Keyboard issues

[James Takac]

Hi Boden

On Sunday 08 August 2010 19:01:26 Boden Matthews wrote:
> This laptop is way out if warranty. It's an ex-business laptop, and as a
> result as seen quite a few hard years. Parts of every key have gone smooth
> from the all the typing.
>
> Regards,
> Boden Matthews
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 08/08/2010, at 9:42 AM, Dave Hall <dave.hall at skwashd.com> wrote:
> > On Sat, 2010-08-07 at 14:58 +1000, Boden Matthews wrote:
> >> On 07/08/10 13:47, Martin Visser wrote:
> >>> Spraying quantities of isopropyl alcohol into the key switch might
> >>> dislodge or clean corrosion or gunk that is between the contacts.
> >>> Prise the keytop off and spray while hammering on the switch.
> >>>
> >>> (This is not professional advice so all risk is yours).
> >
> > [...]
> >
> >> Prying the control key off, I discovered some corrosion in there, and
> >> the isopropyl alcohol did the trick. Thanks Martin!
> >
> > If the machine was still under warranty could have claimed a new
> > keyboard.  I'm on my 3rd keyboard on my 2 year old Dell D830.  Laptop
> > keyboards usually last 12-18 months for me.  It is surprising how much
> > firmer a new keyboard feels after you swap it.  You don't notice the
> > slow degrading of the old one until you have a comparison.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Dave

I'd agree it sounds more likely a corroded or work key contact. As I'm not 
familiar with your laptop I'll take into account it might have one of those 
keyboards on which the contacts are a conductive rubber and the circuit board 
is actually a conductive ink on plastic. I've had success with 2 methods on 
these.

1) Try cleaning the rubber base of the key and the contact pad on the circuit 
board with cleaning alcohol as mentioned earlier. If that doesn't work on 
it's own then

2) super glue a small piece of aluminium foil to the rubber pad of the key. 
This often revives the key. Of course make sure the key is completely clean 
otherwise the foil will come off

Again that assumes the non mechanical version of the keyboard

James