Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

My question is simple, can backlit keyboard be installed on W520? (W530 has one!)

I've been using my W520 since June 2012 and in this time my keyboard has broken several times. I'm a tech so it was no big deal, just repaired stuck and tough to push keys. It would be nice to have a lighted keyboard though - but I must admit I don't need it, since monitor light works just fine and I rarely use it, I know all my keys by memory. It's just one of those things that bugs me, gotta have it.

To an extent you probably could. The connectors are the same, and it will most likely fit physically. (People have tried putting W520 keyboards in W530 machines.) But there are some major problems:
1. Since Lenovo shifted keys around on the new keyboard, the key mappings for those keys will be completely messed up.
2. Backlight probably won't work since the W520 has no idea about it.
3. If you have all the keys in memory, you may have a hard time with the revised 6-row layout.

You might want to trade your W520 for someone with a W530 who got [censored] off by the "new" keyboard.