Laptop Keyboard

I have an old (but top shelf) laptop that the keyboard failed in. After trying to acquire a replacement keyboard (they dont make them any more) I resort to just buying a cheap USB plug in keyboard. The laptop recognised it immediately and we were good to go..😷

Temporary software fix until you get a new keyboard.

There is software out there somewhere that will allow you to reassign one set of keys to other keys. You likely will have to know the ASCII codes for those keys however.

Here's a freebie by MS for windows 10. If you have windows 11, you'll have to hunt for the equivalent...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-remap-your-keyboard

If your "W" key is not working, you can use an alternative method to type it. You can define a key sequence using other keys or use the Windows On-Screen Keyboard. Here are a few options:

1. Using Alt Codes:
For lowercase "w": Hold down the Alt key and type 119 on the numeric keypad.
For uppercase "W": Hold down the Alt key and type 87 on the numeric keypad.
Make sure you have Num Lock turned on for this to work.

2. Using Keyboard Shortcuts with Other Keys:
You could create a text replacement in some applications. For example, you could set up your system to replace something like "uu" with "w". This feature varies by application.
3. Using On-Screen Keyboard:
You can enable the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows by searching for it in the Start menu. Once open, you can click on "W" or "Shift + W" to type those characters.
4. Remapping Keys:
If you're comfortable with software, you can use tools like SharpKeys, AutoHotkey, or similar programs to remap a different key to act as your "W" key.

Open the onscreen keyboard (Windows has one). It is an accessibility option. It looks like a keyboard on a smartphone. You can select W with the mouse or trackpad.

Laptop or desktop?

You can assign that key to some other key that you rarely use. And use onscreen keyboard to use that special character if ever you need that.

You can try typing U twice to make W as a work around. 😜

Rebind the keys or replace the keyboard.