How to fix keys on a laptop. How to insert a key in a laptop

Quite often, people encounter the problem of a torn button on a laptop. If this problem has overtaken you, do not despair and do not run to buy a new keyboard. The button can be easily repaired.

If the button not only comes off, but also splits, then you will have to throw it away. You can try to glue it together with superglue, but such a design will most likely be short-lived. By contacting the service center, you can purchase a new button. Or try making it yourself: make a mold from plasticine and fill it with epoxy resin, lower the contact into the desired place. You can even out the unevenness of a homemade button using sandpaper. The key is attached to the keyboard using a special rocker (several parts connected by a hinge principle). If the rocker falls off along with the button, disconnect the rocker and carefully replace it. Now insert the protrusions on the rocker into the grooves of the lid. When the ears are in the grooves, lightly press the button and lock it in place.


In the case where a large button (spacebar) comes off, keep in mind that it has a metal stabilizer underneath it, which regulates uniform pressing. This button should be attached a little differently. First, insert the ends of the stabilizer into the holes provided for this. Secure the bottom of the rocker into the grooves. Reinstall the button itself.

The main thing is don’t rush and don’t get upset if something doesn’t work out. First, take a closer look and understand what is attached where, and then start repairing.

Sometimes, as a result of improper handling of the laptop or due to a strong impact, the keys fall out. While inserting it into place on a desktop keyboard is easy, it requires some skill. If you are not ready to put the key back in place yourself, then you should contact a service center. Specialists will be able to perform all the necessary actions within five minutes. And the cost of this service does not exceed 100 rubles.

They can fall out for several reasons. Here are the main ones:

  • a strong blow to the laptop or keyboard;
  • independent attempt to remove debris from under the buttons. As a result, some of them may fall out;
  • excessive pressure on the keys while working with a laptop;
  • liquid getting inside.

There are several options for keys not working. Depending on this, you should carry out repairs yourself or contact specialists. If the reason is a short circuit or damage to the cable, then you should definitely contact a specialist.

Important! The button has so-called antennae. If one of them breaks as a result of external influence on the keyboard, then it is necessary to completely replace the button. Otherwise, it will constantly crash. Replacement of the keyboard is required when the matrix is ​​broken, as a result of which it is impossible to restore full functionality of one or more keys.

What is required for self-repair

If you decide to insert the key yourself, then you will definitely need a needle and a paper clip or items that can replace them. If you need to make minor repairs, additionally take a soldering iron, knife, screwdriver, glue and small tweezers.

Important! Incorrect actions may result in the need to completely replace the keyboard on your laptop. Therefore, if you do not have the skills to repair computer equipment, it is better to turn to specialists.

What is a keyboard button on a laptop?

Here are the elements that make up a button on a laptop:


Important! Make sure the swing is attached to the plastic part completely, otherwise it will fall out.

The process of installing a button on a laptop

Before installing the key, you must carefully examine the swing to ensure its integrity. If any part is damaged, you will need to change the button from specialists or order it yourself from specialized stores.

The installation process is as follows:


Important! If the cover falls out along with the swing, then it is necessary to install these parts separately from each other, as indicated above. If you do not disassemble these two parts, then there is a high risk of damage to the antennae by which the button clings to the keyboard.

Installation of large buttons occurs as on a regular keyboard. There is a small metal stabilizer that needs to be inserted into the grooves on the keyboard. And then you will need to lift it in order to install the lid strictly on it. If the installation is done incorrectly, there will be no springing effect.

If the key antennae are broken, but you manage to find them, you can use super glue to fix them.

Video - How to insert a button in a laptop

Having learned the structure of the button and a number of simple operations for removing and installing it, the user will be able to independently fix a minor breakdown or replace the faulty key with a new one.

How to insert a button into the keyboard on a laptop

A laptop, unlike a personal computer, has a built-in dialing device, the cost of which is significantly higher due to its compact size and integral design. That is why its repair, including independent repairs, is constantly in demand and economically justified.

With prolonged use and active use, parts of the keyboard fall out or break, requiring replacement, quite often.

However, before you run to the service center, let’s try to figure out whether you can insert a button into the laptop keyboard yourself at home and, perhaps, save money and personal time.

Possible reasons

There can be many possible reasons for keys breaking or falling out:


To understand what this leads to and determine the likelihood of self-repair, consider the following cases when one or more keys have fallen out or do not work:

  1. the upper part simply jumped out of the mounts, got stuck, the plastic mount broke, or the fixing lugs on the aluminum base of the keyboard were bent. - We install, repair or replace ourselves;
  2. there was a short circuit and/or destruction of the conductive paths due to a manufacturing defect, liquid ingress or other outside interference. - It is worth contacting the service if you do not have certain skills;
  3. damage to the cable connecting to the motherboard. - Replacement (preferably by a specialist) of the film or the entire device.

Taking into account the fact that the majority of users are amateurs, we will consider only the correction of breakdowns in the first case: mechanical damage.

To do this you may need:

  • a regular needle or a syringe;
  • paper clip;
  • glue;
  • knife, small screwdriver;
  • wire cutters and pliers;
  • thin soldering iron and lighter;
  • small vice.

The first two positions of the list are enough to simply insert the dropped item, and the rest may be needed for minor repairs.

Important: Please note right away that all work must be carried out ONLY with the device disconnected from the network and the battery removed.

Photo: Parsing the assembly of keys

Button and its design

Before inserting a button into the laptop keyboard yourself, we recommend that you become familiar with its design. This will help you carry out repairs correctly, as well as make installation easy and simple. It should be remembered and taken into account that, unlike a stationary one, a laptop keyboard has a shorter stroke.

They consist of:


A typical keyboard base in a laptop is an aluminum plate, stamped with ears for good fixation of the clamshell and the contact pad, under which there are three layers of film with conductive graphite tracks.

Reliable fastening of the swing ensures uniform movement and the absence of distortions when pressing the key.

Please note that different manufacturers may have slight design differences in the shape and types of clamps.

Therefore, if you need to disassemble it yourself for the first time, proceed carefully.

Disassembly procedure

There are often situations when it becomes necessary to completely remove and disassemble the button. For example, sinking, lack of response on the screen when it is pressed, or deformation of the folding bed mounting ears. Removing, disassembling and inserting a button into a laptop keyboard is quite easy.

To do this, you will need a thin, flat instrument, such as a dental hook. As you know from the previous section, the swing is attached to the lid in four places. You can’t just bend it and “rip it off” - this will deform the swing and lead to damage.

That's why:


Inserting a button on a laptop is very easy

First, we carefully inspect all the fasteners, ears, antennae and grooves again. If you have carefully studied the device and design, read the disassembly procedure, then putting the popped element back in place will not be difficult.

This process involves two simple steps:


Please note that sometimes the lid will fall out along with the swing. In such a case, you should disassemble it, carry out an inspection, and only then install it. Moreover, first we insert the folding mechanism, and then the lid itself.

The described process may seem complicated, but you just have to try it once and you will see for yourself that inserting a button into a laptop keyboard is very simple!

Installing large buttons

Function keys (space, register, tab, enter, etc.) are larger than the others. It is this property that requires a slightly different installation order. The reason for this is the presence of a metal stabilizer, which ensures even pressure.

There are additional lugs on the keyboard backing for reliable fixation of the rigidity amplifier itself.

And although everything else is exactly the same as described above, we install long buttons on the folding bed in three stages:


Please note that some long keys (for example, the spacebar) are fixed by two folding mechanisms and a rigidity amplifier.

We repair keys

As a rule, it is better not to start complex and time-consuming repairs yourself.

Having disassembled a faulty, poorly functioning or torn out key, you will have to, based on its careful examination, make one of three decisions:

  • put it back “as is”, without changes;
  • purchase and install a new one (used is also possible);
  • make minor repairs or replace parts from the “donor” and continue operation.

For the last point, you may find the tools we talked about above useful.

Minor mechanical repairs include:

  • assembly and installation of the popped-out parts of the mechanism into the grooves (quite often the clamshell “crumbles”);
  • correction of bent lugs in the metal base of the keyboard (for example, when a heavy object falls on the keyboard);
  • gluing cracks and broken fasteners.

It is not worth repairing the damage to the latches and hinge joint of the clamshell - it is better, if possible, to find a “donor” or replace the entire key. The smoothness, softness and quietness of its operation depends on this.

A rubber spring is usually glued to a film with conductive tracks. Sometimes it happens that it falls out. In this case, before inserting the button into the laptop keyboard, you should carefully install its wide part towards the bottom, strictly in the center. Displacement of the spring during installation is not allowed.

Having a problem with the keys? Try to solve it yourself if possible. It is not difficult! All you need is attentiveness, perseverance, accuracy and a little time.


Having acquired the necessary skills, you can, on occasion, save the life of your pet by promptly eliminating the consequences of moisture ingress or significantly extend it by performing a general cleaning of dust and crumbs.

Helpful advice: By the way, before completely disassembling the keyboard of your laptop, we strongly recommend taking a photo, just in case, of the order of the keys. This will help greatly simplify and speed up the reassembly process!

Having learned the structure of the button and a number of simple operations for removing and installing it, the user will be able to independently fix a minor breakdown or replace the faulty key with a new one.

A laptop, unlike a personal computer, has a built-in dialing device, the cost of which is significantly higher due to its compact size and integral design. That is why its repair, including independent repairs, is constantly in demand and economically justified.

With prolonged use and active use, parts of the keyboard fall out or break, requiring replacement, quite often.

However, before you run to the service center, let’s try to figure out whether you can insert a button into the laptop keyboard yourself at home and, perhaps, save money and personal time.

Possible reasons

There can be many possible reasons for keys breaking or falling out:


To understand what this leads to and determine the likelihood of self-repair, consider the following cases when one or more keys have fallen out or do not work:

  1. the upper part simply jumped out of the mounts, got stuck, the plastic mount broke, or the fixing lugs on the aluminum base of the keyboard were bent. - We install, repair or replace ourselves;
  2. there was a short circuit and/or destruction of the conductive paths due to a manufacturing defect, liquid ingress or other outside interference. - It is worth contacting the service if you do not have certain skills;
  3. damage to the cable connecting to the motherboard. - Replacement (preferably by a specialist) of the film or the entire device.

Taking into account the fact that the majority of users are amateurs, we will consider only the correction of breakdowns in the first case: mechanical damage.

To do this you may need:

  • a regular needle or a syringe;
  • paper clip;
  • glue;
  • knife, small screwdriver;
  • wire cutters and pliers;
  • thin soldering iron and lighter;
  • small vice.

The first two positions of the list are enough to simply insert the dropped item, and the rest may be needed for minor repairs.

Important: Please note right away that all work must be carried out ONLY with the device disconnected from the network and the battery removed.

Photo: Parsing the assembly of keys

Button and its design

Before inserting a button into the laptop keyboard yourself, we recommend that you become familiar with its design. This will help you carry out repairs correctly, as well as make installation easy and simple. It should be remembered and taken into account that, unlike a stationary one, a laptop keyboard has a shorter stroke.

They consist of:


A typical keyboard base in a laptop is an aluminum plate, stamped with ears for good fixation of the clamshell and the contact pad, under which there are three layers of film with conductive graphite tracks.

Reliable fastening of the swing ensures uniform movement and the absence of distortions when pressing the key.

Please note that different manufacturers may have slight design differences in the shape and types of clamps.

Therefore, if you need to disassemble it yourself for the first time, proceed carefully.

Disassembly procedure

There are often situations when it becomes necessary to completely remove and disassemble the button. For example, sinking, lack of response on the screen when it is pressed, or deformation of the folding bed mounting ears. Removing, disassembling and inserting a button into a laptop keyboard is quite easy.

To do this, you will need a thin, flat instrument, such as a dental hook. As you know from the previous section, the swing is attached to the lid in four places. You can’t just bend it and “rip it off” - this will deform the swing and lead to damage.

That's why:


Inserting a button on a laptop is very easy

First, we carefully inspect all the fasteners, ears, antennae and grooves again. If you have carefully studied the device and design, read the disassembly procedure, then putting the popped element back in place will not be difficult.

This process involves two simple steps:


Please note that sometimes the lid will fall out along with the swing. In such a case, you should disassemble it, carry out an inspection, and only then install it. Moreover, first we insert the folding mechanism, and then the lid itself.

The described process may seem complicated, but you just have to try it once and you will see for yourself that inserting a button into a laptop keyboard is very simple!

Installing large buttons

Function keys (space, register, tab, enter, etc.) are larger than the others. It is this property that requires a slightly different installation order. The reason for this is the presence of a metal stabilizer, which ensures even pressure.

There are additional lugs on the keyboard backing for reliable fixation of the rigidity amplifier itself.

And although everything else is exactly the same as described above, we install long buttons on the folding bed in three stages:


Please note that some long keys (for example, the spacebar) are fixed by two folding mechanisms and a rigidity amplifier.





We repair keys

As a rule, it is better not to start complex and time-consuming repairs yourself.

Having disassembled a faulty, poorly functioning or torn out key, you will have to, based on its careful examination, make one of three decisions:

  • put it back “as is”, without changes;
  • purchase and install a new one (used is also possible);
  • make minor repairs or replace parts from the “donor” and continue operation.

For the last point, you may find the tools we talked about above useful.

Minor mechanical repairs include:

  • assembly and installation of the popped-out parts of the mechanism into the grooves (quite often the clamshell “crumbles”);
  • correction of bent lugs in the metal base of the keyboard (for example, when a heavy object falls on the keyboard);
  • gluing cracks and broken fasteners.

It is not worth repairing the damage to the latches and hinge joint of the clamshell - it is better, if possible, to find a “donor” or replace the entire key. The smoothness, softness and quietness of its operation depends on this.

A rubber spring is usually glued to a film with conductive tracks. Sometimes it happens that it falls out. In this case, before inserting the button into the laptop keyboard, you should carefully install its wide part towards the bottom, strictly in the center. Displacement of the spring during installation is not allowed.

Having a problem with the keys? Try to solve it yourself if possible. It is not difficult! All you need is attentiveness, perseverance, accuracy and a little time.
Having acquired the necessary skills, you can, on occasion, save the life of your pet by promptly eliminating the consequences of moisture ingress or significantly extend it by performing a general cleaning of dust and crumbs.

Helpful advice: By the way, before completely disassembling the keyboard of your laptop, we strongly recommend taking a photo, just in case, of the order of the keys. This will help greatly simplify and speed up the reassembly process!

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Using a laptop in everyday life, users sometimes encounter a problem: a key on the keyboard has broken off. The reason could be any factor: cleaning the keyboard, using a vacuum cleaner for cleaning, a stray cat (yes, even this happens), a small child who is interested in everything around him and accidentally breaks a key, and much more. But not everyone knows that this small problem is quite easy to fix.
I'll tell you how to put the button back without loss.

(caution! a lot of photos)

Something has happened and your laptop's keyboard looks like this:

Laptops are all different, but most often their fastening is similar (fastening principle).
The key on the back side looks like this:

We see two pairs of fasteners:
- two latches;
- two grooves for the rocker ears.
The key cover is attached to the keyboard using a special rocker, which consists of 2 parts connected by a hinge in the middle and forming the letter X (ha).

It often happens that the key “breaks out” along with the rocker. In this case, you must first disconnect the rocker from the key cap, install the rocker on the keyboard, and only then return the key to its rightful place.
To do this, take the key, unsnap the latch on one side of the key, and remove the antennae of the rocker and grooves on the other side:

We get 2 parts: a key cover and a rocker.
The keyboard has 3 lugs for fastening: one larger and two smaller.

If for some reason these fasteners are bent (for example, a heavy object fell on the keyboard, as a result of which a key jumped out), they need to be bent into the correct position. Be careful, you cannot bend these fasteners too much, because... They are made of aluminum and break off easily, after which repairs will become much more difficult.

Install the rocker on the keyboard:
- place it under the large mounting eye

Lightly press the rocker onto the 2 small mounts.

After installing the rocker, you can put the key cover back.
- insert the protrusions on the rocker into the grooves of the lid

Here you need to act carefully and not miss :).
Next, making sure that the ears go into the grooves, lightly press the top of the key to secure the key cover,
a slight click will be heard.

Ready! the key is in place.

Large keys (Tab, Shift, space, enter), in addition to a plastic rocker, can have a metal stabilizer for uniform pressing.

There are two additional tabs on the keyboard base to secure this stabilizer. Otherwise the design is the same as described above.

First we wind the ends of the stabilizer.

Then we insert the lower “antennae” of the rocker into the grooves and, with a light press, put the button in place.

The spacebar (and sometimes other long keys) is supported by two rockers and a stabilizer.

In principle, the installation is no different from the above-described installation of the Shift key.

Above we examined the internal structure of the keys of a Hewlett-Packard laptop.

I almost forgot. If a swing, consisting of two parts, was disassembled during an emergency, do not despair. Using a needle, toothpick or other suitable object, it is easy to assemble. We put one side into the groove, and to install the second side we use our auxiliary object.

Now, dear users, you will have no questions:
- How does a laptop keyboard work?

How to replace the keycap?
- what to do if a cat tore out a key on a laptop?
and so on.

P.s. Because there were too many photos, an additional part of the article can be viewed on my blog (if anyone is interested in this topic), where, for example, you can see the devices of the keys of Asus and Apple laptops, some differences and similarities are described.



 

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