I have this weird problem since yesterday. Yesterday, Sunday night, I returned from my hometown to where I live and I noticed that some keys on my keayboard don't work, namely the "comma" "PgDn" and the right parenthesis ")" or zero. I mean they don't work either when writing in Word texts or on the internet! (those I've written here, I did by copy-paste from a previous text of mine). I remember that before I shut down the PC for the last time on Thursday evening, I let it perform another upgrade on the Win10 OS (since it prompted me to do so in the shutting down menu).

I haven't found what's causing it. I've read about the Nvidia experience, but I don't have it. I can guess it was caused by the upgrade, but what can I do? Wait until it prompts me for another one, and hope it will be fixed?!!

Make sure it isn't hardware related by first testing the keyboard in another environment, then if it's not, go use your preferred search engine and type "restore keyboard drivers" + OS you're using.

I've found out that the letter buttons j and q don't work either (I've also copied them from elsewhere!). Then I opened a game where I was using letter q, before Thursday, and it doesn't work in the game either! So it really must be hardware related (I don't have somewhere at the ready to try it). But what happened during the weekend? The PC was closed! I wasn't at home!! Also I've unistalled and reinstalled the drivers many times. To also note that my keyboard is the AOC gk200 and I bought it in this summer!

Edit: I've also opened the virtual keyboard and these keys don't work there either (unless I press them using the mouse).

That's a pretty weird problem and certainly not one I'm having here. Are you sure the layout wasn't accidentally changed to QWERTZ or something odd? I'd check by plugging it into another device.

Have you tried using a key tester online? There is one I generally use to test if it's a game I'm in or the keyboard itself that is failing.

Is your keyboard wireless or attached? I've had issues with wireless keyboards working for several years. For example, the keyboard I have hooked up to my old laptop won't let me use certain letters and symbols either. And a funny one is that it will let me type "b" but never "B" (capitalized). If I hit "b" the letter "b" shows up as normal. If I hold down the shift key and hit "B" absolutely nothing happens. Same is true if I use CAPS LOCK. No "B". It also won't let me use the right parentheses ")" but it will the left one.

And even on this new laptop with this different keyboard, I will often hit keys and get no response. But it doesn't last. A minute later I can hit the same key and it works, which is unlike the example with the other keyboard and laptop in which there are never any "B"'s or ")"'s.

I have often wondered [...let me adjust my tinfoil hat for a second..] whether there is some external interference going on. Wireless devices are, when you think about it, just another way to access a computer. I can easily imagine nefarious persons (or governments) wanting to use wireless devices as a means to gain access to devices they may not otherwise be able to access. [Okay I'll take my tinfoil hat off now.]

But I don't think it's a stretch to say that with wireless keyboards that some sort of over the air interference may affect it's operation.

Hmmmm... other than getting a different keyboard, using the on screen virtual keyboard option may work, or look up 'Character Map', which gives access to all characters in whatever font you're using, you can select characters (several or a few), then copy and paste them.

Another option may be to memorize a few numbers. An old trick that sill works is you can hit ALT+number, and the number you type in matches the ASCII input code. So ALT+65 = A. Not sure about Page up/down, but regular characters should be workable; Not sure about Unicode.

) - 41
, - 44
0 - 48
< - 60 Could be, or sounds to me more like some sticky fluid got down into the key and is getting in the way... or even some built up hair just high enough to not let the key press down enough. And unless you're DIY (to use rubbing alcohol to fix it) it seems more likely to just get another keyboard.

ANOTHER option, may be to use AHK, which is good for writing letters, not so much for playing games. Decide on a series of symbols to replace said character. If we go above/below the symbol then something like `p[p` could be 0, and `p[]` could be ). (Though if you're a programmer, p[] might actually be usable....)

I can easily program this if requested.

I've had similar for a week due to a borked (and forced) win 10 update on the old laptop that initially just messed with a few keys (most obviously enter / return) and has now messed up the dual boot Linux grub thingy.

In my case I'm just gonna plug in an external keyboard and see if i can wipe it and start again (this time without windows as i mostly just use it for the odd film / some browsing).

Edit: Actually, i did have a laptop a few years back had the same issue but when booting a live linux USB it didnt - fairly easy way to check if its a windows issue or not (presuming the dud keys dont prevent you from doing that).

If I remember correctly the number must be typed by numpad.

In my opinion, it's a hardware problem.

Unless it's an unusual situation. Hypothetically, the keyboard (ECU) is set to some language that is not installed in the operating system. Some letters looks similar depends on language but they have different codes, keyboard sent the code of the letter that OS doesn't recognize.
But I don't think that's actually possible. It's nothing unusual. Some connection/path or ECU is broken that only affect specific combination. One fault can affect buttons that are very far apart. I think with the ECU it makes no difference whether the capital letter is created by Caps Lock or Shift. If only one of them is failing, I would think it is a mechanical problem, otherwise an electrical one but it depends of product. Maybe you have high humidity or not stable electricity that quickly destroys weak spots. Many manufacturers use the same solutions/suppliers.

Yeah looks like it as i quickly tested it on this machine; Though i'd prefer numpad over the 0-9 over the keyboard anyways.

Though if it's a hardware thing (keyboard translates the code) or if it was a built-in feature in the BIOS and/or windows i don't know.

Yeah I'm sure you're right. But, I'd still bet good money (if I had any) that as I type this someone somewhere is trying to figure out how to possibly use wireless accessories to a computer to manipulate such. I mean, after all, that's what a wireless keyboard does, it wirelessly sends commands to the computer that the computer follows.

ADDED: Just to try and explain what I mean. Let's say you have a wireless keyboard, and you are an expert programmer. You can set at your chair some distance away from the computer itself to write code that has the computer do X, Y, and Z. You could even write some malicious malware in order to unleash it on others. It seems to me then it's at least plausible that if someone else could "fool" the computer into thinking the malicious malware being written is coming from your wireless keyboard and then viola, access and even virtual ownership of said computer.

Or, you know, I've got my tinfoil hat on too tight again.

qwertz/qwerty or something like that would not cause keys not to work at all, it would just cause different characters to end up on the screen.

To me it sounds as if his keyboard is busted.

@OP check for coffee inside the keyboard.

I agree with neumi5694 that the keyboard is busted. If you have a caretaker at this home, you might want to ask if they've wiped the keyboard with any solvents that aren't 90%+ IPA/rubbing alcohol since water can damage the contacts.

IMO, easiest is to take the keyboard and plug it into another working device like another desktop/laptop and if that doesn't work, get a new one. The chances of the keyboard failing on 2 different devices would quickly eliminate almost all likelihood of software issues.

Find the absolute cheapest wired keyboard you can find and buy it to use as a tester. Go from there.