keyboard--6 keys stopped working for no reason!

Sorry to start another keyboard thread when there's another one up, but my problem is different so I didn't want to hijack the other poster's thread.

A group of 6 contiguous keys on my keyboard stopped working suddenly--no spill or any other obvious cause. They keys are letters q, w, a; numbers 2 and 3; and the F4 key.

The computer is a Gateway 450ROG, and old model I've had since 2003. I know I'm lucky to have had it last this long, but I was planning on waiting at least 6 more months before buying a new laptop, so I'm hoping against hope this keyboard issue is fixable. The thing is, it seems on the older laptops keyboards are not removable/replaceable. The individual keys come off but I can't remove the whole keyboard for a thorough cleaning. I removed the 6 keys and used some compressed air under them but no luck. Any suggestions or is this laptop toast?

 

You might want to try a Linux disc. You needn't install it and it will likely tell you if it's a hardware or software issue.

 

Maybe the keyboard ribbon cable has come un-seated. You sure it's just not easy to remove the keyboard... some older models I've seen just required me to disassemble the whole thing, but in the end it was replaceable. It has to be plugged in somewhere. But ZaZ has the idea I would have not thought of. I'm a hardware person... I never think of software until the end..lol

 

Thanks ZaZ and XGS, both your replies turned out to be helpful, even though I wasn't able to fix the problem

I tried a Linux disc and had the same issue. However, while in Linux I thought to try pressing the keys very hard and they started working sometimes when I pressed hard. Back in Windows the same thing worked for awhile, then stopped working. I don't think I was pushing hard enough to break anything, and after time they started working again sometimes when pressed hard, but then stopped again. Very strange. Anyway doesn't seem like a driver thing.

I then found a guide for removing the keyboard. I disconnected and reconnected the ribbon cable, but that didn't fixed it. I also cleaned it as much as I could.

So it doesn't seem fixable. It's weird though, how it happened to those six keys that are all adjacent to each-other and no other keys. So the problem can't be with the individual keys. Maybe one of the pins on the connector gave out??

Anyway, I found a replacement keyboard for the Gateway 450ROG on ebay, but I think I'll just go with a USB keyboard. I've been meaning to buy one anyway, and since I'll only be using this dinosaur for a few more months I don't want to spend $40 on something I won't be using for long. Thanks to you both for your advice, it was fun investigating this issue!

 

Maybe u have pressed numlockk or something that will display something different other than printed on the key.But if there is no response to the keys(like in notepad),then it has to b a hardware issue.
Clean beneath the keys,that might help u.As something may b blocking tht strokes!

 

Next time just buy an external keyboard when key fail on an old laptop. That's what I did on my old Dell laptop. I now use the external keyboard at home with my current laptop. No loss!