Why Isn't My Keyboard Working?

A keyboard that types nothing, types the wrong characters, or has a handful of dead keys is usually one of a few things. Work through these in order.

1. Wrong layout selected, not a broken key

If certain keys produce the wrong letter — especially Y/Z, Q/A, or M — the OS keyboard layout probably doesn't match your physical keyboard. On Windows, check Settings → Time & Language → Language & region → keyboard layout. On Mac, check System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources. This is the single most common cause of "half my keyboard is broken."

2. Check the connection

For USB keyboards, try a different port — some ports lose power under load. For Bluetooth or a wireless dongle, re-pair it and swap the battery. A keyboard that connects but reports nothing is almost always a connection issue, not a dead board.

3. Sticky keys, filter keys, or a stuck modifier

If normal typing produces odd repeated characters or nothing at all, an accessibility feature may have been toggled on by accident (holding Shift 5 times enables Sticky Keys on both Windows and Mac). Turn off Sticky Keys / Filter Keys in accessibility settings, and check that no key is physically stuck down — a stuck modifier key silently changes what every other key does.

4. Debris under specific keys

A handful of dead keys clustered together (not layout-explainable) is usually crumbs or dust under those keycaps. Compressed air, held at an angle, clears most of it without popping caps off.

5. Driver or firmware, for specialty keyboards

Mechanical keyboards with custom firmware (QMK/VIA) or programmable macro keys can end up with a corrupted layer or remap. Reflash to a known-good layout, or reset to factory defaults, before assuming a hardware fault.