- Wondering how to replace laptop keyboard?
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Here is our four step guide on how to replace laptop keyboard.
How to replace laptop keyboard tutorial can be better understood if you have a fair
idea about the keyboard itself.
So let's look at the picture of a disassembled keyboard and identify some of its
parts to which we will be referring frequently from now on.
This is a view of a standalone dell latitude d505 keyboard from the front side
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In the above picture the demarcated red circles referring to 1 and 2 contain the
fastener holes of the keyboard through which the keyboard is attached to the system
board.
We need to unscrew the fasteners in order to release it from the laptop base. More
on that later...
Now let's see how a keyboard looks from the back and what all connections does it
have?
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In the above picture, 3 shows you the location where you can find the part number
which is required when you are ordering a replacement laptop keyboard. It also gives
you some information regarding the manufacturer of the keyboard.
4 encircles a pin connected to a black cable.
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Any idea why it's there?
Well, It's the transport system for all the information that you punch in onto your
keyboard. This cable transports your input information to appropriate locations
for processing. This cable has a pin at its end denoted by 4 which goes into a socket
on the motherboard.
We will show you the exact connections in a later picture, because right now it's
time to get into the first to do step of our how to replace laptop keyboard tutorial
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Step1: Before replacing a laptop keyboard
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you need to:
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Remove the AC power
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Remove the battery
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Remove the keyboard bezel
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After all this is accomplished, your laptop would look somewhat like the dell d505
we operated on shown below
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The highlighted zone shows the area where the bezel rested. After it is removed,
the keyboard fastener attachments are exposed for unfastening and that is what we
are going to do in the next step.
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Let's move to Step2 of the how to replace laptop keyboard tutorial.
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Laptop keyboard replacement is child¡¯s play once you have removed the keyboard bezel.
After that all you need to do is unscrew it from the system board and then pull
off a plug from the socket.
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But it¡¯s easier said than done.
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However you need not worry because we will walk you through the above steps taking
one at a time.
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Now let¡¯s get to step2.
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Step2: Those troubling screws
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Earlier we had seen fastener holes in the keyboard through which screws run (see
the keyboard picture for label 1 and label 2). These are the ones that fasten the
keyboard on to the system board.
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Now we will take a screw driver and unfasten those screws, as shown in the picture
below
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After all this effort we are ready to move on to the next step of this laptop keyboard
replacement project which deals with other keyboard/system board attachments.
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Setp3: Dealing with the cable
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Now that you have pulled off all the screws, take the keyboard in your left hand
and gently pull it in the direction shown. You will observe that a cable from the
keyboard is attached to the system board.
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It¡¯s the same data cable we talked about earlier and it is attached by the plug shown
as 4 in the previous page.
Next we will gently pull off the cable plug in vertical direction such that it comes
out of the socket.
Why don¡¯t you have a closer look at the plug-socket attachment
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Step4: Keyboard in your hand
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At this stage your laptop should look something like the dell d505 shown below
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In the picture above the label 5 shows the socket that is attached to the motherboard.
This is where the cable plug of the keyboard is attached. The rectangular boundary
is where the keyboard sits.
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You can place the keyboard back in it¡¯s position by following the four steps in
reverse order.
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That brings us to the end of this laptop keyboard replacement tutorial.