Weird keyboard problems....

[Joshua Judson Rosen]

So, this may be only marginally on-topic at best..., but....

I've got this weird problem with the keyboard on my laptop: I've got
a bunch of keys that intermittently become dependent on some other keys.

Every so often, the Y, U, J, 9, comma, Enter, and Home keys all stop working
unless I hold down either W or left Shift or Caps Lock. Then they actually
trigger (though not in a way that's useful since I'm holding down other keys
that prevents software from interpreting them in the normal way...).

I gather that the Y, U, J, 9, comma, Enter, and Home keys are all sharing
a signal line or something, which would explain why they all go out together;
how holding other keys effectively routes around that damage..., I'm clueless.

But I think my question is: how likely is this to be caused by some sort of debris or
corrosion somewhere (under one of the keys? on the contacts on the ribbon-cable?),
and, if so, what would be the right (non-destructive) way of clearing it out?

This can't possibly be a software issue, right?

Anyone dealt with anything like this before?

-- 
"Don't be afraid to ask (λf.((λx.xx) (λr.f(rr))))."