Pippin

Pippin 11 months ago friendica

So, my laptop might need its keyboard replacing; the W and O keys both seem to be going wonky - smetimes not registering, ther times registering *after* I hit the next key, transposing them. I know why the W is giong: Minecraft. Not sure why the O is, though.

So, I look at the handy-dandy service manual.

oh.

(Grr. I wonder if there's a way to fix it from the front…)

Removing the palm rest and keyboard assembly

WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer and follow the steps in "Before working inside your computer". After working inside your computer, follow the instructions in "After working inside your
computer". For more safety best practices, see the Regulatory Compliance home page at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

Prerequisites

1. Remove the optical drive.
2. Remove the base cover.
3. Remove the I/O board.
4. Remove the hard drive.
5. Remove the battery.
6. Remove the status-light board.
7. Remove the memory modules.
8. Remove the wireless card.
9. Remove the heat-sink assembly.
10. Remove the coin-cell battery.
11. Remove the system board.
12. Remove the touch pad.
13. Remove the speakers.
14. Remove the display back-cover and antenna assembly.
15. Remove the power-button module.
16. Remove the power-adapter port.

Procedure

After performing the steps in prerequisites, we are left with the palmrest.

Pippin 11 months ago friendica

Phew, looks like there might well have been a way to fix it from the front! I found a video showing technique for removing keycaps without breaking them, which worked nicely. One of the problem keys (the 9) I just took off and put back on, and it seems to be working much better now… no idea why. ("Reseat" is a recognised maintenance procedure though, of course…) The other ones, the W and O keys, I found quite a bit of fluff under. Cleaned out and replaced, it's looking good so far! I really ought to remember the lesson I've learned from watching many episodes of The Repair Shop: 90+% of repairs are actually just a small matter of cleaning ;>