Printable View
After several years of loyal service, my Thinkpad 43p laptop lost some of its keyboard function: many of the keys, including Enter, M, , and others simply stopped working. If I turned it off for a while and reboot, they sometimes come back, but die after a few minutes. Sounds like something is overheating, but what might it be, and how do I fix it? I would hate to lose it if there is a way to revive it.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Overheating, open it up and clean it.
When was the last time you did a clean install.?
I am running XP, so no clean install. Never opened it up to clean-- worried about putting it back together////
Might find a video on you tube showing how to open it up. Or google for a manual that shows how to do it.
Might want to take it in to have it done.
With XP, I have gone 3 years between clean installs. Sure helps speed things up.
this will let you know if its a heat issue http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
I am running NHC, which also shows temperatures. When I have the problem with the keyboard, the temperature is fine, but the machine has gotten to 90 deg. C a couple of times in the past.
I have now removed the keyboard, vaccumed it, but the problem persists-- now other parts of the keyboard are failing (other letters). My own suspicion is that the chip that interprets keystrokes is dying, but if so, what can I do?
Or the KB contacts are going bad.
Plug in a USB keyboard and use it. See what happens, it should work just spiffy.
I see you do not know that a vacuum develops static electricity and that is a bad enemy of computers.
Use canned air that the stores sell for cleaning computers.
It is safe enough that it is the new refrigerant used in car and truck air conditioners.
How can the direction of air flow (out of the computer in vacuum, into it with compressed air) make a difference to static electricity? Is the vacuum cleaner motor charging the air?
Air flow through the hose is what builds the static. Seen a couple fried computers where folks used vacuums. They were not pretty.
Replace the keyboard, just browsing quickly through e-bay i spotted a few keyboard replacements. Just note down the model no: of your laptop and use that when searching.
curious what happens if you plug in a normal PC keyboard via usb?