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Laptop Space Bar Does Not Space On First Attempt

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
I'll have to take the machine to a laptop repair guru down here.

If the space bar has two switches I would think having both "go bad" at the same time to be rather unlikely. Or, is it?

It malfunctions in all programs so it is definitely unique to the machine.

  • I have De-Oxit D100 liquid contact restorer
  • Are the switches open or are they sealed against liquids?
  • I am computer repair illiterate and have 1-1/2 functioning hands which is a dangerous combination
  • Advice would be most welcome!


Thanks In Advance
16 REPLIES 16

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Recommendations for a nice wireless keyboard with comfortable mouseless pad and buttons? Size is unimportant. The bigger the better.

Davidlee64
Explorer
Explorer
I have replaced the KB on laptops several times. I have put new keys on before as well. You could also plug in a USB KB and it will over-ride the built in KB too.

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Howdy,
I didn't think.....
(accusation)

...to ask how much air pressure they had.

The laptop went back to Eduardo, working OK. He reported it played netflix movies and did email and Whatsapp fine.

I will continue to use canned air at the work bench for soldering projects knowing it is useless for just about anything else...Upside down the freezing liquid is great for checking transistors and IC's

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
Mex,

Sometimes "more" is not "better". 175 psi is....too much of a good thing.

Does the blankety blank space bar work now?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

joebedford
Nomad II
Nomad II
Perhaps the incandescent bulb built into the keyboard to warm the switches to operational temperature has burn out?

fj12ryder
Explorer II
Explorer II
ksg5000 wrote:
Individual keys on PC's are removable - that includes the space bar. If the same is true on laptops then I would remove that spacebar and clean out all the accumulated junk.
Yeah, we thought that too but not all keyboards have removable keys. My wife found out the hard way when she attempted to clean the keyboard for our all-in-one. Come to find out, the keys are removable once, because they can't be replaced after removing. Oops. ๐Ÿ™‚
Howard and Peggy

"Don't Panic"

landyacht318
Explorer
Explorer
A few weeks back several keys on my Dell laptop quit working, the C and the enter key being two of them.

The C key compromised part of my password on startup. I did the compressed air thing, and sprayed some d5 under the keys. There was no change.

Strangely it started working properly again not long after.
I got a bluetooth keyboard just incase/ when it happens again.

My password no longer comprises any of the keys which went out.

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Yeah one look at google responses was enough for me.

Pry
Pry
Pry

Whizzzzzzzzzz

Ka-dink several feet away

The counter-hinge-pivot-pressure-equalization-spring?


Been there. Done that. I'm older, slower, and wiser now.

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
ksg5000 wrote:
Individual keys on PC's are removable - that includes the space bar. If the same is true on laptops then I would remove that spacebar and clean out all the accumulated junk.


They often are removable, but there's always the chance (particularly on laptop style keyboards) of breaking off little plastic hook thingies. Then, too, the space bar often has some sort of an equalizer mechanism, maybe like an anti sway bar setup, that is not always trivial to get back into position.

Laptop keyboards tend to be good examples of miniaturization, or at least thiniaturization to coin a word. They have some awfully clever tricks to fold the keyswitches into the low-profile keycaps along with return springs and whatnot.

ksg5000
Explorer
Explorer
Individual keys on PC's are removable - that includes the space bar. If the same is true on laptops then I would remove that spacebar and clean out all the accumulated junk.
Kevin

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Jeezo what a fight! Shutdown and restart five times before the space bar started working again. I finally got disgusted and took the laptop to a tire shop. They blasted it with 175 lb air and blew 4 keys off. The Dustoff air, upside down and whacking did nothing. I do not snack near the laptop. One of the tire guys recommended to keep fabric with lint away from the keyboard.



I had quailed, without your adamant, universal agreement about debris I would have given up after the air and banging upside down and spent money for someone to do the same thing. Long Live 175 psi Air!!!

toedtoes
Explorer II
Explorer II
pianotuna wrote:
Canned air to blow the detritus from under the space bar is what has worked for me.


Easiest, cheapest and most likely the solution. Try this first, along with turning it upside down to let crumbs fall out.
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

SidecarFlip
Explorer
Explorer
New keyboards are cheap. I've replaced mine a couple times, not a big deal.

If you disassemble the unit. just make sure your are grounded to the chassis.
2015 Backpack SS1500
1997 Ford 7.3 OBS 4x4 CC LB

4aSong
Explorer
Explorer
1st. thing I would try is to turn the keyboard over and you will be surprised what falls out, over time they can accumulate quite a bit of dust, etc.
M & N

Tundra TRD V8 4x4 w/Leer Shell
EU2000i * Prodigy * McKesh * Trek * Renogy * ENU