Latitude CPx J650GT keyboard issue
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From: Paul_in_NC on 25 Oct 2005 10:46 Greetings alt.sys.pc-clone.dell Newsgroup, About a year ago I was given a used Dell Latitude CPx J650GT laptop. It was formerly a W2K machine (PIII 650MHz, 256MB RAM and a 20GB HDD), but I wiped the OS and installed XP Pro SP2. This trusty Dell has given me about a year of great service, but has recently started exhibiting a very bothersome behavior. For no reason apparent to me, several of the keys on the keyboard have stopped working entirely! And the keys that stopped working all ceased to work at the same time. If it helps, the keys that have ceased working are h, j, m, n, u, y, 6 and 7. This isn't an occasional issue where functionality comes and goes, it is a constant issue. As a temporary workaround I can plug in a full-sized keyboard into the PS/2 port in the back and can still use the laptop (via the plugged-in KB, the keys on the laptop still don't function properly). But how inconvient it that? To have to tote around a full-sized keyboard to plug into your laptop computer? As crazy as it sounds, I have done this very thing, more times than I care to tell! If anyone else has had an issue similar to mine, and has perhaps solved it, I would appreciate it if you could offer any insight into my delima and how I could possibly go about correcting it. Most sincerely, Paul Williams
From: Christopher Muto on 25 Oct 2005 11:04 could be the keyboard, the connection of the keyboard ribbon cable to the motherboard, or the motherboard itself. look for the documentation for your model on support.dell.com and open the service manual to see how easy it is to replace the keyboard. once unscrewed it pulls away form the system only tethered by a flat ribbon cable. i suggest that you reseat this cable (disconnect and then reconnect it). if that solves it then great, if not you could try purchasing a replacement keyboard... but it is possible that the connector on the motherboard itself is damaged and that can only be repaired with a motherboard replacement. "Paul_in_NC" <paulwilliamsREMOVETHIS(a)THISTOOnc.rr.com> wrote in message news:fzr7f.15930$pP1.1228307(a)twister.southeast.rr.com... > Greetings alt.sys.pc-clone.dell Newsgroup, > > About a year ago I was given a used Dell Latitude CPx J650GT laptop. It > was formerly a W2K machine (PIII 650MHz, 256MB RAM and a 20GB HDD), but I > wiped the OS and installed XP Pro SP2. This trusty Dell has given me about > a year of great service, but has recently started exhibiting a very > bothersome behavior. For no reason apparent to me, several of the keys on > the keyboard have stopped working entirely! And the keys that stopped > working all ceased to work at the same time. If it helps, the keys that > have ceased working are h, j, m, n, u, y, 6 and 7. This isn't an > occasional issue where functionality comes and goes, it is a constant > issue. As a temporary workaround I can plug in a full-sized keyboard into > the PS/2 port in the back and can still use the laptop (via the plugged-in > KB, the keys on the laptop still don't function properly). But how > inconvient it that? To have to tote around a full-sized keyboard to plug > into your laptop computer? As crazy as it sounds, I have done this very > thing, more times than I care to tell! > If anyone else has had an issue similar to mine, and has perhaps solved > it, I would appreciate it if you could offer any insight into my delima > and how I could possibly go about correcting it. > > Most sincerely, > Paul Williams > >
From: ric on 25 Oct 2005 11:15 it's a hardware issue. good news is it's a really common and usually really easy to fix one on the CPx's. battery out, power off, power button held down for 5 secs to discharge. Flip it over, remove the 5 screws on the underside (not the ones under the rubber feet). Flip over and open laptop up. Prise up keyboard. It doesn't need much force, but it *does* need to come up vertically. Start with a flat blade screwdriver *very gently* on the right hand side of the keyboard until you can get a fingernail under it, then pop it up and out. There's a clip on the left hand side that just pops out. Hinge out keyboard and inspect ribbon cable. They're either push fit or unclip-and-slide-ribbon-into-slot type depending on age. If the latter, there's a plastic clip to lift up. Disconnect, blow fluff out of contacts, give a wipe down with lint free cloth and maybe a quick wipe with isopropyl alcohol and refit. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes...
From: Brian Dean on 26 Oct 2005 06:30 Not sure if the list of keys isn't exactly the right for this to be a "numlock" keyboard setting... Some Dell bios and some Win XP commends turn on numlock without the user knowing... maybe worth checking into this a bit... Brian "ric" <publicmail(a)infobubble.co.uk> wrote in message news:1130253318.889754.74400(a)o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com... > it's a hardware issue. good news is it's a really common and usually > really easy to fix one on the CPx's. > battery out, power off, power button held down for 5 secs to discharge. > Flip it over, remove the 5 screws on the underside (not the ones under > the rubber feet). Flip over and open laptop up. Prise up keyboard. > It doesn't need much force, but it *does* need to come up vertically. > Start with a flat blade screwdriver *very gently* on the right hand > side of the keyboard until you can get a fingernail under it, then pop > it up and out. There's a clip on the left hand side that just pops > out. > Hinge out keyboard and inspect ribbon cable. They're either push fit > or unclip-and-slide-ribbon-into-slot type depending on age. If the > latter, there's a plastic clip to lift up. Disconnect, blow fluff out > of contacts, give a wipe down with lint free cloth and maybe a quick > wipe with isopropyl alcohol and refit. Shouldn't take more than 5 > minutes... >
From: Paul_in_NC on 26 Oct 2005 16:25
Good news! Following Ric's advice (below) I was able to recover full keyboard functionality! Thank you very much. Paul "ric" <publicmail(a)infobubble.co.uk> wrote in message news:1130253318.889754.74400(a)o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com... > it's a hardware issue. good news is it's a really common and usually > really easy to fix one on the CPx's. > battery out, power off, power button held down for 5 secs to discharge. > Flip it over, remove the 5 screws on the underside (not the ones under > the rubber feet). Flip over and open laptop up. Prise up keyboard. > It doesn't need much force, but it *does* need to come up vertically. > Start with a flat blade screwdriver *very gently* on the right hand > side of the keyboard until you can get a fingernail under it, then pop > it up and out. There's a clip on the left hand side that just pops > out. > Hinge out keyboard and inspect ribbon cable. They're either push fit > or unclip-and-slide-ribbon-into-slot type depending on age. If the > latter, there's a plastic clip to lift up. Disconnect, blow fluff out > of contacts, give a wipe down with lint free cloth and maybe a quick > wipe with isopropyl alcohol and refit. Shouldn't take more than 5 > minutes... > |