How a Stuck Key Saved My Laptop (and My Sanity)


It's funny how we take some things for granted, like the sun rising, grass growing, and our laptops working when needed.

But not always (just the laptop bit).

And it always happens when you're in a hurry. Sometimes the solution is right in front of you (more on that later).

My day was going well until my computer froze. Panic set in (it's strange how emotional I get). I went through my recovery steps.

No issues with the mouse batteries. My go-to fix, Alt-Ctrl-Delete, did nothing. Time for drastic measures.

I hate hitting the power button when the computer is running, but it usually works.

After a few minutes, I turned it back on. Same problem. Now I was in trouble.

Using keyboard shortcuts, I ran a virus scan—nothing. Time for a Windows reset. Not ideal because of all the data I'd lose.

I bit the bullet and did the reset. It failed. I contacted support, and they suggested a remote reset from another computer. I'd lose everything.

Things got worse. Every time I clicked, I got a line of sixes: 666666666666666666.

Looked like a virus. I was a goner.

I back up to Google Drive, but it's hard to find anything, and reinstalling everything would take days.

Then Donna, my wife, had a great idea: try another mouse.

That made me think. I have another keyboard on my desk, which is always connected to my laptop.

I checked and found the keyboard had fallen, pressing the number six key. That was the culprit.

I put the keyboard back, and my laptop worked perfectly again. I couldn't believe it.

But it doesn't end there.

I immediately bought software that backs up my computer 24/7. Now, if this ever happens again, I can restore my computer with the push of a button. I should have done this years ago; I'm much less stressed now.

You can get a free one-month trial here and don't forget to use this code for a discount BAM2024

One less thing to worry about.

Anyway, get out there mow lawns and have fun

Stuart

Hi and Welcome to my page

Build a Six-Figure Lawn Care Business in Your Spare Time. Stop trading time for money. Get one short, actionable tip delivered to your inbox every morning to help you work smarter and scale faster. Privacy Note: Join 5,000+ pros. 100% privacy, zero spam.

Read more from Hi and Welcome to my page

You’ve got the mower. You’ve got the trimmer. Your gear is shiny and sitting in the shed, ready to go. But the phone isn't ringing. No calls. No texts. Just silence. It’s a sinking feeling. You start wondering if there’s actually any work out there. There is. Plenty of it. The problem isn't the market—the problem is that nobody knows you exist yet. You’re invisible. Most guys handle this by using the "scattershot" approach. They try five different things at once. They spend a fortune on...

I remember the early days. I spent half my time knocking on doors and dropping flyers, hoping for a bite. It was a grind. I felt like a hunter who couldn't find any tracks. Then I figured out the secret to the "Google Map." I set up my Google Business Profile properly, and suddenly, the game changed. Now? We get 3–4 calls every single week for our own lawn care business from that one profile. No flyers. No cold calling. Just people searching for "lawn care near me" and finding us. Here’s the...

It was 8:15 AM. I was sitting in a queue behind a school bus. I looked at the fuel gauge. Then I looked at the traffic. Then I did the math. I was burning money I hadn’t even made yet. With gas prices where they are, fuel has officially become our #1 overhead. It’s frustrating. It’s a gut punch. But at the end of the day, we still have lawns to mow and bills to pay. Here is the reality: Since we can’t control the price at the pump, we have to control the path of the truck. It’s your business....