One key won't work on a friend's lap top.

[boingo]

My friend's letter "o" key seems to function fine, but nothing comes up on the screen when it's pressed. Unfortunately it's a lap top, so it could be an expensive mistake if we were to open it up.

Does anyone have any tips?
Thanks

[jinjin]

I do not know how to fix it, but he could try connecting a USB keyboard to his laptop to get around the problem.

[monosodium]

I know you're pretty techy literate, if you were a noob I'd say take it to a pro...

Keyboards are replacable in laptops and it's not usually too bad a job as laptops go as they're normally complete modules (or a replacable membrane with a ribbon cable). Problem is finding the correct one for the machine.

Unless it's still in warranty then so long as you carefully record what you dissassemble and in what order then you should be ok, in my experience laptops don't have too many bits that break when you take them apart, so as long as you don't roce anything then you should be ok.

My dad ran his own electronics repair business for many years servicing delicate and esoteric equipment and he used to keep a video camera above his workbench and tape himself taking the thing apart. When it came to reassembly then he just played the tape backwards, pausing it after each step to repeat it on the real thing.

And it should go without saying - take the battery out before you wield a screwdriver.

[cosmicB]

Sometimes dirt gets into the keyboard on the circuit sheets, preventing the circuit from making...

It's a real bitch trying to clean a notebook's keyboard... Best left for the pro...

Sometimes a piece of dust can be dislodged by very light tapping on its side.. but not even slightly hard... Most notebooks can't take any abusive shock...
And sometimes it makes things worse... Best to take it in to an honest repair shop.. or a high-school, or collage, computer repair course classroom, if they take outside work... You get the job done for cost... but generally you need to know someone key in the school...

[boingo]

Thanks for the help everyone.
Unfortunately I don't live in the same country as her. lol
Still, I think it's better to get it done by a pro because of the insurance aspect. Even though it's probably not under warranty any more.
I didn't realise the keyboards plugged in as I've never worked on a lap top before.

I thought they may have been constructed with circuit sheets. I ruined my last keyboard when I accidentally tipped 2/3 of a glass of water into it and the water got between the circuit sheets.
She has tried lightly tapping the computer while on it's side, but that didn't do anything to help yet, unfortunately.

I'll pass on the tips. Thanks, again.