Key fell off of T41 keyboard

Message

TheEternalVortex · #1 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:27 am

My right Ctrl key fell off of my Thinkpad keyboard. Is there a way to put it back on or I am going to have to buy a replacement?

Thanks.

Steve007 · #2 Post by **Steve007** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:24 am

It should just snap back on unless it's physically broken.

TheEternalVortex · #3 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:41 pm

How does it "snap back on"?

rideDPU · #4 Post by **rideDPU** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:10 pm

just put the key back in place and press down

TheEternalVortex · #5 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:02 pm

There is nothing I can see that would hold the key on to the keyboard. The keyboard has this blue bump thing, and I don't see how the key would attach to it.

edelrc · #6 Post by **edelrc** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:04 pm

Yes, it snaps back on place if is no broken.

I remember i did physically broke once the Alt key. You can tell apart a broken key when you lay it down upside down and carefully you notice that the tiny pins are not symetrical.

If is broken, and you think is no enterelly your falt, ask for a replacement under the warranty.

TheEternalVortex · #7 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:38 pm

What if it is my fault? Does IBM sell replacement keyboards?

Steve007 · #8 Post by **Steve007** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:03 pm

TheEternalVortex wrote:What if it is my fault? Does IBM sell replacement keyboards?

No, we make you spend £2000 on a new laptop

edelrc · #9 Post by **edelrc** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:07 pm

hey, don´t we have a good sense of humour?

Yes, you can buy a keyboard between 30-50 (either € or $) and installing it takes 20 seconds. Did you confirm it is really broken?

TheEternalVortex · #10 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:09 pm

Hmm... that's a lot.

Yes, it is really broken.

Nabeel · #11 Post by **Nabeel** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:38 pm

Just get it replaced under warrenty, just say it broke and you don't know why.

t41user · #12 Post by **t41user** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:28 am

It is not true that a key from a t41 keyboard 'should snap on' or that a key from a t41 keyboard can be re-attached by putting the key in place and pressing down. It looks like three different people said such things. Anyone with a t41 keyboard should be aware that the keys cannot be re-attached in any such ways. Depending on how the key came off, there are two to four moving parts that need to be reconnected in intricate ways. One of the reasons that IBM is rather quick to send replacement warranty keyboards without asking many questions is that it is extremely difficult to re-attach a disconnected key.

Steve007 · #13 Post by **Steve007** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:10 am

t41user wrote:Anyone with a t41 keyboard should be aware that the keys cannot be re-attached in any such ways. Depending on how the key came off, there are two to four moving parts that need to be reconnected in intricate ways. One of the reasons that IBM is rather quick to send replacement warranty keyboards without asking many questions is that it is extremely difficult to re-attach a disconnected key.

I was configuring my friends new T41p 2 weeks ago and I needed to install 2 x 512MB. When lifting the keyboard off the unit I accidentally pulled two keys off and I was able to instantly snap them back on.

Maybe your keyboard is different to every other T41 out there.

Cecilia76 · #14 Post by **Cecilia76** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:29 am

Hallo,

I have two keyb (GERMAN and ITALIAN). The german one is more solid and is better in my opinion but has two or three keys unuseful for me. Do you think it is easy to replace those keys with the corresponding italian ones?
I am afraid of pulling out a key: is it easy to put it back in its place??

Thanks, C.

edelrc · #15 Post by **edelrc** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 7:32 am

Cecilia, if you try to pull out a key, as t41user said, chances is that it will break and become unuseful.

t41user is right, our thinkpad keys are not designed to be snapped back and forward, however, there is a tiny chance that it does not break after coming off from place but don´t try it, because sure that 90% of chances it will break.

Cecilia76 · #16 Post by **Cecilia76** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:31 am

Thanks a lot for your answer.
In this case, can you tell me where to buy ONLINE a new keyb having the FRU number?

Thanks C.

edelrc · #17 Post by **edelrc** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 9:21 am

Hum... that depends how IBM designed it on Italy.

I dont know if you can order replacement parts online in Italy. Even in the US I prefer to call for this matters.

Call the Italian IBM agent and ask that you want to buy a keyboard. If they reffer you to a third party company (as they do in Spain and unlike they do in the US) you may buy it from them but that 3rd party will sell it to you for much more (€95 they asked me here). Is ths is the case, call again IBM and ask for the local IBM Depot phone or fax number (be firm, because agents are sometimes discourage to give this info in europe)... once you get o the Depot, you should be in good hands.

TheEternalVortex · #18 Post by **TheEternalVortex** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:47 pm

So what is the IBM phone number I should call for this (I have tried in vain to find it).

t41user · #19 Post by **t41user** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:20 pm

In the interest of increasing our knowledge and understanding of keyboards, perhaps Steve007 or like-minded users would like to (try to) snap a couple of keys out of and then back into place and report back to us. Does anyone think they can snap a T41 key off the keyboard and successfully put it back in place in less than, say, 45 minutes (or 3 hours, for that matter)? If so, please explain to me how. I'd really like to learn.

RogerPodacter · #20 Post by **RogerPodacter** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 9:44 am

guys, i had a key pop off my T41 a while ago, and although it was tricky, i had it back on in about 5 minutes. if you look at the button, there are 2 pieces of plastic that kinda move a little. these grab onto the keyboard itself. if i remember correctly, i had to hold the thinkpad vertical to let gravity pull down the 2 plastic flaps to snap them back on to the keyboard...hope that made some sense, but it is possible...

RP

CHERI · #21 Post by **CHERI** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:00 am

you need the key replacement and some video tutorials in order to find the keys replacement of the keys….. I also ordered a company who work for keys replacement and such things. Check this out : www.laptopkey.com .

dr_st · #22 Post by **dr_st** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:18 am

Having snapped lots of keys on lots of Thinkpads off and on many times, I believe I can clarify the "will snap on / won't snap on".

It all depends on how the key came off.

If the mechanism stayed attached to the keyboard - just put the key on top and press down, and it will snap back on.

If the mechanism came off with the key (and the only thing left on the keyboard is the rubbery "blue bump thing"), it won't. One will have to carefully pry the mechanism off the key, carefully attach the mechanism onto the keyboard, and then snap the key on top of it. This can take 2-3 minute to someone experienced, but for someone not so experienced with these matters, can easily result in 45+ minutes of wasted time and/or a broken key mechanism.

Judging by the description, here we have the latter case.

And of course, if the mechanism is already broken (typically one of the four plastic "ears" breaks), then the key will not sit really tight anymore, and it may be better to replace it / the keyboard.

Key fell off of T41 keyboard

Key fell off of T41 keyboard

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