Spacebar Intermittently Not Striking

[Mike__OB]

My HP Laptop keyboard space bar does not reflect my all keystrokes intermittently.  If I recognize the ineffective keystroke and go back (when writing text) I have to press harder than normal for the laptop to recognize the space bar press.  I have not spilled anything on my keyboard and my laptop is only 9 months old.  I've updated system firmware (not needed for keyboard), confirmed BIOS is current, ran the HP built-in keyboard test, and cannot see anything visibly wrong with the keyboard.  Any suggestions?

Should I open a support case? 

[GOLD_MASTER]

Hi @Mike__OB,

Thanks for all the checks on your OmniBook 7 Flip 16. If the spacebar only registers when pressed harder, and there was no spill, it is usually mechanical: the spacebar stabilizer or the key switch under it.

Option 1 – Clean and test

1. Turn the laptop off, tilt it and gently blow compressed air under the spacebar edges (short bursts, don't remove the key cap).
2. Test the key at the edges and the centre in Notepad, and in the HP diagnostics (Esc > F2 > Component Tests > Keyboard) to confirm it's hardware.

Option 2 – Rule out software

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and make sure Filter Keys is off.
2. If the diagnostics keyboard test also misses presses, it's not Windows.

At 9 months old, the laptop should still be under warranty. Check at https://support.hp.com/check-warranty and contact HP for a keyboard repair: https://support.hp.com/contact-hp

Let me know how it goes!