A long shot, I know, but have you tried linking an external keyboard to your laptop via USB or wireless, and then using that external keyboard?
Also, I still have all of the Quicken Help files from the old versions I have used on my computer, and still find them valuable.
As to recovering your files, have you still got any back-up copies on USB drives? I back-up rigorously to a USB both before and then after I record important or complex transactions in Reckon. That way, if the complex transaction does not work as planned, I can recall and use the back-up file as my main file. This technique lowers my stress level and gives me peace of mind.
Best wishes,
Dan Fardon