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  • Whether you need to change out a damaged keyboard on your laptop, or you need to gain access to the hardware hidden underneath the keyboard panel for some other purpose, removing the keyboard is normally an easy procedure on most laptop computers. While the specific entry approach will vary from model to model, most keyboards are designed with ease of access in mind.

    Specific Research

    Most major brands and models of laptops have online documentation to show you how to remove the keyboard. Do a search on the Internet for these materials, especially any available video tutorials. If there are no online tutorials available, try to locate an online or downloadable Service Manual for your laptop make and model. Don't overlook asking for help from your laptop maker's technical support desk.

    True for Most Models

    While there is no substitute for specific information about your make and model, most newer laptop keyboards have a common "quick release" feature. Remove the AC Adapter and the battery. Examine the bottom of laptop keyboard and look for any small screw holes that may have a "K" next to them or a pictogram of a keyboard. Remove these screws to release the keyboard from the motherboard package. Next, look at the keyboard closely. In many laptops you will find two or three small indentations or slots just over the top row of keys. If you press on these slots or indentations gently, and push the keyboard forward slightly (towards the screen), this will disengage small hidden clips and the keyboard will pop up out of the plastic base bezel. In other laptops, you may need to gently pry up the thin plastic panel that typically runs across the top of the laptop just above the keys.

    Removing the Keyboard

    At some point in the process, you will often find two or three small screws that hold the keyboard in place. Remove these screws with a jeweler's Phillips head screwdriver and set them aside.

    Ribbon Cable

    Laptop keyboards are connected to the motherboard with a tiny ribbon cable. This cable is always very short; when you first try to remove the keyboard, the short cable will prevent moving it more than a few inches away from the base.

    Ribbon Socket

    The ribbon cable is connected to a small plastic socket. A very tiny sliver of plastic holds the ribbon cable inside the socket. Use a probe or tweezers to move this plastic sliver "chuck" so the ribbon cable will slip out easily. Do not use force on this plastic chuck: it can and will break or crumble. Once the ribbon cable has been disengaged, the keyboard can be removed entirely from the laptop.

    Reassembly

    Reconnect the ribbon cable in the socket and slide the plastic chuck closed. Restore the screws holding the keyboard in place. Make sure the keyboard is seated in the base frame correctly before tightening any screws. Replace any plastic covers and any bottom screws. Reboot your machine and test all the keyboard keys for proper function.

    Source:

    "Repairing and Upgrading Laptops;" Scott Mueller; 2008

    More Information:

    9manuals.com

    YouTube: "Replacing Dell Laptop Keyboards;" 2009

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