Possible to remove mouse button?

All,

A year ago (November 2007) there was a thread titled Possible to remove key from keyboard? which is now closed. I have a similar question and one of the mods may want to merge the two threads and open the combined one until the topic is thoroughly discussed.

In any case, here is my issue. My wife has an XPS that is only about four months old. Suddenly the left mouse button is stuck partially pressed down. If this were a keyboard key I would just pop it off and clean underneath it. But, I don't know if you can remove the mouse buttons that way or not. Does anybody have any suggestion? And before someone helpfully offers returning it to Dell for warranty work - do you want to do without your computer for a month? She doesn't either, so that's a non-starter.

Thanks,

Phil

 

The mouse buttons are usually constructed a little different. You usually have a PCB with the switches and then have the external buttons on top. To remove the mouse buttons you will need to remove the PCB and then you can get to the buttons on top. This may or may not require you to remove the laptop's motherboard and while the idea is the same regardless of the manufacturer, the individual process to get them out will be different in each type of notebook... unlike the keyboard.

 

TabbedOut,

Thanks, yeah, I have worked on a lot of laptops and understand the theory. I am hoping someone with Dell XPS specific experience might know a trick or have a suggestion.

I found another forum where there is a post titled 2 problems with my Dell XPS M140. The post says:

posted by amberlfarhat on Sep 06, 2008

One:
A bit of condensation dropped onto the mouse area and I cleaned it immediately, and all still works just fine, except the left mouse button. It WORKS, but the button seems to be pressed in. I thought maybe it was sticky, so I got a damp paper towel and lifted around the key to clean and used a can of air to dry. If I press the key, it works, but it's just annoying not having it spring back up like the other button. I managed to pull the actual button out (I've done it to many letter buttons to pull cat hair out of) and was able to snap it back in thinking maybe something was just loose, but the same result: pushed in button sticking problem. Help?

< snip >

Please help me fix my mouse button! Thanks

Best Solution
posted on Sep 06, 2008
Helpful (85)

SFroese

Rank:Wiz Wiz
Rating: 84%, 65 votes

One:
If the key has a damaged or missing return spring or pad, then there's not much you can do, but if the key has debris in it that is preventing it from springing back then try this...

Buy some electrical contact cleaner spray from an electronics parts store and spray it generously into the key switch contact and "exercise" the key as much as you can to get the cleaner to penetrate. Let the cleaner dry and see if the problem goes away. You may have to do more than one application, but it should work eventually.

Comment posted on Sep 06, 2008
Thanks, I'll give that a try. When I took the button off, it looked like everything was still there. There is this rubber nub that was sitting in there looking a little off and I think that may be the reason it's not popping back up. I tried placing it in the center where it belongs but it keeps getting shoved in the other rubber piece when I press the button. I wish there was a diagram online to show me how it's supposed to sit!

On our own forum here there is a thread titled Possible to remove key from keyboard? It is related to a fellow wanting to know how to remove keys from the keyboard of a Dell M1330. So, are the XPS mouse buttons like the M140? Does anybody here have any experience with pulling those buttons off? What about using that electrical cleaner in there? I have seen a keyboard a friend of mine did that with and it was destroyed, the stuff melted the plastic in a variety of places and totally trashed the keyboard for his desktop unit...

It is unreal to me that someone has had the exact same issue with the exact same mouse button and they made a forum post on the topic. They then got a reply and...they never even followed up and made a post letting everybody know the outcome of their efforts. Anyway, rant off on that. Suggestions?

Thanks,

Phil

 

So, nobody knows if you can pull a mouse button off?

 

You should remove the palmrest to get the best idea of how the buttons work.

https://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsm1530/en/SM/palmrest.htm#wp1038494

 

Relativity17,

Thanks for that link, I'll file that little gem away. Now, having said that, I am going to try and focus this question like a laser. Keyboard buttons can apparently be gently pulled loose from front-to-back and then replaced in reverse. The mouse buttons don't look all that different to me. Can anybody answer the question - can the mouse button(s) simply be removed and reinstalled like a keyboard key? Please? Anybody? Yes or no, it isn't rocket science, it either can or cannot be done. Does anybody know? :cry:

I really have a hard time believing I'm the only guy on the planet that has considered this, someone else has to have already been the Guinea pig and tried it. If not, does anybody have a wrecked one they saved for spare parts that would be willing to try it and let me know the result?

Thanks,

Phil

 

Which model? 1330/1530, you'll have to remove the palmrest, remove the touchpad circuit board from underneath, and then remove the buttons.. It's very much possible.. Just a little more time consuming than popping off a key.. And no, i didn't try it on my laptop.. I tried it on a palmrest that was replaced due to a faulty Finger Print reader, so i don't know whether the touchpad still worked after being put together again.. There is no reason why it wouldn't have, though..

 

sesshomaru,

Thank you. And Relativity17 and TabbedOut too. This is shaping up to be a big job. I've disassembled plenty of laptops over the last few years and they each have their...tricks. I am going to do some studying on that maintenance page Relativity17 sent me the link to. sesshomaru, my oversight in not providing the model number. It is a Dell M1530.

Perplexing to me is this - if something had somehow lodged under the button it would be difficult to push down. In this case it is as though it isn't being held up by whatever normally provides that "spring" that normally exists. When I have seen other computer components like this the PCB has usually had a little button, maybe better described as looking like a little rubber nipple looking thing, under the larger mouse pad button. What I am perplexed by is why after four months of loving use the thing would suddenly drop like this.

Does anybody have any experience with what it looks like under that button? Does anybody know of a maintenance page that shows a really good (hopefully exploded) shot of this mouse assembly?

OK, so once the unit (M1530) is disassembled to the point where I can get the palm rest loose, the mouse pad/button assembly on the bottom should be removed and once removed from the palm rest the buttons...what, it'll be obvious how they come loose? And here's the real clincher - if I go to all of this trouble and find the PCB piece is defective, absent buying a replacement mouse pad assembly and having it sitting on the shelf prior to doing all of this, I would be looking at doing the job twice after putting it back together while waiting for that part. I will need a part number and have to try and track that piece down. Does anybody have any advice on the whole scope of this project?

I know I am just wearing people out on this and for that I apologize. Thanks again for the help so far.

Phil

 

Hey, my mouse button is a little messed up too, something is lodged in there and its hard to press down, I will be removing the palm rest and try to fix it within the next couple of days, I will reply with the outcome.

If you tried it yet, please let me know what happened. I am confident that it wont break, Ill just have to be careful.

 

I doubt there would be a part number available.. the whole palmrest is replaced as one unit, for a touchpad or fingerprint reader problem, and it's in the same form that it is available online..
It's possible that the spring has come loose.. or something like that.. The biggest issue that i forsee, will be if you find the touchpad is stuck to the palmrest.. In a couple of laptops i have opened, it has been the case..

 

All,

Thanks for the feedback. I haven't done it yet, I spent quite a bit of time searching for the palm rest assembly yesterday. It looked like they came with the fingerprint reader and mouse all as one unit so I'm glad to get that confirmed by sesshomaru's post.

The only ones I found on line yesterday were used ones. One place has them listed (ten of them ) as "A+", but then his description goes on to say they have scratches and to look at the picture closely (with no high res pictures provided).

Does anybody know a source for a brand-spankin-new one? I want to buy one and have it sitting here ready to go so if I get the thing disassembled and find a disaster I at least don't have to do the work twice.

Yitzter, I won't likely be doing my wife's computer in the next couple of days due to thinking it to be prudent to have the replacement palm rest assembly on hand first. So, if you do get around to doing that entire disassembly process - if you wouldn't mind taking a picture of the underside of the palm rest, and anything of the mouse button you can see when you're done, and post them here; I certainly would appreciate it.

When I get my parts in and do the deed I'll take some pictures to try and ease this for the next victim...

So, anybody got a great parts source for new, or legitimately extremely clean (not "A+ with scratches) used parts for a Dell M1530?

Thanks,

Phil

 

Update

Well, I wish I had more follow up from others here, but after starting to tackle this thing I can sure understand why I don't...

Today I cleared the table, printed out the fifteen pages front and back...and started trying to replace the mouse buttons/touch pad/palm rest assembly. My first clue as to just how big a pain in the...backside...this project would be was when I printed out the fifteen pages front and back. Fifteen pages, front and back? That is thirty pages of instructions. OK, what all does it include? Removing every installed memory module, add on card (Bluetooth, USB, WLAN), the keyboard, the display... yes, the entire display has to be removed, and to remove that you have to first disassemble it. Folks, this is getting obscenely ridiculous. Essentially you have to take every single component off the XPS M1530 in order to replace the mouse button. But wait, it gets better.

Forget all the other "setup" stuff, just removing the battery has two notes and three illustrated steps. Overkill? Sure, but why not. My gripe is this - Once you have removed all of the stuff required to get to the step " Hinge Covers and Center Control Cover", after telling you how to remove the screws the instructions say:

3. Turn the computer top side up, and open the display as far as it will open.

4. Ease the center control cover up until you see the cable connector that attaches the cable to the system board.

Let me get this right - While there are two illustrations associated with this process, the Dell service manual instructions actually provide less detail for this than what they provide for removing the battery? I spent probably an hour looking at, poking around, gently prying with small delicate screwdrivers, and I finally got the part popped loose, on the right hinge fairly easily and on the left side where it looks like there are two tabs where I was eventually able to pry them open too; even with both sides opened up like that I am left scratching my head - what do you have to do next? They continue with "NOTICE: Be extremely careful when removing the Center Control Cover. The cover along with the cable that attaches to it are very fragile." OK, less guidance than they they give on removing the battery, an hour of fooling around with getting the thing split along the edge of the case and it still looks to me like there are tabs concealed by the hinge covers, which are not removed until later according to their instructions...

After spending a total of two hours on this thing I am giving up. I put it all back together, thankfully I hadn't gotten all the way to taking the display apart, and I am going to just order a replacement hard drive, clone the existing drive and then ship this thing back to Dell and tell them to fix the mouse. One mouse button, all this is about is a mouse button; I cannot believe how hard Dell makes it to replace this assembly, how much you have to take apart in order to do it...and while their documentation is nice, it is woefully incomplete and lacking of the detail needed to have any assurance you will not break yet another part in the process of trying this repair.

Have I got it wrong? Does someone have a simpler solution? If not I'll clone the drive and start the calling to get the warranty repair done on this thing. My wife didn't have the computer four months and the mouse button you use the most stopped working correctly. That doesn't say much for for Dell's quality control. That you have to disassemble every single component of the computer to replace this assembly; that doesn't reflect well on the design of this product if this is a component with any realistic chance for failure and need for replacement. I will welcome any feedback anybody has and appreciate what I have received to date. More than $2,000 for this laptop and the mouse button fails within four months. After ordering the replacement part off eBay, after wasting two hours on it today; the aggravation and time lost to send it back to Dell is really going to leave a bad taste in my mouth. :cry:

Phil

 

So im gonna guess that it wouldnt be worth all that trouble to fix the mouse push button

If i were to send my laptop into dell for the same reason would they fix or would they give another laptop.

And how long would it take for them to fix it and send it back, cause im thinking of sending it over my spring break so i dont have to worry about school stuff.

So far the Mouse on mine is getting worse and worse, i have to push harder and harder each day, and i just know that its going to stop working completely anytime soon.