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!
November 18th, 2009 at 10:38 am
on my p305-s8915, the clip flips up vertically. I tried to push it out since it looked like mine and broke it in half. It will either take long fingernails or tweezers to stand it vertically and push the connector back under the pins so it will tilt down again. A lil scotch tape and you are good to go again (thankfully)
November 24th, 2009 at 2:58 am
a few hundred bucks? the mainboard on my laptop comes with the processor built in, so it comes to around AUD$2000
but i just did this on my other laptop…
thanks!
November 25th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
thank you dear,it is very usful,but right now i am not bale to donet sonthing my side.but i am always remember you , and any time i will get money or earn money i will defint donet some amount to our side.
November 27th, 2009 at 11:27 am
My daughter has a toshiba satellite m55 s3294 which is mising a key. I know there are key repair kits available, but I would prefer to replace the keyboard. Is it necessary to get the s3294, or are there other m55 keybords which are compatible. I ask only because I am having difficulty finding that specific model inside the U.S. Thanks , this is a great site.
November 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Steve,
I’m sure that any keyboard designed for a Satellite M55 (any model) will work just fine. Search on eBay for Satellite M55 keyboard and you’ll find plenty.
For the keyboard removal instructions follow steps 6-9 in this guide for Satellite M55 laptop.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:42 am
thank you very much
merry christmasts!
December 15th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Just found this site – lots of good advice so thanks!
I’ve been using this trick on my nx5000 for a few years now (minus the sticky tape step) and it works fine. Was kicking myself when I first busted it though.
Am about to attempt fixing what sounds like a loose video cable from one of your other posts so I’ll be pulling it apart again.
December 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 am
what if you loose the clip that hold the keybaord down
pls help
January 1st, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Thanks for the info
My situation was a bit worse as the clip got lost by the time I got to see my son’s laptop, but a piece of X-ray film bent 2-fold worked just fine (I’m pretty sure any other plastic will work, you need just to play with a few different kinds to find the right thickness).
January 5th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Hi,
My dad purchased a Toshiba A505D-S6968 laptop recently and accidentally damaged the “shift” key. It still works when its pressed down, but they key itself cannot be re-attached to the laptop. What would be the best solution to repair it?
Thanks,
Cheryl
January 5th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Cheryl,
Take a look at this post: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....-keyboard/
January 21st, 2010 at 5:52 am
What is the best recommended type of tape to use for this repair?
January 25th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Thanks for the repair tip. I just performed this repair on a Powerbook G4 15″ and it brought the keyboard back to life! I used regular clear scotch tape for the repair.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
This happen to me, and I did a similar fix, it worked!, but I could by another socket, carefully take the clip away and use it for the one in the motherboard. No soldering is needed, just do it carefully.
The only difficult part of this method is where to by a new socket?
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:19 am
Thanks for the post. I repair laptops and have done this on ocassion to the keyboard connector. They are so fragile.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
[...] You’ll find more info here: Fixing damaged keyboard connector on a laptop motherboard. [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I had to replace the power connector on my niece’s Toshiba A305 notebook, and I broke the latch on the keyboard socket. I tried this but there is only about 3/4 of the original latch and I still can’t get it to make good contact. Is there somewhere I can buy the latch?
Also … I believe the cable was above the latch. Is it possible I’m mistaken and the cable belongs below?
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Ken,
The cable should be above the latch. Take a look at the step 5 in this guide:
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/.....cess-1.htm
As a last resort, you can find a piece of plastic and make something similar to the broken latch. I REALLY doubt that you can buy this piece separately.
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:21 am
Hi, This is an excellent article if anyone ever has any problems with there laptop keyboard. Thanks for the time to write it.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
this has all been very helpful. thank you. My keyboard is totalled and I have purchased a usb keyboard. The laptop keyboard overrides the usb one and keeps intruding with nuisance letters.
I have successfully removed the keyboard as per instructions, however my connector has a metal cover holding it in place on what I assume is the motherboard. My laptop is Toshiba Pro S200 model.
This cover has 2 screws positoned on either side. I am not sure if removing this cover will free the connector. Should I be brave and undo the screws?
March 6th, 2010 at 1:42 am
Well, I unscrewed the cover plate and successfully removed the keyboard connector. Hopefully the usb keyboard will suffice for now.
thank you for the excellent directions.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:10 am
I have keyboard issues with My Dell Inspiron 1545 beginning two months after I purchase it. I kept contacting Dell and they would send me a new keyboard. In the beginning the probelem was tht the keys on the keyboard were popping off because they were sending me “cheap” keyboards. After the fifth replace of the keyboard, during the repair and replacement of the last keyboard they sent, a couple of prongs became broken because, like I said this is the 5th time I had to replace the keyboard because the keys kept popping off. Finally Dell agreed to ship me a box to send in my laptop for repair. A couple of days later, they contacted me telling me that they cold not repair it unless I paid them $358 to replace the Motherboard. My point is, “The motherboard would have never been broken, if they had shipped me a quality keyboard to begin with. I can expect that the Keyboard connection on the Motherboard would be broken after, 5 attempts of installing a new keyboard. What pisses me off the most is that this laptop is only 7 or 8 months old, and they don’t want to fix it. So now they are shipping it back to me “unrepaired”. Also in the process, the battery clip became broken, because the battery had to be removed so many times to install the new keyboard. Just wondering if you have any suggestions on repairing the keyboard connection on the motherboard without having to replace the motherboard. Because at this point, I feel like I would be better off to purchase a New Laptop, instead of investing nearly $400 for a repair that I feel is in now way my fault. Through the past few months, I have learned that the customer service at Dell is awful. If they would have requested that I send in the laptop for repair, during the first time I had an issue with the keyboard, then this problem would be their’s, but since I did the install, 5 times because of Cheap keyboards, my motherboard is broken and I am without a laptop.
March 9th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Thank you, Best info I’ve found for re moving keyboard.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
I just want to say THANK YOU for the directions on repairing the keyboard connector. I was ready to give up trying to fix it. This did the trick. THANKS!!!
Deb
April 8th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Hello everyone,
I have a Toshiba Laptop A100-335 will not start.
The power light stays off.
The laptop connected to the mains, the battery flashes voyaynt a dozen times without result.
Thank you for your helping hand
April 14th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
I successfully repaired my laptop (a Dell Inspiron 1420), which had a missing connector clip.
Details here – http://learnwithharv.com/blog/.....iner-clip/
Great post BTW, I am linking back to you.
April 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
[...] If you still have the retainer clip – that’s the piece that clips your keyboard ribbon cable into the connector – see this post. http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....herboard... [...]
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:32 am
Hello,
I would like to buy the connector that is it on the image called “another connector type”, picture 10.
Somebody knows where I can find it?
Thank you
May 8th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
thank for yor infomation
June 8th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
How i can to known. My laptop doesn’t worked. No light nothing.
I try to diconnect everything but nothing.
Can you help me?
June 11th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Thank you for your pictures and details.
June 12th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Thank you a thousand times over for the step by step instruction for taking a laptop apart so I could replace the keyboard. The extra details about the keyboard connections made all the difference in the world. Be sure to get a snug fit with the connector as only 50% of the keys worked the first time. I reconnected the link and the keyboard works normally now. Thanks so much for your web site and instructions.
June 18th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Hello,
I had a tech add some thermal paste to my cpu, in opening the computer he removed the clip, in trying to put it back he broke it. I have tried to fallow your guide, my computer most resembles the last couple of photos. It’s a sony vaio vgn-a790. I have tried to place the clip back down after putting the cable in place but the clip will not stay down. In your article you don’t mention putting tape down on this type of connector. Do you have any other suggestions for keeping the clip in place? or any ideas on where to get one, other than purchasing the mother board? Thank you
June 18th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Hello, Was wondering about your website, is this site maintained on a daily basis? How often to people post stuff on your site? I would you be interested in more info and by the way Great site.
Thanks so much for your time in advance.
Best Regards-
Don
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
I have used super-glue many-a-time for a quick and sturdy fix. It takes good eye-hand coordination, some very tiny tools, and a gentle, yet sturdy touch. You can use it to repair, or like a resin to add a thin layer and sand with an emery board or something to give a more “snug” fit. Or you could get some epoxy/resin (for plastic) and do the same thing. If you can’t find any at an electronics store, sometimes you can find things like that at an auto parts store also.
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:33 pm
….I should have noted that my post was in response to post #33, Stacey
July 13th, 2010 at 2:31 am
these keyboard connectors can snapped off easily. I use real caution and control when removing the keyboard and ribbon cable. And used the methods described above works real well! thanx!
July 13th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
thanx 4 the gr8 tips ….
keep it up bro..
July 19th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Good tutorial, but what solutions are there for MacBook Pro ribbon connectors. The MBP connectors lift up and then clamp down, fairly simple concept, and I have done it with ease many times. The plastic clamp intended to clamp down the keyboard ribbon cable on my 2007 MBP apparently became brittle with age and crumbled. So, there is nothing left to secure the ribbon with. I have tried scotch tape and it does not secure the ribbon down tight enough to provide a tight connection. Any ideas at all. Here is a link showing what the connector looks like and how it operates. the pic doesn’t give much detail though:
http://guide-images.ifixit.net.....HWCw.large
Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!
July 28th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
thanks a lot….i love this basic guide for laptop…….thanks a lot men….
August 10th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Hi,
I have an Acer 5532 Laptop, i tried to change the keyboard but i broken the actual white connector that is with the MB, ( it came in my hand) !! is there a solution for that?
Thanks
August 15th, 2010 at 9:57 am
David,
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for that.
You’ll have to replace the motherboard OR use the laptop with an external USB keyboard.
I guess you can try searching for a tech able to solder this white piece back to the motherboard, but… I don’t even know if it’s possible.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:20 am
I replaced my keyboard on my Gateway netbook after spilling milk on it. The computer itself seems to work fine, but the keyboard still isn’t working even after replacing it with a new one. What could be wrong? Thanks.
September 4th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Hi,
I was wondering if you got any tip on how to repair mouse pad cable on toshiba Satellite L300 series. While removing the keyboard and top case to repair the DC jack, it came off. Now I don’t see an obvious way of putting it back. It does not seem to have any locking mechanism as far as I can see.
Any help will be highly apprecaited.
Regards
Salim
September 5th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Hey! Great tip!
I was wondering if you have any ideas for how to replace/repair such a connector as this first one if the hinge part broke off and is gone / lost.
I broke off a tiny 4-pin connector hinge on my Dell Inspiron 1545 power button board, and it fell off somewhere inside the machine. I completely disassembled but couldn’t find it.
So, is there some way to jerry-rig this thing to work, or can I find a replacement hinge part somewhere?
THANKS
- emf
September 7th, 2010 at 7:51 am
salim,
Is it one like shown with down pointing arrow in this picture? http://www.irisvista.com/tech/.....ble-06.jpg
Try fixing it same way as I explained in the post.
1. Insect the touch pad cable back into the connector.
2. Push the locking clip into the connector. I believe it goes under the touch pad cable.
3. Secure the connection with sticky tape.
September 15th, 2010 at 7:08 am
If the keyboard is missing a key don’t replace the keyboard; buy a new one for $20 form a parts store then switch keys off of the replacement.
Problem with replacing those FPC/FFC connectors is finding the right part. Sure you can cannibalize another board and on some the solder work is do-able, but really not breaking the connector in the first place is your best bet. You can also set the connector in place carefully via tape so it’s secure and encase in epoxy. Makes replacing the keyboard impossible but hey.
If anyone knows where to get FPC/FFC Connectors let me know; I know they make em’ in standard sizes.
September 27th, 2010 at 3:45 am
Bobinator5000,
That’s a good advice.
Here’s how to replace a single key: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....-keyboard/
September 29th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Great article, great site. Cheers very helpful
November 7th, 2010 at 6:02 am
HP Pavilion dv5-1104tu Entertainment Notebook PC
http://i672.photobucket.com/al.....tor-06.jpg
PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE
I think i have broken a pin (the most left pin i dont know if it was connected motherboard ) the other pins i can see r connected
and some keys r not working
like
f9 , 9 ,0 , -,= ,o,p,[,/,. ,l , ; , ‘ ,home ,pg up ,pg dn, end , right n left arrow keys
del key
i have done cleaning the ribbon but no use
PLEASE HELP as i live in remote area not in the city
November 8th, 2010 at 5:30 am
thanks a lot
this is great site for all of us who have such a problems
November 10th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Hi
I need your help for a Toshiba Satellite A70, I have to replace the backlight of my LCD, I’m looking for a tutorial for this model because it has 2 cards, a card at the top of the screen and a second on the right side that I can not disconnect to release the rear portion of the screen and have access to the backlight as demonstrated in the tutorial I found on internet, unless there is another way without disconnecting the cards…
Tank you
November 11th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Hi,
my f5 key is stuck from inside, though if you see it from outside it looks perfectly normal.I was managing with that for some time. all on a sudden few of my keys(t,y,left control,tab,f6,5,6,num lock,[,],\) stopped working. Of these left control and f6 is stuck inside as has been mentioned earlier. The thing which is noticeable is all of these keys stopped working together. what do you think the problem is? is it that i have to change the keyboard or i have some problem with the connector? Looking forward to hear from you.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:38 am
hi,
forgot to mention one thing that all the above keys work when i use an external keyboard.
November 12th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
I have a Toshiba Satellite 135A laptop and it will no longer boot up when I press the button. Can I just order a new on off
switch or what part do I need to order?
November 14th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
hey thanks for the help. I recently recieved a laptop from my friend to fix the keyboard. I was hoping it was just a faulty keyboard but I was scared to see that it was a broken connector left after another guy took it apart.
I spent some time looking for a new lock to try and repair the connector but I couldnt find anything.
after some time I had the idea to layer tape under the bottom of the connector to ensure that the band was jammed in the connector and made contact. I stuck the connector in and taped it across the top to “lock” it, I then prayed. haha
Luckily it worked keyboard works as intended now, and I get to collect for the repair of this laptop. hope this helps.
November 22nd, 2010 at 5:11 am
After completely disassembling my sister’s Acer netbook to replace the hard drive, I got to the last step of putting it back together and broke the keyboard connector. I assumed there was no way to fix that but did a google search to see if there was a way. Found this excellent post and it is now working fine. Thanks!!!!
January 28th, 2011 at 10:24 am
Are you still around for help? I have a few issues that I need help with! Thanks
January 29th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Kandi,
Yes, I’m still around for help.
February 5th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Thank you for giving me the confidence to keep trying after I broke the classic connector. My Dell Studio 1555 works great now and I thought I might cry after everything went do well until the last step with the CONNECTOR. My new keyboard is as functional as the original but with all the keys.
February 7th, 2011 at 4:35 am
i need acer hp all model board tricks
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:34 am
Do you have a similar article about the connector for the IDE disk drive? The clip that should hold the ribbon firmly to the motherboard does not hold anymore… I have a Toshiba Satellite R15-S829, is there some secret to making this clip work?
March 23rd, 2011 at 4:20 am
Question,
I reviewed instructions for removing the ribbon cable which
resulted in my breaking the connector on the mother board.
A row of pins broke off on one cable side and a row of bent
pins remains on the motherboard.
The Laptop is a lifebook A6120.
The connector is a zif type keygboard connector, with
30 pins, 15 on each side, pin spacing is approx 2mm.
The problem is this is a non-locking connector, so in
trying to unlock it, by gently pushing the two ends towards
the harddrive removed it from the motherboard.
So anyone know who makes the zif connector so that I can
find a replacement? Fujitsu is mum and refuses to, and
claims they don’t know and cannot know who the mfgr of the
connector.
I’ve got the rework station and the tips to solder on a new
connection. This is NOT the $560 solution that Fujitsu
told me about…buying one of their motherboards.
Please advise,
Spike
April 11th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Toshiba M45
Initially I was replacing keyboard and checking out the touchpad that did not work. Everything went well except once the computer was turned on in 10 minutes would shut off. I opened it up completely this time and found cable was not connected correctly for fan. Now its back together I have cant connect the wireless cables back on because there is solder all over them and i ripped it off completely, the on/off switch does not work correctly the keyboard does not work at all there are 7 screws i have no idea where they belong and there is a small thin plastic piece that came from inside somewhere but i have no idea where. Where do I begin to get this thing working again?
May 24th, 2011 at 9:47 am
why doesn’t my touch pad work. I got my keyboard to work.
May 26th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Is there any way to repair after a row of keys don’t work: 8, I, K, , keys?
A replacement keyboard also has same issue when connected, so would this be an issue with the motherboard and is there any repair fixes at all – or ‘re-flow’ tricks?
Mant thanks
Steve
May 30th, 2011 at 11:03 am
@ Steve,
If a new keyboard didn’t fix the problem, it’s either failed keyboard controller or bad keyboard connector on the motherboard.
Take a look inside the keyboard connector. Make sure there is no dust or junk inside. Try cleaning the keyboard connector with a toothbrush and 99% alcohol. Reconnect the keyboard and test again.
If the problem still there, this is failed motherboard. You’ll have to use the laptop as is with an external keyboard or replace the motherboard.
May 30th, 2011 at 11:51 am
@ anne,
On some laptops you can disable the touch pad.
Check if the touch pad is enable. Check in the BIOS setup menu, touch pad option in control panel, touch pad software, etc…
June 12th, 2011 at 8:14 am
I was replacing the keyboard on a Toshiba Satellite L655 when the locking clip itself snapped in half and lost a tiny third piece. Do you know where I can order a new locking clip? It’s only a tiny piece of plastic, so I’m hoping it can’t cost too much to replace however so far it’s been impossible to find one listed online.
July 16th, 2011 at 6:37 am
Hello Sir I did broke my toshiba stalliet L350 CLIP LOCKER AND WHEN I DO CONECT MY KEYBORD CALBE TO IT DOES NOT GET TIGHT AND MY KEYBOARD AND TOCHPAD BOTH OF THEM GOT DISABLE NONE OF THEM WORKS NOW IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT I CAN BUY CLIP AND A CABLE FOR MY MOUSE TOCHPAD TO FIX IT
I MEAN THE CLIP LOCKER AND THE EXTRA CALBLE FOR THE TOCHPAD WHICH IS CONECTED INSIDE THANKS IN ADVANCE PLEASE REPLY ME I AM WAITING FROM 8 MONTHS FOR THIS ISSUSE
July 16th, 2011 at 6:57 am
Yes That is great tutorial i was waiting for 8 months and a few mins i got my Keyboard working i fellow all of your steps and with the broken clip i got my keyboard back for Toshiba L350
But I Lose My mouse or tochpad which is not working and i lose my laptop battery which stops in 1% percent plug in not charging
Thanks it is really great method i will surely donat and trying to bring back my tochpad thankssssssssss and i am happy from kandasoo best regards
July 16th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Thanks All Damage Things Are Back On My Laptop Toshiba L350 Sattalliet Which Was Off For 8 Months Sir You Save My 500 Euros And You Save My Life God Blees You:d
July 20th, 2011 at 9:56 am
Hello how to fix my keyboard all keys are workin but it type wrong characters
as when i type i it changes to /lo
o/lo
2/2w
w/2w
1/ 1 1
e/shows current system time
i disconected my keyboard from laptop and put it back i got these error i googled with many ways even i farmated my whol partions of system the problem still exist
if some one know any way to that please infor me
July 29th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Thx for the tip. Just broke the keyboard connector clip when replacing an LCD screen on my toshiba laptop. Though i was out the entire laptop and new screen i purchased, but your tip worked a charm and i’m back up and running. Thanks for the great tutorial.
cheers! (owe ya a beer!)
GeOKid
August 6th, 2011 at 12:53 am
I SCREWED UP WHEN I REMOVED MY LAPTOP KEYBOARD. I BROKE THE RETAINING CLIP ON THE CONNECTOR. I ORDERED A NEW KEYBOARD AND OF COURSE IT CAME WITHOUT THE CLIP. I’M STUCK WITH A REPLACEMENT KEYBOARD AND NO WAY TO SECURE IT TO THE LAPTOP KEYBOARD CONNECTOR. ANY IDEA’S OR WORK A ROUNDS. I CAN’T LOCATE THE OLD CLIP. IN THE MEAN TIME I ORDERED A USB KEYBOARD IT HAS NOT ARRIVED YET. THE LAPTOP IN QUESTION IS AN ACER ASPIRE 5002. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!
August 6th, 2011 at 1:02 am
HI GREG, I’M CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF TAPE DID YOU USE? HOW ABOUT DOUBLE SIDED CARPET TAPE ON THE BOTTOM, SHOVE IT IN AND THEN DUCT TAPE ACROSS THE TOP. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
August 10th, 2011 at 4:16 am
hi i have a hp pavilion dv5 1110em and i have broken the socket pins on the motherboard for the keyboard i cannot buy a new motherboard as it is very rare,any help to fix motherboard’s keyboard socket pins?
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:56 pm
hi, my laptop got hit on the gound from the couch can it be fixed.
i cant turn it off now and the only thing i see a purplish, dak pinkish color
September 28th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
This repair is only for certain types of connections, there are smaller ones, such as on the touchpad, that, if the plastic hinge is broken, nothing, not hot glue, not crazy – not even tape will cure it. Only a new plastic piece, which is impossible to come by.
October 10th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
I usually find a similar connector from a salvage motherboard (most of them made by Foxconn) and use infrared BGA rework station work to lift it up and replace it.
October 18th, 2011 at 8:50 am
Hi, the small ribbon connected to my touchpad toshiba satellite pro m10 laptop is broken and its not working. Where can i get a replacement and what is the correct name for it?
October 20th, 2011 at 7:49 am
@ Roxane,
I don’t think you’ll be able to find this part anywhere. It’s not sold separately.
December 5th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
I have an old IBM Thinkpad R40. It no longer gets power, it looks like the outlet where the the charger connects broke-off. How easy is to repair that. Is there a manual to help? Thanks, Mark
December 7th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
@ Mark,
Here’s the service manual for ThinkPad R40 laptop.
Disassembly instructions start on the page 63.
The DC jack is attached to the harness. You’ll have to disassemble the laptop, unplug the damaged DC jack harness from the motherboard and replace it with a new one.
It look like eBay has only the DC jack without harness. Search for “ThinkPad R40 jack” on Amazon, you should find the harness, not just the jack.
December 30th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
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!
Duh!
December 30th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
@ Alex,
Thank you very much for your suggestion. I published it in the main post at the very end.
January 26th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
hi .. i have a dell inspiron 1545 .. i have broke the locking clip and lost it.. then i have broke some pins from connector base… how in earth i can make my laptop keyboard work again.. i am bored to use external keyboard … any help here ?
February 2nd, 2012 at 8:34 am
@ Silviu,
If pins inside the connector are damaged, I don’t think you’ll be able to fix it.
The keyboard connector soldered to the motherboard. I guess you’ll have to replace the motherboard or use it as is with the external keyboard.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
I bought an ACER netbook with a non-functioning keyboard off Craigslist. I took the keyboard off and the clip was not only broken but gone. I had no luck researching an FDC replacement clip. In my researching a fix I came across this site and the post of the x-ray film solution gave me an idea. I cut out a flat piece of the stiff plastic wrapping everything comes in these days. I cut it as wide as the ribbon cable and about 3/8 inch long. I inserted the ribbon cable and then inserted the strip I made on top of ribbon cable and underneath the row of 24 pins. I rounded the corners slightly to keep it from damaging the ribbon cable. It took me about 15 minutes with a needle nose pliers and flat head screw driver but the thickness was perfect and keeps the keyboard ribbon cable nice and snug. I am typing on my fully functional keyboard right now without the clip and I couldn’t be happier. I just said goodbye to my external USB keyboard.
February 8th, 2012 at 5:57 am
I got an Acer One Happy 2 which i broke the black connector part and based the above example i improvised using laminated plastic for documents lamination with double sided tapes above the sticky tape which i used to keep the black connector in place to use for applying pressure onto after the keyboard is installed back. Thanks all for all the suggestions and it all works well for me now and do away with my newly purchased USB foldable soft keyboard. Thank GOD.