Question : intermittent dead keys while typing

Keyboard typing is suddenly (today) an intermittent, unresponsive problem.  Striking the keys sometimes (even several times while typing this sentence) leaves nothing.  Not blanks or delays.  No response (dead keys).  Speed of typing doesn't appear to be a factor.
I've run antivirus, cleanups, defrags.  No help.

XP Pro, SP3
AVG 9.0.725
Toshiba Tecra A7 laptop

Answer : intermittent dead keys while typing

I forgot, if this is the keyboard on the laptop try the compressed air, also try external keyboard, if external keyboard has same problem then its not the keyboard....

If the external works but internal does not and compressed air does not do anything I would think possibly something got in between the keyboard, this can be anything from water to a foreign object causing a problem...