# How do I put a keyboard key back on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770 "2011-02-27T03:04:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/21 "2011-02-28T07:53:40Z")
> [@shellofmyformerself](#): > > I took it in but the piece is indeed broken in one corner so it won’t stay hooked into the metal part. I am debating sending it in versus trying to order a key and fixing it myself. If you can order spare key, do so. Installing keys onto HP notebook keyboards is very easy. No need for a service call, it’ll take you twenty seconds if you have an unbroken key. ---
**Author:** ![shellofmyformerself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/22 "2011-03-01T00:03:44Z")
I went out to several sites to order a replacement key but I can’t find one that looks like my key. This is frustrating! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/23 "2011-03-01T00:18:32Z")
My last laptop was missing the 6 key. I had the key but the process of hooking up the little spring thingee was beyond me, way beyond me. Take it to a repair shop and get it fixed. I’m betting it’s beyond a mortal to reattach one of those. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/24 "2011-03-01T02:33:40Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > My last laptop was missing the 6 key. I had the key but the process of hooking up the little spring thingee was beyond me, way beyond me. Take it to a repair shop and get it fixed. I’m betting it’s beyond a mortal to reattach one of those. I reattached one on my brother’s laptop. Does that make me a God? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/25 "2011-03-01T08:20:37Z")
> [@shellofmyformerself](#): > > I went out to several sites to order a replacement key but I can’t find one that looks like my key. This is frustrating! Check on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/26 "2011-03-01T08:26:57Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If you’re cheap, you could remove one of your unused keys (Windows button, scroll lock, a spare ALT, menu key, whatever) and use that. You could even get a sharpie and write “R” on it. My dog stepped on my keyboard and the scroll lock key was broken off. It turns out that that is one of only 2 keys which I have never needed or used. Trying to remove one on purpose might break it, though. ---
**Author:** ![shellofmyformerself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770/27 "2011-03-02T01:52:53Z")
I took my laptop to work today to work on a paper during my lunch hour. One of the computer guys came in the office for something else and noticed my missing key. He offered to take it back to his office to look at it and had it fixed in about 8 minutes! 😃 Don’t know why it never occurred to me to ask him! rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr See?? Good as new! rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-a-keyboard-key-back-on/572770.md?page=1)