the shift keys on my macbook are stuck and wont unstick

[DDRNotchGuy]

i am currently having an incredibly frustrating problem with my mac (mid twenty twelve) where the computer reads the shift keys as permanently depressed

before anyone suggests: i have tried programs like karibiner to try and bybass this it has not worked
i have tried removing the keys and dusting them with compressed air

this too has failed

no idea why this has happened i am not covered by apple care as the computer is second hand
this has been happening on and off for the last few days and each time it seems to last a bit longer

any suggestions at all?

 

[DeltaMac]

there's not much you can do with a keyboard/sticking keys, if those keys don't respond to cleaning/unsticking tricks.
The keyboard can be replaced, but it's not a simple task.
The keyboard itself is only about 20 or 25 dollars. Replacing the keyboard, on the other hand, involves removing everything from inside the case, and lots of twiddly little screws to remove and reinstall.

iFixit has a repair guide, showing how to replace the upper case. You would just stop at the point when everything has been removed, and take the time to replace the keyboard. Then, you can reassemble. It will take several hours for most folks.
This assumes that you have a mid-2012 13-inch unibody (the last MBPro with a built-in CD/DVD drive). If yours is a different model, then you would get to look that up yourself

 

[FilmIndustryGuy]

Compressed air

 

[DeltaMac]

Compressed air

OP said they tried compressed air.

 

[ColdShadow]

this is a common problem with Apple's awful new keyboard..
a true disaster of engineering..
mine has 2 keys (3 and part of space) sticking in and non-functional..
such a pain and worst keyboard I ever seen.
I had some really cheap laptops and some good laptops including MBP in the past and NEVER had keys failing on me.

 

[Bart Kela]

At this point if the problem hasn't been solved, I suggest you bring it to a third party Apple Authorized Service Center, one who will do a diagnostic evaluation and provide a free quote for the fix.

Best of luck.

 

[DeltaMac]

this is a common problem with Apple's awful new keyboard..
a true disaster of engineering..
mine has 2 keys (3 and part of space) sticking in and non-functional..
such a pain and worst keyboard I ever seen.
I had some really cheap laptops and some good laptops including MBP in the past and NEVER had keys failing on me.

Note that the OP has a 2012 MBPro, so your complaint, although important to you, is not relevant to this thread

 

[ColdShadow]

Note that the OP has a 2012 MBPro, so your complaint, although important to you, is not relevant to this thread

That's right,I miss that part, writing numbers in alphabets didn't help either..
also this is MacBook section not MacBook Pro,so I assumed it's regarding MacBook since OP posted in wrong forum section.