R52 Laptop Key Broke Off

[crzywut]

HI,
I have an R52 laptop where the key broke off or fell off. I've been trying to get this thing back on but im afraid to press to hard in fear of breaking the blue rubber piece off underneath it. I tried googling and searching ibms help pages but no luck. Does anyone know how to get the key back on?

[SeanM]

There should be a sort of mechanical framework around that rubber dome. If that is missing, there's nothing for the keycap to attach to.

[shermaine]

Hi,

Just snap the key back onto the keyboard will do. Unless the white and black plastic stuff underneath (which acts like a spring) has broke off. The blue dome underneath will not break off so easily unless you slide the key cap in the wrong direction.

Pop it on straight down using the strength of 2 fingers will do.

[dr_st]

There are three parts to a key:

(1) the keycap (black)
(2) the rubbery dome (blue)
(3) the plastic spring mechanism (black and white).

(3) is actually 3 pieces - usually two black and one white.

There are several options:

(a) (3) is missing, which means you are out of luck and cannot attach the key back.

(b) (3) did not come of with the key and is stuck above (2) . This is the easiest of them all. You just align the key, push down hard and it snaps into place.

(c) (3) came off with the key and is stuck at the bottom of (1) . This is more problematic. You can't just press down for it to snap, because (3) must be attached to the keyboard at an angle, and not flat. What you need to do in this case is carefully disassemble (3) from (1), using a small screwdriver, knife, or your fingernails, insert (3) in place, then do as in step (b). Inserting (3) in place is not easy, if you've never done it before. What I usually do is pop the cap off one of the other keys (almost always the outcome is like in step (b), and use it as a reference to show me how to attach it back.

(d) (3) is broken. Sometimes, if one of the little legs is broken, and the other one isn't, you can still put it in place, and it will hold. If it's badly broken, then it's service time.

Good luck to you.

[bontistic]

In addition to those mentioned above, there is one more item you should look out for.

The bottom side of the key itself has at least 4 retaining clips. If this is already broken or bent, the key or keyboard might need to be replaced. Also, if you should perform option (c), be careful not to break any one these clips.

Here is a photo of what I am describing:

http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image ... tomhz9.jpg

[dr_st]

Good call, bontistic, I forgot about that. The chances of one of these clips breaking off spontaneously is pretty low, though.

[bontistic]

Thanks dr_st. The reason I mentioned this is because I myself experienced it this week so I had to replace the broken key.

[dr_st]

Really! How did you manage to get it to break?

[bontistic]

I accidentally hit it while taking the keyboard out. Happened to me several times before but the keys did not break.

[crzywut]

wow, you guys are great. The key does not look like that in the picture, there is a black piece that looks like you would clip something to it on the computer and a white mechanism attached at the bottom of the key. So i am going to need to pop the white mechanism off the key and reattach it to the computer if what i read is correct from you guys.

[bontistic]

Please tell us how it went