Two posts ago I wrote my notebook had some touchpad/keyboard problems. After Dell confirmed me my notebook is not under guarantee anymore, I decided to open it and fix the problem. And it worked: ha ha ha!!! Luckily the problem was not hardware: simply the key “H” got stuck, even if not visible without disassembling it. I found it activating the BIOS option “Stop on any error”, which informed me of a Keyboard error. I just removed the key “H” (gently with a small screwdriver) and its mechanism (that was probably keeping it pressed) and the touchpad worked again. I put the key and the mechanism back and now everything works. The key mechanism is made of three tiny levers on a gummy ring, as you can see in the picture (where the central lever was removed, showing the central gummy ring). As no key was visibly stuck, the solution came late. Better late than never!
Discuss Biology
January 16, 2008 at 12:08 am |
well who in the world would buy a dell anyway?
well good job, but how the heck did you get those russian letters on the keyboard? handmade by stasia? you guys have too much time
January 16, 2008 at 12:38 pm |
Are Dell laptops known to be bad? The Russian letters are stickers, you!
January 16, 2008 at 10:40 pm |
No. But he is a Maccie, you know…
January 17, 2008 at 11:04 am |
ey sweetheart, you might consider how many times the “maccie” saved your (computer-)life before… hehe
@renzo: no, i am not too much into this dell thing, i just wanted to scare you a little *giggle*
January 17, 2008 at 7:18 pm |
omg now we have two maccie fan here. you and the Greek. anyway, everybody is welcome
January 22, 2008 at 9:43 pm |
and I’m happy, because my laptop work again, after my hгsband use him
(jock 
January 29, 2008 at 6:55 pm |
Na ja…the next move will be to send you to an intensive English course
February 13, 2008 at 7:36 pm |
yeah but HOW did you put it back together??
February 13, 2008 at 7:45 pm |
August 18, 2008 at 5:52 pm |
Anyone ever had the numbers on their keyboard stopp working? only my “5″ and “6″ work,none of the others work.
Any helo on this one??
September 9, 2008 at 12:04 pm |
Sorry for the late reply..but no cue
January 15, 2009 at 5:12 pm |
I would like to know how to reattach the keys to the keyboard. My baby popped off my up arrow button and I can’t get it to snap back on. How do I do this without breaking it?
January 15, 2009 at 5:45 pm |
If I remember it correctly, beneath the key are two small leverages. They’re crossed, so that each one end of them snaps under the key, and each other end on the body of the pc.
Yes, it was not easy to put it back. But if you position the leverages correctly and you push smoothly the key, you’ll make it.
February 21, 2009 at 11:20 pm |
I took m first dell studio back months ago because the keybord and mouse stopped working. It happened with my new one four months in.
Do not buy DELL. Seriously do not buy Dell.
Repaired, this is what happens when i type this sentance normally without hammering each key -
repaied, tis is wat apns we i tpe tis sentace orally witot aerig eac key.
Great product – really!!!
March 9, 2009 at 2:32 am |
I’ve been happy with my Dell, but alas, the warranty is up and the “o” key is gone. I had the peices but have lost them – Best Buy ‘genuises’ say there’s nothing I can do. any thoughts?
March 9, 2009 at 11:36 am |
steal the missing pieces from your best friend’s Dell laptop
Sorry, no idea how to build them back.
September 13, 2009 at 9:36 am |
My Dell Inspiron left ALT key also got stuck and I have to remove it. Removing a key is easy, just pull gently the lower part of the key a little bit upward and after you hear a click, slide the key forward before lifting it completely. Putting it back is the reverse, last-out,first in. Tilt the key a little forward then put it back but position the key a little bit lower than the normal alignment. Slide the upper part of the key forward and when the lock catches, press the key gently down.