comment: >
  
  Use exacto knif to scrape off green coating on the broken trace. Then solder a thin copper wire onto the broken trace to the missing pad. Then install the switch and solder the wire to the lead. Use super glue to fix wire to the board.
context: First:  google the m3tt3o “anatomy of a keyboard” article, specifically about how rows and columns work. 
  Second, use a pair of tweezers to figure out which column your switch is on.
  Third, google up a YouTube video on “switch bridge” and bridge with wire and solder to the appropriate spot. >
  
  This. It should work. Wish I found this before. I figured this out the long way for weeks out of desperation tweezering my board with lifted pads.
  I was able to use other rows' solder point and got all keys about 5 of them working (yes i managed to bork about 5 pads), but i must say they are all through trial and error. >
  
  It's not going to a diode, so it was probably the ground pad. Try and see if the PCB registers a keypress when you bridge the other pin of this switch to the ground pin of another switch. If it does, you can just solder the switch on one side and run a wire to another ground, then it'll work. >
  
  Since there are diodes on the PCB, I assume it uses a key matrix (like most keyboards do), it shouldn’t be connected to ground >
  
  You're right, guess I was a little tired when writing that.
  But the fix should still work as long as the other switch is on the same row/column (which one depends on the board, trying it out won't hurt). >
  
  Use exacto knif to scrape off green coating on the broken trace. Then solder a thin copper wire onto the broken trace to the missing pad. Then install the switch and solder the wire to the lead. Use super glue to fix wire to the board. >
  
  I've soldered a lot, and even I have trouble with this advanced maneuver. Traces are really hard to solder to. >
  
  I used to do this for a living. The secret is to have a blade style soldering tip instead of the regular cone style. But yea it takes a bit of practice. >
  
  There are tutorials for this on YouTube, DIY fixing broken/damaged traces, you’ll need copper wire+soldering iron + Exacto knife though >
  
  Watch as above so below. Because to get out of this, you must go deeper. >
  
  How long do you have to hold the soldering iron to the pad for this to happen? I desoldered a keyboard recently and the tough joints that took well over a dozen tries to get probably had the soldering iron on them for over a minute total. Nothing damaged >
  
  You got to heat the fuck out of the pads for this to happen. What are you using to desolder your keyboard. Id recommend using some wick that has some flux on it. It will suck up the old solder without causing anything to overheat. >
  
  Follow the trace and see where it goes. then use some 0.2mm wire and solder it to that point. >
  
  This right here is why I’m still to this day terrified of soldering, and stick to hotswap >
  
  In the future, use better solder, better flux and get either good de-soldering braid or a desoldering gun
  Never, ever, EVER cheap out on chemicals, idk how many times I've seen people be thrifty and get the cheapest solder and cheapest flux and completely decimate a project. This is not the digital world, it's electronics, it;s all about heat transfer and capillary flow and some chemicals perform better than others. Same with tools, tips, etc
  Fixing this is easy, others have mentioned solutions, but again in the future, good chemicals will help prevent over-exposure to heat same with good tools though I've seen more people with good tools not be able to or have to use more heat than necessary due to poor performing chemicals (myself included) >
  
  you could maybe try exposing the traces and then solder bridging to that. >
  
  Appears distressed >
  
  First:  google the m3tt3o “anatomy of a keyboard” article, specifically about how rows and columns work. 
  Second, use a pair of tweezers to figure out which column your switch is on.
  Third, google up a YouTube video on “switch bridge” and bridge with wire and solder to the appropriate spot. >
  
  This. It should work. Wish I found this before. I figured this out the long way for weeks out of desperation tweezering my board with lifted pads.
  I was able to use other rows' solder point and got all keys about 5 of them working (yes i managed to bork about 5 pads), but i must say they are all through trial and error. >
  
  It's not going to a diode, so it was probably the ground pad. Try and see if the PCB registers a keypress when you bridge the other pin of this switch to the ground pin of another switch. If it does, you can just solder the switch on one side and run a wire to another ground, then it'll work. >
  
  Since there are diodes on the PCB, I assume it uses a key matrix (like most keyboards do), it shouldn’t be connected to ground >
  
  You're right, guess I was a little tired when writing that.
  But the fix should still work as long as the other switch is on the same row/column (which one depends on the board, trying it out won't hurt).