# Mending a broken Remote Control **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824 "2007-12-31T18:20:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/1 "2007-12-31T18:20:54Z")
A few weeks ago my DVD player remote went on the fritz so I phoned the electrical help dept. of the store I bought the DVD player from asking if I could purchase another remote. The very helpful lady I spoke to told me to do the following. 1. Take out the batteries 2. Starting at top left press every single button just once going left to right on each level from top to bottom 3. Replace batteries and try again It worked by all that’s holy. :eek: my zapper is as new I asked the lady how did this work, she wouldn’t say but she did volunteer the info that the above procedure should work on any remote. So, how did it work? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/2 "2007-12-31T18:32:22Z")
Magic. Really. (probably removing and re-inserting the batteries cleaned the battery contacts.) ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/3 "2007-12-31T18:37:36Z")
What exactly was the problem with your DVD remote? Sticky keys or keys not working or something similar? Or was it just not working at all? ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/4 "2007-12-31T18:46:14Z")
My WAG: most remote problems are probably caused either by a key being stuck (even if it doesn’t appear to be depressed, the contacts might be sticking) so that no other keys respond, or by a layer of dust or corrosion on the battery contacts. Removing and reinserting the batteries provides friction on the contacts to rub through a thin layer of buildup. Pressing each key is to “unstick” any keys that might have gotten stuck – if you don’t use the key often, it could have gotten stuck without your knowing it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/5 "2007-12-31T18:51:57Z")
A method someone advised here a while back which worked for mine was pointing the remote at the TV and holding the power button down for a while, no battery removal needed. And why four gay themed ads at the bottom of this thread- does remote control have another meaning in the gay community? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mending-a-broken-remote-control/431824/6 "2007-12-31T19:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=chorpler] What exactly was the problem with your DVD remote? Sticky keys or keys not working or something similar? Or was it just not working at all? [/QUOTE] Nothing worked, dead as a doornail,flat as a witches tit and so on. Tried changing the batteries for brand new ones, still nothing. Tried cleaning battery contacts to no avail. However, I must say that I hadn’t used my DVD player in quite a while so what **Roland** said could be the answer