remember to be careful if you are using a knife so you don’t cut yourself!
   • A screwdriver or knife can easily scratch your keys and keyboard, so keep this in mind if you are worried about some small superficial damage your keyboard.
2. Improvise a homemade keycap puller with a paperclip. As an alternative to a knife or flathead screwdriver, you can shape a paperclip to work just like a keycap puller. Unbend the paperclip completely, then reshape it into a “U”, and then bend the ends inwards so that they can hook under a key in the same way a keycap puller works.
3. Slide your chosen keycap puller alternative underneath a key and pry it off. Gently apply upward pressure with your chosen tool until the key starts to lift off. In some cases the key may not come off entirely with the tool, so finish pulling it off with your fingers.
   • Work slowly as you pry up the keys so that you don’t end up launching them into the air, never to be found again!

Method 3: Cleaning and Replacing Keys

1. Clean underneath the keys you removed. Moisten a cotton swab with water or rubbing alcohol to clean underneath the key. Wipe away any dirt or sticky spots in those hard-to-reach places under the key.
   • If it looks like anything is damaged underneath the key, you should take your keyboard to a computer repair shop for inspection.
2. Clean the keys you removed with soap and water. Use a mild dish detergent and warm water to thoroughly clean any keys that you removed and are planning on putting back on the keyboard. If you are washing keys, make sure to dry them off completely before attaching them back onto the keyboard.
   • If you are replacing the keys with new ones, you can just throw away the old keys.
3. Snap cleaned keys or replacement keys back onto the keyboard. Orient the key you want to attach to the keyboard by aligning any holes in the bottom of the key with the plastic pieces that hold them in place on the keyboard. Press down evenly on all sides of the key to snap it back into place.
   • You will hear a click and feel the key pressing down normally when it is attached properly.
4. Finished.

How to Reattach a Keyboard Key

Method 1: Laptop and Low-Profile (Flat) Desktop Keyboards

1. Inspect the back of the key for damage. Turn the key over to make sure that the part of the key that latches onto the keyboard is still in place. You should see a small plastic piece that will attach back onto the keyboard base. Compare the key to the base of the keyboard where you plan to reattach it to make sure that this latch is present. If it isn’t, then you may need a replacement key.
   • Individual replacement keys can be purchased online.
   • There are a variety of laptop keyboards available, which means the reattachment steps may differ slightly than what you see here. If your laptop keys are different from what you find in this method, you may be able to find a video example of key replacement at https://laptopkey.com. Search for your laptop model using the search bar at the top, scroll down to the bottom of your model’s page, and then click View Videos to watch a video of a technician repairing a keyboard similar to yours.
2. Check your keyboard to make sure the base is intact. In order for your key to reattach and work, the keyboard base must still have its parts. Look to see if the rubber nub in the center is still there, as well as the small metal or plastic hooks that will hold the key.
   • The nub is in the center where the key will sit.
   • The metal hooks will fit into the latch on the underside of the key. If the hooks are metal and are bent in such a way that you can’t replace the retainer clip, you can use a pair of needle-nose pliers to gently pry them back into place. Make sure you disconnect the laptop or keyboard from a power source before doing this.
3. Replace the retainer clip if your key has one. The retainer bracket is a separate piece (really, two separate pieces—one fits inside the other) that is usually clear or opaque white. It could still be attached to either the base or the key.
   • First, if the retainer clip has separated into two pieces, you’ll need to fit the smaller piece back inside of the larger piece by aligning the hooks. The inner piece should easily snap into place once the clips are properly aligned.
   • Line up the assembled retainer bracket with the key base on the keyboard. Look at the keyboard base to see how the retainer bracket matches up to the base, and then click the retainer bracket back into place.
   • If you’re having a hard time fitting the retainer back onto the keyboard, you may be able to remove the round pad at the center. Lift it gently from the base, attach the retainer, and then press it back into the center of the key once the retainer is fitted.
4. Hook the side of the key with the latch into place first. If your keyboard has metal hooks, fit the hooks into the latch. Slide that side of the key in first.
   • If your laptop has plastic hooks, slide your key on however you need to so that the key latches onto the hook first.
5. Push the other side of the key into place. After you fit the key onto the hook, gently press down on the other side of the key. You should feel it snap back into place, and you may hear a click.
6. Press up and down on the button to make sure it holds. Test the key by pressing it several times to see if it is securely in place. The key should have a bounce to it.
   • If the key will not reattach, you may need to take it into a computer repair shop. If it’s a Mac, you can take it to an Apple Store.

Method 2: Desktop Mechanical Keyboards

1. Look under the key to make sure it is intact. If you have a mechanical keyboard, as is common with many gaming PCs, reattaching the key is pretty easy. Start by turning the key upside down to make sure the inside of the key is not damaged.
   • If your key is damaged, then you will need to find a replacement from an old keyboard or an online retailer that offers replacement keys.
2. Check to make sure the plunger is intact. Look at the square space where the key will fit back onto the keyboard. In the center of the base, you should see a small, tube-like plunger that will attach to the key. This is the piece that moves up and down as you type. It should be in place and unbroken.
   • Each key has its own plunger. When you press down on the key, the plunger registers that you are pressing down that letter.
   • If the plunger is broken or missing, repairing it is more complicated. If your keyboard is easy to take apart, you can simply remove the switch and replace it with another one. You will typically need to desolder the switch from the base and solder on the replacement switch, an easy job if you know how to solder. If you’re not willing to do this, your best bet is to try a local computer repair shop or buy a new keyboard.
3. Align the key with the base and plunger. Hold your key directly over the plunger. Get down low and turn your head to the side so that you can see the key fitting into the base (your phone’s built-in flashlight may help). Make sure that the key is in line with the plunger. It should fit evenly into the base.
4. Press the key onto the plunger and wait for a click. Gently press the key back into its place on the keyboard. Don’t press too hard because you could damage the plunger. When the key is secure, you should hear a click.
5. Push the key several times to make sure it works. The key should move smoothly up and down, with a similar motion and feel to its surrounding keys.
   • If the key doesn’t move smoothly, detach it and try to line it up again. It’s possible that the key or the plunger is damaged. If you cannot get the key to move smoothly after several attempts, then you may have to replace the keyboard.

Conclusion

We need to do some research about the keyboard that we have. Our purpose can be either to clean or customize our keyboards or both. Nevertheless, the proper procedure should be observed too and our safety should be our priority.