This guide explains how to fix a broken keyboard connector on a laptop motherboard. I do not claim that my instructions will work for any connector type in any laptop brand, but if I can help a few people, I can call my mission accomplished.
Let’s say the keyboard in your laptop stopped working properly and you decided to install a new keyboard yourself. You disassembled the laptop, removed the keyboard, tried to unlock the keyboard connector and… OHH! MAN!… a piece of the locking clip on the connector got broken!
What can you do? Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of options. The keyboard connector is permanently soldered to the motherboard and cannot be replaced at home. If the connector was damaged, you’ll have to replace the whole motherboard, use the laptop with an external USB keyboard, or…. try the following trick. Hopefully it works or you.
The keyboard cable is locked inside the connector on the motherboard. In order to remove the keyboard, you have to unlock the connector and release the cable.
On the picture below you see one of the most common connectors. It has the base (white in my case) and locking clip (brown in my case). The keyboard cable is jammed between the locking clip and base.
To unlock the connector, you have to move the locking clip about 2 millimeters in the direction shown by two yellow arrows.
IMPORTANT! The locking clip must stay attached to the connector base.
After that you can pull the keyboard cable (green arrow) and remove the keyboard.
If you are not careful enough, you can move the locking clip too much and break it.
On the picture below you can see the locking clip is missing the left hook.
On the next picture both sides of the clip are broken.
IMPORTANT! Do not though away the broken clip even though it looks completely useless.
If you insert the cable into the connector and will not lock it with a clip, the cable will not make good contact with pins inside the connector and the keyboard will not work.
Here’s how to install the broken clip back in place and make it work.
Position the broken clip the way it was before. In my case both sides of the connector are broken. What could have been worse?
Carefully insert the keyboard cable into the connector. Note, in this type of connector, the cable goes above the locking clip.
Carefully push the broken clip back in place. You can use a small screwdriver to push on the clip behind the cable.
The clip fits tightly when there is a cable inside the connector.
Secure the connection with sticky tape and you should be good to go. The keyboard should work just fine.
The keyboard connector shown on the following picture is very similar to the previous one. The only difference – the keyboard cable is routed under the locking clip. Fix it the same way as the previous connector.
On the next picture you see another type of keyboard connector. The cable is inserted vertically.
In order to unlock the connector, you’ll have to move the locking clip (brown piece) about 2 millimeters up in the direction shown by two yellow arrows. After that you can pull the keyboard cable (green arrow) and remove the keyboard.
If you move the locking clip too far, you can break it.
In my example the right side of the clip is broken. But you still can use it!
Insert the keyboard cable into the connector, position the broken locking clip correctly (behind the cable in my case) and carefully push it in.
Even with a broken clip the cable will make good connection with the base and the keyboard should work.
Here’s the same connector shown from the opposite side. You cannot even tell if the locking clip is broken.
If this trick worked for you, it means I just saved you a few hundred bucks on the motherboard replacement. 
REPAIR TIPS FROM READERS:
Thank you to Alex (Comment 85) for the following suggestion:
I found another way to fix it…
Have you lost the broken “Locking clip”?
Then do this…
Get some “electrical tape” on the back of the “flat cable” to make some “thickness”.
Make sure you are putting the tape on the right side, where there are no visible connections…Then very carefully push the cable into the connector… It will not come loose and the keyboard will work just fine!
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
March 21st, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Thank you so much. I brock small plastic wedge piece while pulling keyboard connector on my Acer Aspire One netbook. A small end piece of the wedge flue somewhere in air and couldn’t find it. After inserting remaining wedge piece and starting netbook found out that few keys won’t respond after pressing the key. Your instructions gave me idea to put electric tape and stick back the connector. Now it is working just fine. Thank you so much.
January 29th, 2013 at 4:44 am
Ref Acer 7551 laptop.
While replacing my keyboard broke the tiny Winnie little clips on the cable connector. On the new ribbon connector carefully cut two strips of electrical tape slid the cable into the socket held in place with sticky tape , WHEW all is well.
Good luck…
January 9th, 2013 at 8:03 am
Thanks!This information really helped me repair a broken connector pin. Couldn’t afford a new laptop. Thanks again.
December 29th, 2012 at 9:23 am
Thank you so much! Upon finding my keyboard clip had broken clean off the motherboard of my laptop I was convinced it was a lost cause. A little scotch tape and a bit of finesse later, my keyboard is working perfectly. Awesome quick fix, thanks again!
December 6th, 2012 at 6:52 am
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This post saved my butt also. Acer 7551 laptop, broke the keyboard ribbon cable lock clip opening it (didn’t take much at all to break either! lol) and envisioned having to spend $$$ to repair my client’s machine. Read this and now have a working keyboard!
TIP: After using two tiny drops of JB Weld at either end of the broken clip to fix it in place, it still didn’t have enough pressure at the outside edges, so some keys weren’t working. I simply peeled off the heavy plastic tab from the cable of the bad keyboard, and used it as the already perfectly sized shim to slide in between the lock clip and the ribbon. Voila – a 10 minute repair and the keyboard works perfectly!
October 26th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Wow. I spent over two hours trying to devise some way to accomodate for the broken keyboard connector clip on my Inspiron 1545. Your method took 5 minutes and it works perfectly. Why didn’t I think of that? The sticky tape works great too but I also carefully and ever so gently inserted a small piece of a wooden pop-sicle stick into the opening over the connector in case the tape looses it’s tack. I would think that a toothpick would work too, or any sort of thin, non-conductive material. Thanks again!
September 30th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Just want to say thank you, I have a Toshiba Laptop that is mostly used by my kids. They pushed the DC adapter too far in and damaged it….. with the help of you website I spent $20 on a new AC adapter and soldering iron from Radio Shack and fixed it myself. Works great! Thanks for the guidance!!!
September 3rd, 2012 at 5:40 am
Mate, I don’t wish to gush, but you just saved me fark knows how much on a repair bill after I disassembled my Acer to replace the keyboard, only to find the previous owner had obviously already had a problem & left the latch on the motherboard sticky-taped on (which fell off & went to Valhalla the moment I removed the tape, obviously).
After some wailing & gnashing of teeth, I went online, saw your article, & it inspired me to utilise a piece of playing card & a matchstick, along with the aforementioned electrical tape.
I am typing this on my now-working keyboard. Come payday, I shall cross your Paypal account with silver. You are a star. Thank you so much!
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:44 pm
@ Les,
Check out this post: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....therboard/
Maybe you can use a piece of plastic instead as I did.
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:38 pm
@ Edcompaci,
It depends on the type of connector.
Sometimes you can replace it with a piece of plastic.
Check out this post: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....therboard/