Updating Linux and certain keys on your corsair keyboard broke

Recently I was upgrading my Linux distribution (specifically, fedora, but I’ve had this happen on Ubuntu & Debian), and ran into a weird problem where parts of my keyboard weren’t working. I’ve got a Corsair keyboard, and I’ve had this happen a couple of times.

It turns out that once in awhile, for whatever reason, the keyboard needs it’s own reset. While I haven’t narrowed down the culprit, the fix is relevatively easy:

  1. Unplug the keyboard.
  2. With the keyboard unplugged, hold down the ESC key.
  3. While holding down the ESC key, plug the keyboard back into the computer.
  4. Keep holding the ESC key until the keyboard begins to flash. This can take a few seconds, be patient.
  5. Unplug the keyboard again, then plug it back in.