Answer from comPileDriver
4 people found this helpful


OK, my theory: you crushed the membranes underneath the keys that are depressed when the key is depressed.  Look at where those letters/keys are, just like you caught the right side of it, and naturally squeezed hard.  So the question is:  Does the replacement keyboard come as a unit with those membrane switches, or is it just a key layout to go over them?


If it is just the keyboard layout, a local computer shop should be able to replace the membrane switches... some might just be stuck down and need a little help up. 


Answer from pfzlsk
3 people found this helpful

It does sound like a physical problem to me

But the only other possibility that I can think of other than damaged keys is that your keyboard connector may have been loosened. Keyboards use a matrix to determine if a key has been pressed to they get a signal on a column and on a row. A, encoder chip interprets the signals and send out the equivalent ASCII code. If the encoder is on your motherboard board and not the keyboard module, then the cable could have been partially pulled out, disabling a column or two of keys.

When you take the laptop apart, first thing is to re-seat the keyboard cable, and see if that fixes it.


Answer from crispy
3 people found this helpful

Probably is your keyboard

If it was a problem deeper in the computer, you would probably have no keys working at all.


What may have happened is that when you grabbed it, the pressure could have broken a trace (printed wire) on the printed circuit board in the keyboard.  Usually the way a keyboard works is by making a matrix of switches where, for example, "a", "z", "q", "1", "`", and "tab" could be on one column and "z", "x", "c", etc are on one row.  Pushing the "z" key makes a connection between the the corresponding row and column, and the keyboard’s microcontroller interprets that as a keypress on the "z" key.  If you’ve broken the connection to the "qaz" column, the microcontroller will never know that you’ve pressed one of those keys.  Replacing the keyboard will give you a new microcontroller and circuit board, so you should be good to go!


Here’s an article about how computer keyboards work: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/keyboard3.htm


Good luck with your repairs!


Answer from vacuuum
2 people found this helpful

Clean it and try again

My cousin had the same problem with his Dell after he took it with him on a flight.
Some keys just stopped working, he then ordered a replacement keyboard from Dell.
When he was going to replace the keyboard he decided to clean the "broken" one and try it again.
Alas, it worked and has been working ever since.
Now he has a spare keyboard collecting dust.
Just be careful when you're dealing with laptops since they are very delicate machines.
Good luck.


Answer from sandraq22
You can try replacing the keys or the rubber parts individually. The guys at http://www.laptop-keys.com can probably help.


Answer from aznntowl2
Try taking a look at the retainer clip under the key, or the rubber center piece, its one of more the pieces are broken then it will not make contact to the base of the keyboard and therefore it will not work, so you may need to buy a new laptop key or a new keyboard, good luck.