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 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 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 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 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?
February 17th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
[...] You’ll find more info here: Fixing damaged keyboard connector on a laptop motherboard. [...]
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.
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?
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 21st, 2010 at 5:52 am
What is the best recommended type of tape to use for this repair?
January 5th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Cheryl,
Take a look at this post: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....-keyboard/