Diagnostic help for keyboard on Gateway NE56R13u laptop? 1

[BobMCT]

AKA "the wife's computer" with Windows 7

Up until the past few days this laptop has worked very well for a couple of years now. Suddenly a number of keys on the keyboard do NOT register when typing or testing. I uninstalled and reinstalled the default Windows7 keyboard drivers which did not change a thing. I do have a new replacement keyboard ordered but I am wondering if there is any system task that might effect this? I did check the BIOS and what ever little kbd params are present are set to the correct value(s).
I'm installed some timing software which only shows the char sequence returned by the key pressed but nothing registers for the keys that don't work.

Does anyone have any diagnostic ideas that might control this? I'm quite familiar with hardware and software so toss out those ideas. My fear in not doing this is that when the replacement keyboard arrives and I go through the trouble of installing it, these keys will still not work.

Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks

 

[MikeHalloran]

My laptop's keyboard did not completely survive yet another bath in Diet Pepsi. The A key doesn't work. I used an onscreen software keyboard for a while, but it was a pita.

So I went to Walmart. For $30 I got a tiny USB thingie that connects a wireless mouse and a wireless keyboard (both also in the package), and works flawlessly. Two AAA cells in the keyboard last for months. Two AAA cells in the mouse last for weeks, if you remember to shut it off at night (tiny slide switch). The mouse sort of wiggles the cursor to tell you it needs new cells. I've been using the combo for a year now, and I still love it. The laptop's keyboard could heal itself, and I wouldn't know or care.

 

[rclarke250]

Mike, glad you found a way around the problem, but it also hampers the one thing the laptop has, portability. Bob as you have deduced, the keyboard has to be replaced, sounds like the Mylar grid has a break somewhere. It happens, a little bit of dirt gets trapped between the plastic sheets, and repetitive key presses, is like bending a paper clip back and forth, eventually it breaks. I've taken apart keyboards before a to see why a single key fails, and found the little contact point for the letter, cuts a perfect circle in the contact sheet, and it no longer has a electrical connection. Replacing the keyboard is easy if done carefully so as not to damage the connector on the motherboard. I suggest watching some videos on how to disassemble the laptop, there are most likely several on the web.

 

[xwb]

My son's laptop didn't survive lemonade very well. There was a sort of crunchy noise whenever you typed and the O and P didn't work. I got him a keyboard from maplins: roughly the size of the laptop keyboard. All he did was place it on top of the laptop keyboard and it worked very well for about 3 years until the laptop died.

Some things you could do before opening it up if it is not an island keyboard

1) Turn it upside down and shake the crap out
2) Use a paper clip to drag out all the hair that has got caught. You wouldn't believe how much hair lives underneath the keys.
3) Use a brush to sweep out the dirt between the keys

 

[mscallisto]

If your keyboard doesn't work because it's dirty (spilled drinks etc.) and you have another on order then I would say it can't hurt to remove your bad keyboard and give it a good bath in hot soapy water.

After it's completely dry (I let mine dry in direct sunshine all day) a hair dryer can help to; re-install and try it.

The only diagnostic I know of (other than tedious testing with multi-meter) would be to try it in another laptop if you have one.

 

[mscallisto]

I should have added that I've successfully washed a keyboard see thread602-1688038

 

[rclarke250]

Actually it's very easy to test a keyboard, any decent computer diagnostics, will have a keyboard test, it will either show you a keyboard layout on screen and as you press a key, show you which one is being pushed, or give you the hex code for the key, or both. Depending on the machine I'm testing, I either use, pc doctor, or pc check.

 

[mscallisto]

OK rclarke250

Now that you've made me feel like Mickey the Dunce, I find it necessary to award you a star. Nice post.

Sam