How to put back a fallen off key in HP EliteBook 8540w?

Question

I have a EliteBook 8540w and my F5 Key has come loose and now has come off (not sure how it came off). Anyone know how to put it back on?

It is not as simple as a keyboard from a desktop.

Answer 1

One method I've found works well on many laptop keyboards is to place they key where it's supposed to go (make sure its centered almost perfectly) and press down very hard. Sometimes the key will snap back in.

Alternatively, if there are small metal lever-looking objects in the key-hole, try to lift them up and see if they fit into latches, loops, or clasps on the bottom side of the key. This is hard and very fiddly; you may need something strong and thin (like a bent paperclip or other wire) to help. (Check the bottom of the key first: these clasps/latches/loops are the same plastic as the key but very thin. It could have been these breaking that caused the key to fall off in the first place. In that case, this won't work.)

As a last resort, you could glue the key back on. BEWARE: you have to glue the key to the part of the keyboard that makes the keypress contact (otherwise it won't work as a key). Sometimes this is a bump and you can glue the key to the bump. Sometimes this is level or even recessed: in these cases, you will probably need a tiny shim. You'll also need to use a strong glue that will glue plastic together; be careful with that. Finally, glued-on keys are often wiggly, unstable, and not at all pleasant to type on. (However, they do work, so this may still be an improvement.)

Answer 2

I had to put my left arrow key back on just now. I found your post trying to find the answer. I got mine back on by taking a paper clip to stick underneath and lift up the scissor structure that the the key mounts to. Mine is white. If you look at the back of the key there are 2 slots and 2 snaps. The slots are at the bottom of the key and the snaps are at the top. After you gently raise the scissor structure the bottom of the key slides over the 2 pegs. Then remove the paper clip and push down to snap the ey into place.

These keys tend to twist off. Thats how they usually fall off. Not a very good design in my mind, especially on teh arrow keys where there aren't any keys to support them from twisting. Keyboard seems ok but I could see they same happening up there.

Best bet will be to use the built in keyboard as little as possible and only when traveling. Other wise use a regular keyboard that is easily replaceable.

Answer 3

I work at a public K-12 school district, and we have a lot of HP laptops which the students use in mobile labs as well as those issued to teachers. We see a lot of keys that have broken off or popped off keyboards. We have several rules of thumb:

1. If the plastic hinge/cage mechanism that goes below the key stays on the keyboard and only they key portion itself has come off, you can almost always get the key back on. Simply line it up and snap it back into place. This will only not work if the key is broken.
2. If the hinge/cage mechanism has come off and stuck on the back of the key, you have a small chance of getting the key back on. It will take roughly 20 minutes to fix. If you haven't gotten it back on in that time, give up. It will not go back together.
3. If the hinge/cage has come off and the two pieces have come apart, don't even bother trying to fix it. You are just wasting your time.

If your system is under warranty, contact HP and tell them you've had a key pop off and it will not snap back on. They will send you a replacement. If it's not under warranty, you can easily find replacement keyboards for $25-$35 online new. You can usually save a few bucks and get a refurb. Go to the HP Part Surfer website and enter either the p/n or s/n of your laptop. Look for the part number of the replacement keyboard, and then Google search for that. Alternately, sites like Blue Raven specialize in laptop replacement parts.