# Ke\>-board help (read +he simbols sidewais.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667 "2003-07-20T00:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/1 "2003-07-20T00:59:53Z")
Er… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/2 "2003-07-20T01:01:46Z")
Fortunately your thread title was descriptive enough. Heh. Have you tried rebooting? And by that, I mean shut the computer off completely, wait a few seconds and then power it back on. If that doesn’t work, try removing the keyboard driver under Device Manager (I’m assuming Windows here) and reboot to allow Windows to reinstall it. It could also be a hardware issue. Try hitting the bad keys fairly hard several times. Sometimes contacts get dirty or misaligned, and this can fix that, sometimes. If you have a buddy with a compatible keyboard, try borrowing his and swapping it out. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/3 "2003-07-20T01:24:24Z")
I’ll +rie +ha+. Ac+uallie, I’ve +ried hi++ing +hem hard… I jus+ ge+ a 5 or 6. +his can’+ be anie fun +o read. ie= one of +he 2 le++ers. (Hmm, wonder which one?) ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/4 "2003-07-20T01:34:25Z")
New keyboards cost about $10, and are available anywhere. Some things just aren’t worth the aggravation:) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/5 "2003-07-20T01:52:17Z")
whoa… and i can’+ capi+alize cer+ain le++ers… I +ook ur (oh how I loa+he saieng +ha+… “ur” +ha+ is), and where’s mie firs+ pos+??? i+ disappeared. i can use character map for that letter. and mie ctrl+v doesn’t work… right click, paste for me. i’m buieing another kieboard when i get paid mondaie. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/6 "2003-07-20T02:36:10Z")
If you spilled water or any other liquid on your keyboard, accept that it has gone across the River Jordan and buy a new one. I’ve killed two that way and nothing I did ever helped. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/7 "2003-07-20T03:09:17Z")
Guess that’s what you get when you have a chaotic donkey using your keyboard all day. Hee-Haw! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/8 "2003-07-20T03:43:46Z")
Is this how “leet-speak” started? BTW, did you check to make sure that you don’t have “NUM LOCK” on? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/9 "2003-07-20T04:10:50Z")
Disconnect your keyboard from your computer. Wrap the cord up all around the keyboard so it can’t get tangled in anything. Place upside down (keys facing down) in your dishwasher in the top tray. Run it on a normal cycle, no soap, and make sure the heat dry is off at the end (otherwise you can bake your keyboard and melt it). Take it out and let it dry for at least a day. If that don’t fix it, toss it in the trash. ---
**Author:** ![klockwerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/klockwerk/32/6475_2.png) [@klockwerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klockwerk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/10 "2003-07-20T06:08:20Z")
I know enough about computers… but does that REALLY work? Isn’t there hardware and stuff in your keyboard that could be damaged by water? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/11 "2003-07-20T06:21:02Z")
There’s nothing in a keyboard that is going to get damaged by a nice immersion in water, as long as it’s dry before you turn it back on. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/12 "2003-07-20T10:12:25Z")
If you are using Windows I guess **Start\>Programs\>Accesories\>Accesibilty\>On-Screen Keyboard** might of temporary help. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/13 "2003-07-20T10:41:51Z")
Thanks. On-screen keyboard worked for me! ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ke-board-help-read-he-simbols-sidewais/189667/14 "2003-07-20T13:49:06Z")
Well no problems pal. Your posts look so much better when viewed by not tilting my head.