Help!!! How to replace gateway keys?

Ok, about a week and a half ago I dropped a screw on my gateway laptop's keyboard (it's an M-6752 garnet red...but has the same keyboard as any of the M6xxx or P6xxx 15.4" laptops).

Anyways, the screw got caught under my FN key and I slowly pried the key off with a screw driver. Unfortunately, I think I put a wee bit too much force on it as the key popped off but broke the plastic clip/bracket/piece that attached to the bottom of the key.

I just got a new keyboard from gateway today but rather than take my laptop completely apart, I'd like to just save the new keyboard for later use and just pop the FN key off it and put it on my current keyboard. My question is though, how do I do this without breaking the key?

 

well you "popped" the first fn key off didn't you? That didn't work out too well now did it? Logic would dictate that you should install the new keyboard fully intact.

 

No, but there must be some way to install a single key!?

 

glue it on? super glue? not much you can do really.

 

use the new keyboard, you'll be happy later, I doubt you'll be lucky enough to find anyone here who's had experience removing specifically gateway keys

 

Ok..what about keys in general from laptops? I really don't want to have to replace the keyboard if I don't have to

 

Gateway will typically only replace the entire keyboard for around 100 bucks. As in, they won't send you an individual key.

 

You can try to test it out with the other keys on the already installed keyboard. If you find a way to do it, great! If not, you'll be more motivated to replace the whole keyboard

 

trust me on this one... DONT!
i had a dell and the Z fell about 1 month of use... it fell with no damage, so i just watched it pretty close and got the way of putting it again...

after over 1 hour of suffering and sweating the key was back! i was so happy!
3 days latter the freagging key fell down again.... i put it back again... about the 4th time of doing this, the metallic frame that holds each one ofthe pieces just broke T.T.... i ended up supregluing it

 

Hrm, there must be some way to do it....

 

Yeah - put the bloody new keyboard in...

Sorry, but with all the whining about this key, you could have had the new KB in already.

 

I know...I just don't want to waste a whole new keyboard lol....oh well.

 

wont you be ruining a keyboard anyway since your RIPPING a key off anyway?

 

There are key removable tools . But,alot of times I use a very thin flat blade I made to do it.

 

Get the new keyboard and put it in... save the old keyboard in case you need an extra key later on.

 

There is, I don't know what you guys are talking about... If you can find another gateway key somewhere that isn't broken you can pop it right back on. THis is assuming it is a standard laptop key with the crisscross clippy mechanism. I've done this both on my dell laptop and many of my shallowed keyed logitech keyboard. It is a major PIA and I wouldn't want to do it if I didn't have to but, it is certantly doable. Often times, keys are interchangeably between keyboards. I actually saw a gateway laptop at best buy with the key removed, I assumed someone needed a replacement so they stole it.

 

That's funny I was just at best buy yesterday and their floor model of the 7811 was missing 4 keys