Keyboard Guides & Troubleshooting
Practical, expert-written guides on testing, fixing and maintaining keyboards. Every article pairs with the tester — read the cause, then verify the fix in your browser.
What these guides cover
TestMyKey started as a tester — but a tester is only useful if you know what the results mean. These guides cover the four areas we get asked about most: troubleshooting broken keys, the technical concepts behind keyboard behaviour, hardware choices, and routine maintenance. Each one is written from hands-on experience, with real steps, real numbers and real causes.
Diagnose and repair sticky keys, dead keys and chatter with concrete, tested steps — no guesswork.
Understand ghosting, NKRO, the keyboard matrix and why six keys sometimes drop to five.
Compare switch types, layouts and form factors with the actual numbers — actuation force, travel, key count.
Keep a mechanical keyboard feeling new for years with a simple cleaning routine and the right supplies.
All guides
6 articles, each paired with the tester so you can verify the fix as you read.
How to Fix Sticky Keyboard Keys: Complete Troubleshooting Guide
Sticky keys are usually a cleaning problem, not a hardware failure. Here is the exact process we use to bring a keyboard back from a coffee spill, dust buildup, or sugar residue — without breaking it.
Keyboard Ghosting & NKRO Explained: What It Is and How to Test
Why pressing six keys at once sometimes drops one, what 'N-key rollover' actually means, the USB 6KRO limit, and how to use our tester to find the exact combinations your keyboard can't handle.
Mechanical Keyboard Switch Types: Linear, Tactile, Clicky Compared
Cherry MX Red, Brown, Blue, Black — what they actually feel like, the actuation force in centinewtons, travel distances, and which one matches how you type. No marketing fluff, just measurements.
How to Fix Dead Keys on a Laptop or Mechanical Keyboard
A key that does not register at all is one of the most frustrating keyboard faults. Here is the diagnostic path — software, hardware, ribbon cable, switch — and the fixes that actually work.
Key Chatter Explained: Why Keys Double-Press and How to Fix It
One press, two characters. Key chatter is one of the most annoying mechanical keyboard faults, and the cause is rarely what you think. Here is how to diagnose it, fix it, and prevent it from coming back.
How to Clean a Mechanical Keyboard Safely (Step-by-Step)
A clean keyboard feels like a new keyboard. Here is the safe, thorough cleaning routine we use — from a quick weekly brush to a full deep-clean with keycap removal and switch lubrication.
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