Need to find a way to tighten up the left side of the keyboard, what about crazy glue

Well I am simply running out of options mates. Im trying to fix the left side of my keyboard because it has some flex and seems to be making this very hollow sound when typing on it, its the keyboard hitting up against the metal underneath, since its right above the optical drive and the casing for the opt. drive is metal. There is also a good size hole cut into the metal casing of the drive, which Im sure has everything to do with it.

This is on the very left side (D key and anything to the left) but the rest is amazingly flex free. Anyways I am still trying to find a way to get rid of this as it is extremely annoying. Im very tempted to just crazy gluing the left side and put a thin layer of it under it. Since all I know is, this left side should have a nail bolting it down. There is one screw that goes into the middle of the keyboard and that is why the keyboard is flex free, cuz of that screw, it really does a superb job in solidifying the feel of the kyeyboard. And that just shows you, the reason why the left side above the optical drive is making this hollow sound is because well its got the springy metal opt. drive underneath. Amazing what screws nailing down the keyboard do eh? I dont get why more companies dont just clutter underneath the keyboard with nails, it works! Why do you think IBM thinkpads are built like tanks? Everything is nailed down.

I need to find a way to get this very left side completely flat. Tape, double stick tape, doesnt work. It surprisingly makes the noise worse. If I press and hold on that area with a couple fingers it sinks down a bit. If I do this to any other part of the keyboard, it amazingly doesnt go in at all! Solid as a rock!

 

try using the thin foam padding that comes in some shipping boxes. it is about 1/8 of an inch think or less and you can stack them together and cut out a little square. also i would not use super glue becuase if you needed to remove it the super glue would make that quite difficult and could damage the optical drive. maybe get some specialy glue from a computer specialist store. also if it wasnt your fault call dell and yell at them for the defect. if you get a good persone who is honorable they will proably refund you or send you a new one (if your warranty is still valid). Im getting a m170 this week so i hope that mine doesnt have a problem with that. ill be looking forward to seeing what you end up doing.

 

This is a Sony mate. And I have already exchanged this once, both units were having the same problem. Except with this one, the problem didnt really arise till about 2 weeks of usage. I will definitely try that suggestion, I have some lying around thanks!

*crosses fingers*

Although i highly doubt it will work, since ive tried everything and nothing has worked thus far. If this was just plain plastic under, it wouldbe alot easier to fix, but since its a metal piece and it being bouncy and all with a hole in the middle makes it near impossible. If I cant find anything i will take it to sony repair here and see what they say. They might think im nuts, and im sure they will just say to leave it.

Im desperate, cause this is really annoying. And I know some people will just say, why not get an ext. keyboard? Well its not that easy mates, when I buy a laptop I want to be able to type on it whenever and not have to buy extra parts to clutter the desk. Hence the meaning of a laptop

 

oh i thought becuase of your signature it was an XPS m170. Well i hope that works and i hope that you can still return it for new one if you cant fix it. maybe its just a defect and they will give you another model? who knows if it that much of a problem they should accomidate you

 

actually its quite common in this line of sonys. ive had this for 5 weeks now so theres no way to return it or get another one. thats ok, i understand. flex on the left side for sonys is extremely common, from what ive read in the reviews.

i tried that trick with the shipping foam, and it seems to work...well for the most part it does make it feel a lot tighter. though it did cause that part of the keyboard to raise a bit. I just cut a square in the shape of the dvdrw drive and put on top. its pretty tight under neath so i dont see it moving, plus that screw is there too.

so anyhow it does seem pretty good, but it still doesnt get rid of it completely....but i would say does help alot. the only thing i dont get is, when i have the laptop off for say hours like overnight....when its coming out of a cold state the keyboard left side only again...will do it again. so i dont know what it is, if its a heat issue or what. because when i turn it on and get the unit warmed up a bit, most of it goes away.

whatever it is, its REALLY PISSING ME RIGHT OFF!!!!! AND I AM THIS CLOSE TO JUST GIVING UP ON LAPTOPS ALTOGETHER and getting a desktop. I cant sell this though because i just bought it not long ago and my parents would be upset if i sell yet another laptop because i dont like it.

either that or i get an ext keyboard but frankly i dont want to have to deal with that, and more clutter. if that is the case, id rather sell it off, get a cheap desktop and then use that and save some money.

i dont even know why i have a laptop anyways, i dont bring it with me anywhere but i do like the portability. But i mean i have yet to find a single laptop with a perfect keyboard...meaning no flex, no bounciness, hollow sound, feeling like a desktop one etc. and i really cant be spending anymore on this...ahhh!!!!! IM ABOUT TO THROW THIS POS THROUGH THE FUKIN WALL.

 

I often use an external keyboard on my my laptop, and a VGA output. Laptop keyboards are too flat for extended use, whereas the normal desktop keyboard are designed for longer typing periods. One reason is that the keyboard is slanted upwards from bottom to top/ key pitch is better.

Using laptop screens forces you to look downwards, which is not good for your posture. Connecting the VGA to a proper, head height display won't make you strain your neck muscles.

After a while, one ends up near blind for looking at laptop LCDs with worse back problems that are usually associated with computer use, and a very stiff neck.

Best best is to use a proper keyboard and display and use the laptop keyboard for what its designed for - When travelling, and in places where conventional kbd/monitors are unavailable.

Sorry that this post doesn't really help your stickly keyboard problem. More of a FYI.

 

Zil,

Well I do use an ext monitor when at home, so the neck problem is fine now hehe.

I have done this trick for 2 days now and have left it sit. It does seem ALOT firmer...so I will leave it in for now. Hopefully it doesnt cause the keyboard to bend.

When the unit is on, it seems fine now, but when its off and just coming on from being off for long time (cold state), it will rattle a bit...but not nearly as bad as without the padding I put inside.

So ya that most likely says it just had space under. Its wierd though, you would think Sony would put a layer of plastic on top of the opt. drive or something to prevent this.