I have a Harmony 628 on which some of the buttons have started to fail. It seems as if the problematic buttons are mostly in one general area on the remote...the soft buttons to the right of the screen. Even when you push the buttons completely, nothing happens.

I seem to recall reading a thread a while back about opening the remotes up and cleaning the pads around the buttons but I cannot find it now after multiple searches.

I think I also remember seeing a thread about repairing the contacts which make the buttons "fire." Since I have yet to open the remote, I'm not sure if I need a cleaning or a repair.

Can anyone point me towards existing threads or give me a primer on what to do?

Thanks very much!

Try a search for "repair"; "thread subject only (fastest)" and "entire thread for overall topic"; dawn of time.

You will need to open the remote and use rubbing alcohol on the black carbon pads. They are likely gunked up with something sticky, which blocks the contact to the pcb. Clean them until they aren't shinny. Do the same to the pcb, until all the residue has been removed.