Laptop buttons not working - how to fix ?

[hi2u_uk]

Hello there are two buttons on my lap top which are not working . when i took it to the repair shop they said that the whole keyboard needs to be replaced.
Is his correct ?
what could have caused this and is there any thing else i can try ?

 

[dgl]

A keyboard replacement is a good possibility as most are near impossible to fix, dependant on the machine it can be an easy DIY fix, Dell, HP and Lenovo usually have the instructions to do that within one of the manuals.
In some cases you may have to replace the whole keyboard and the plastics "top cover" that it's attached to as some are fitted in with plastic heat stakes that cannot be easily replaced.

I've done a couple of machines (and have another one to do when I can be bothered) and they weren't too difficult, although my slim Dell needed the whole keyboard/top cover replaced as one and as such required all the internals to be taken out and transferred across (twice in the end due to slight part differences between model revisions that I didn't realise).

 

[Crossover]

Hello there are two buttons on my lap top which are not working . when i took it to the repair shop they said that the whole keyboard needs to be replaced.
Is his correct ?
what could have caused this and is there any thing else i can try ?

It would be useful to know what make/model the laptop is and which buttons on it aren't working to be able to better advise

 

[david1212]

Unless there is something e.g. crumbs you can dislodge by flicking a finger at / near the keys then replacement required. Has there been a liquid spill?

The amount of dismantling / reassembly required varies massively, run a search on Youtube for your brand and the same or a similar model.
Dell Latitude models usually are easy - either just a screw or two, maybe remove bezel, work around the clips, determine how the ribbon cable connectors release e.g. slide, flip up, then reverse procedure to reassemble.

For older ones the keyboards on eBay are typically £10 - £15. You have to check it is the UK layout, unless of course you want another. It helps too to know what models the keyboard is common across and variants that will fit e.g. pointing stick or not.

 

[hi2u_uk]

It is a acer swift 3 lapotop and the "t" and "3" buttons do not work
I just wondered if i was a bit overkill to replace the whole laptop keyboard because 2 buttons do not work

 

[Crossover]

It is a acer swift 3 lapotop and the "t" and "3" buttons do not work
I just wondered if i was a bit overkill to replace the whole laptop keyboard because 2 buttons do not work

If presented with the same thing, I would check for debris under the keys (as @david1212 mentioned) and re-seat the keyboard connector (which I presume the shop will have done), after which it would be a new keyboard.
If going the full hog, I may also boot the machine with Ubuntu Live, to make sure it isn't a driver issue, but it seems very unlikely

It is just one of those things - keyboards now are just one big circuit board and there is little that can be done to service them so such failures are often a 'bin and replace' job

Whilst it feels a bit wasteful, I would probably fall on the side of the fence that replacement of the keyboard is the best option here (particularly as it looks like it is a fairly new model of laptop)

Qualifier: I work in IT and have done support roles going back over 15 years

 

[Trackman]

It is a acer swift 3 lapotop and the "t" and "3" buttons do not work
I just wondered if i was a bit overkill to replace the whole laptop keyboard because 2 buttons do not work

How much did the repair shop quote you for fixing it?

 

[randyrippley]

It is a acer swift 3 lapotop and the "t" and "3" buttons do not work
I just wondered if i was a bit overkill to replace the whole laptop keyboard because 2 buttons do not work

That one is a real pain to replace the keyb on, needs total disassembly including removal of back, battery, drives, system board.......the keyboard needs everything else removed before you can get at it
There's a step by step video guide on youtube (foreign language, but its obvious enough)

Easy but lengthy if you know your way around laptops.
If you've never taken one apart before, this is a bad one to start on. You'll break something

==edit==

looking a bit further, the keyboards for these come in multiple language versions, some with backlights some without, some with a keyboard power button top right some without, some as integral with the upper case/fascia some as discrete keyboard mats. To make it worse I couldn't find a UK layout keyboard from a quick google search. I think to be sure you'd need to get the part number off the existing keyboard after it has been stripped, then try to match it online.
But a word of warning - Acer is one of the companies it's harder to buy spares for unless you're one of their recognised repairers. Many parts simply aren't available on the open market. Been there, done it many times

 

[Markdvdman]

There is another option - not as convenient of course - but to plug in a USB keyboard or use a smaller bluetooth keyboard. I used to do that when I used my laptop as a desktop replacement.

I used to look on youtube for opening up laptops but work it out for myself now - like when I replaced the HD for an SSD on my bros laptop (after cloning).

 

[hi2u_uk]

How much did the repair shop quote you for fixing it?

one hundred pounds

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2023 ==

There is another option - not as convenient of course - but to plug in a USB keyboard or use a smaller bluetooth keyboard. I used to do that when I used my laptop as a desktop replacement.

I used to look on youtube for opening up laptops but work it out for myself now - like when I replaced the HD for an SSD on my bros laptop (after cloning).

This is the option i was going for , i ordered from currys but then the next day they cancelled the order however i paid using a currys gift card and still havent had the money refunded. they seem to have a problem refunding money to gift cards

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2023 ==

That one is a real pain to replace the keyb on, needs total disassembly including removal of back, battery, drives, system board.......the keyboard needs everything else removed before you can get at it
There's a step by step video guide on youtube (foreign language, but its obvious enough)

Easy but lengthy if you know your way around laptops.
If you've never taken one apart before, this is a bad one to start on. You'll break something

==edit==

looking a bit further, the keyboards for these come in multiple language versions, some with backlights some without, some with a keyboard power button top right some without, some as integral with the upper case/fascia some as discrete keyboard mats. To make it worse I couldn't find a UK layout keyboard from a quick google search. I think to be sure you'd need to get the part number off the existing keyboard after it has been stripped, then try to match it online.
But a word of warning - Acer is one of the companies it's harder to buy spares for unless you're one of their recognised repairers. Many parts simply aren't available on the open market. Been there, done it many times

On reading this im wondering if i should just buy a new one and transfer my info over. Whenever i go to these computer repair shops im never 100% sure hey know what hey are doing and this acer job seems tough

 

[randyrippley]

On reading this im wondering if i should just buy a new one and transfer my info over. Whenever i go to these computer repair shops im never 100% sure hey know what hey are doing and this acer job seems tough

It's certainly not the easiest to replace, but the annoying truth is most modern thin laptops are heading that way. Both HP and Dell use similar designs on some machines.
As to whether to buy new.......how old is it? Acers have a pretty poor record in terms of reliability. If it's over three years old I'd bin it, too much chance of something else failing. In terms of longevity it's hard to beat Dell. Until recently I was part of a team supporting close to 20,000 laptops and the Dell ones were by far the most stable
Whether the computer shop knows how to repair it.........it's a good bet they won't have any kind of familiarisation training from Acer. Most will just look it up on the internet (as I did) and hope to follow a third-party video. You could be lucky and find someone who knows, but I wouldn't gamble on it

 

[hi2u_uk]

It's certainly not the easiest to replace, but the annoying truth is most modern thin laptops are heading that way. Both HP and Dell use similar designs on some machines.
As to whether to buy new.......how old is it? Acers have a pretty poor record in terms of reliability. If it's over three years old I'd bin it, too much chance of something else failing. In terms of longevity it's hard to beat Dell. Until recently I was part of a team supporting close to 20,000 laptops and the Dell ones were by far the most stable
Whether the computer shop knows how to repair it.........it's a good bet they won't have any kind of familiarisation training from Acer. Most will just look it up on the internet (as I did) and hope to follow a third-party video. You could be lucky and find someone who knows, but I wouldn't gamble on it

It was bought in 2020 so it is over 3 years old; One of the charging ports no longer works which is an annoyance

 

[randyrippley]

It was bought in 2020 so it is over 3 years old; One of the charging ports no longer works which is an annoyance

Then don't spend any more on it