Ever seen a keyboard ribbon cable clip missing?
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From: BillW50 on 19 Dec 2009 10:17 I recently got another Gateway MX6124 that the keyboard was said to be dead. For a four year old laptop, it looks brand new and looks like it was never used. No dust in the fan or anything. So I lifted the keyboard out and the clip to hold the ribbon cable for the keyboard was just gone. Now I have a hard time believing it ever worked before without one from the factory. If the clip is still laying somewhere in the machine, I sure haven't found it yet. I got the keyboard to work if I held my finger on the connection. So I thought I could use tape and stuff (folded cardboard) to keep a good connection. One that would work as well as my finger does. But after about an hour, I gave up and grabbed a clip from a spare motherboard and it now works perfectly. Now my question is, I have a hard time believing those clips can come loose on its own and just fall out. Instead it seems to me the guy probably wanted to change the keyboard for some reason and he didn't know how to release the ribbon cable and broke the clip. What do you all think? And have anybody got one to work with a missing clip before? As now, I am one clip short. And another note, why do they say not to use scotch tape to hold the wires in place inside of laptops? As what is wrong with scotch? -- Bill Gateway MX6124 ('06 era) - Windows XP SP2
From: the wharf rat on 19 Dec 2009 11:59 In article <hgiqqr$8h1$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, BillW50 <BillW50(a)aol.kom> wrote: > >Now my question is, I have a hard time believing those clips can come >loose on its own and just fall out. Instead it seems to me the guy >probably wanted to change the keyboard for some reason and he didn't >know how to release the ribbon cable and broke the clip. What do you all Ahhh, the mysteries of the ZIF connector... I've seen this 10000 times. Somebody brings a unit in for service, "Oh, no it worked fine and then it just STOPPED! Ya know? Imagaine that!" You open it up and there's a gallon of crystallized Coke caked around the components. Or it's obviously been taken apart and put back together less than perfectly... People are just embarassed to admit they made a mistake I guess. >And another note, why do they say not to use scotch tape to hold the >wires in place inside of laptops? As what is wrong with scotch? It deteriorates over time and with heat. Turns into goo.
From: Barry Watzman on 19 Dec 2009 12:39 The clips are captive, but easily broken if someone who doesn't know what they are doing tries to service it. And I am SURE that's what happened ... someone who didn't know what they were doing tried to service it and broke the clip. The clips are not available as parts, the only way to get one is to get a dead motherboard with the same type of connector (note, they use different brands of sockets in different production runs, so a different machine of the same model might not have the same socket or clip; but, the flip side of that is that a totally different machine or device might have the same clip). I have not found a substitute for a missing clip. [clip really isn't a good term, but I can't think of a better one ... however I know what you talking about, the moving part of a connector for a flat ribbon flex cable]. Some models do use tape, but, again, I am sure that you were not the first person inside that unit. As for "what is wrong with Scotch", nothing I guess but a lot of people prefer rum or bourbon. :-) BillW50 wrote: > I recently got another Gateway MX6124 that the keyboard was said to be > dead. For a four year old laptop, it looks brand new and looks like it > was never used. No dust in the fan or anything. So I lifted the keyboard > out and the clip to hold the ribbon cable for the keyboard was just > gone. Now I have a hard time believing it ever worked before without one > from the factory. If the clip is still laying somewhere in the machine, > I sure haven't found it yet. > > I got the keyboard to work if I held my finger on the connection. So I > thought I could use tape and stuff (folded cardboard) to keep a good > connection. One that would work as well as my finger does. But after > about an hour, I gave up and grabbed a clip from a spare motherboard and > it now works perfectly. > > Now my question is, I have a hard time believing those clips can come > loose on its own and just fall out. Instead it seems to me the guy > probably wanted to change the keyboard for some reason and he didn't > know how to release the ribbon cable and broke the clip. What do you all > think? And have anybody got one to work with a missing clip before? As > now, I am one clip short. > > And another note, why do they say not to use scotch tape to hold the > wires in place inside of laptops? As what is wrong with scotch? >
From: BillW50 on 19 Dec 2009 16:14 In news:hgj0po$c34$2(a)reader1.panix.com, the wharf rat typed on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:59:37 +0000 (UTC): > In article <hgiqqr$8h1$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, > BillW50 <BillW50(a)aol.kom> wrote: >> >> Now my question is, I have a hard time believing those clips can come >> loose on its own and just fall out. Instead it seems to me the guy >> probably wanted to change the keyboard for some reason and he didn't >> know how to release the ribbon cable and broke the clip. What do you >> all > > Ahhh, the mysteries of the ZIF connector... > > I've seen this 10000 times. Somebody brings a unit in for service, > "Oh, no it worked fine and then it just STOPPED! Ya know? Imagaine > that!" You open it up and there's a gallon of crystallized Coke caked > around the components. Or it's obviously been taken apart and put > back together less than perfectly... > > People are just embarassed to admit they made a mistake I guess. Amazing isn't it? >> And another note, why do they say not to use scotch tape to hold the >> wires in place inside of laptops? As what is wrong with scotch? > > It deteriorates over time and with heat. Turns into goo. The prehistoric scotch tape did that, but I don't believe the modern scotch tape does. -- Bill Gateway MX6124 ('06 era) - Windows XP SP2
From: BillW50 on 19 Dec 2009 16:56
In news:hgj340$lq3$1(a)news.eternal-september.org, Barry Watzman typed on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:39:09 -0500: > The clips are captive, but easily broken if someone who doesn't know > what they are doing tries to service it. And I am SURE that's what > happened ... someone who didn't know what they were doing tried to > service it and broke the clip. The clips are not available as parts, > the only way to get one is to get a dead motherboard with the same > type of connector (note, they use different brands of sockets in > different production runs, so a different machine of the same model > might not have the same socket or clip; but, the flip side of that is > that a totally different machine or device might have the same clip). > > I have not found a substitute for a missing clip. [clip really isn't > a good term, but I can't think of a better one ... however I know > what you talking about, the moving part of a connector for a flat > ribbon flex cable]. > Some models do use tape, but, again, I am sure that you were not the > first person inside that unit. Thanks Barry. I couldn't think of any other possible possibility either. And years ago there were stores where you can buy any component, socket, etc. Although over the years they have been disappearing more and more. And it is harder and harder to buy components and to build and design your own hardware. There is always Radio Shack, but that is just bare bones compared to what used to be available before. > As for "what is wrong with Scotch", nothing I guess but a lot of > people prefer rum or bourbon. > > :-) Oh? lol -- Bill Gateway MX6124 ('06 era) - Windows XP SP2 |