Inoperable keys in OLD Toshiba notebook

[RobertVA]

Satellite Pro 415CS notebook (yes, I know it's OLD)

No response from SOME of the built in keyboard's keys.

Does anyone have any experience correcting such problems with this or
similar models short of replacing the keyboard entirely? Is there much
prospect of getting to the keyboard contacts to clean them? I have
other, more powerful, tower systems for use at home, but sometimes it
would be nice to have a portable system that I wouldn't need an external
keyboard for, even though the particular unit has a slow Pentium CPU,
Windows 95 and a small hard drive. Before the keyboard problem I was
quite content with the system's speed executing Microsoft Office 97
applications.

 

[Juan Perez]

Hi:

You can some steps:

Try to get a manual of your laptop as reference and take away the keyboard.
Then review the conector from the keyboard, normaly a film flat cable. Try
to clean it with a non abrasive material. Use WD-40 y very low quantities.
Then review the keyboard itself. If we are lucky, we may do not have a
problem with the PCB (mother board), we may recover it. Use a soft brush and
a can of compress air , to clean betwen the the keys, all the dust you may
be have. You can use also a small Hoover (Vacuum Cleaner) to do the same but
it is a more agressivem, and some losse key can go to your dust bag.

If the keyboard is physically broken, may advice it is to get a unit on
ebay, to cannibalizate the keyboard.

 

[paulmd]

Satellite Pro 415CS notebook (yes, I know it's OLD)

No response from SOME of the built in keyboard's keys.

Does anyone have any experience correcting such problems with this or
similar models short of replacing the keyboard entirely? Is there much
prospect of getting to the keyboard contacts to clean them? I have
other, more powerful, tower systems for use at home, but sometimes it
would be nice to have a portable system that I wouldn't need an external
keyboard for, even though the particular unit has a slow Pentium CPU,
Windows 95 and a small hard drive. Before the keyboard problem I was
quite content with the system's speed executing Microsoft Office 97
applications.

You can try pulling the cable and reseating it. You can sometimes get a
response by mashing down and wiggling the offending key.


Worst case is replacing the keyboard.

Listing this auction because it has a handy compatibility list, for
possible donor machines.

http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/thelaptopgarage?disp=view&listingID=124732&data=


SATELLITE MODELS:

100CS / 105CS
110CS / 110CT
115CS / 200CDS

SATELLITE PRO MODELS
400CS / 400CDT
405CS
410CS / 410CDT
415CS
420CDS / 420CDT
425CDT
430CDS / 430CDT
435CDS

T-Series MODELS
T2100 / T2105
T2110 / T2115
T2130 / T2135
T2150 / T2155

TECRA MODELS
500CS / 500CDT
510CDT
700CS / 700CT
710CDT
720CDT
730CDT / 730XCDT
740CDT