The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Cheap keyboard?

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by Tankor, Jan 3, 2012.

  1. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    So ive had my laptop for 6 months and the "q" button is really unresponsive. I have to hold it down for a second if i want it to appear when typing as opposed to just tapping the key with everything else. It feels like something is underneith it or whatever so i tried lightly shaking the laptop to fix it but only for like 10 min. Should i just shoot some canned air through the openings of the surface?
     
    Tankor, Jan 3, 2012
    #1
  2. maxheap

    maxheap caparison horus :)

    Reputations:
    1,244
    Messages:
    3,294
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    131
    dude, remove the button, clean it, then put it back, dust & dirt does this kind of stuff usually
     
    maxheap, Jan 3, 2012
    #2
  3. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Ive never taken the keyboard off a laptop before. Dont want to mess anything up when its working perfectly besides 1 key
     
    Tankor, Jan 3, 2012
    #3
  4. maxheap

    maxheap caparison horus :)

    Reputations:
    1,244
    Messages:
    3,294
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    131
    no no, not the keyboard, the button, it depends on the keyboard but if you twist it a little bit and pull it should come off (TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK), I did it many times with my other keyboards, the HP in my sig has been cleaned many times with this method, putting it in back takes some effort though
     
    maxheap, Jan 3, 2012
    #4
  5. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    would shooting canned air through the spacing be good enough to clean it?
     
    Tankor, Jan 3, 2012
    #5
  6. maxheap

    maxheap caparison horus :)

    Reputations:
    1,244
    Messages:
    3,294
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    131
    you can try a vacuum cleaner, however it can take some keys in.. (happened)
     
    maxheap, Jan 3, 2012
    #6
  7. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    ended up using canned air, half way through cleaning it came out as liquid, something burnt out / sparks everywhere, yet my keys are fine now, and the laptop works.... lol
     
    Tankor, Jan 3, 2012
    #7
  8. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    14,963
    Messages:
    5,671
    Likes Received:
    1,521
    Trophy Points:
    331
    Next time think of turning off your system, unplug it and remove the battery before attempting repairs.
     
    katalin_2003, Jan 4, 2012
    #8
  9. darkloki

    darkloki Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    412
    Messages:
    1,829
    Likes Received:
    182
    Trophy Points:
    81
    Oh man I wish I could have seen an image or a video of this.
     
    darkloki, Jan 4, 2012
    #9
  10. CptXabaras

    CptXabaras Overclocked, Overvolted, Liquid Cooled

    Reputations:
    1,024
    Messages:
    1,335
    Likes Received:
    236
    Trophy Points:
    81
    Gas under pressure once released will cool down, eventually freezing, this happend becouse the sudden drop in pressure of the gas passing from the can to the atmosphere will result in a sudden drop of temperature. Compressed air from a can must be used in short burst and not in prolongated blow and the can have to be kept vertical and don't have to be shaken while used.
     
    CptXabaras, Jan 4, 2012
    #10
  11. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    so do u think what i did with the canned air dmged anything? cause i swear it looked like i fried something underneath the keyboard where the spacebar is etc.
     
    Tankor, Jan 4, 2012
    #11
  12. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

    Reputations:
    7,383
    Messages:
    8,222
    Likes Received:
    182
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Wow! :p

    ><param name="movie" value="http://myinstants.com/media/bt/genericInstant_event.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="flashVars" value="color=0000ff&sound=http://myinstants.com/media/sounds/uouu.mp3"><embed src="http://myinstants.com/media/bt/genericInstant_event.swf" flashVars="color=0000ff&sound=http://myinstants.com/media/sounds/uouu.mp3" wmode="transparent" width='100' height="100"/></object>

    If all works than I would leave it be until you find an issue. Then if you do find an issue, head over to partspeople.com

    What system do you have btw?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2015
    DR650SE, Jan 4, 2012
    #12
  13. Tankor

    Tankor Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    71
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    got an r3 with a 6990 in it everything else i kept stock

    still have a warranty with dell so i would want to replace it now as opposed to later near my expiration. Im trying soo hard to find an issue right now, but i cant :/ even though i got it somewhat wet and sparks happened....
     
    Tankor, Jan 4, 2012
    #13
  14. Serephucus

    Serephucus Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    205
    Messages:
    1,002
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Dell won't replace something you screwed up. If it's working, it's working.
     
    Serephucus, Jan 4, 2012
    #14