Stuck#3 key in laptop keyboard

Hello group
Recently I noticed that when I open one of my sony notebook s, I
notice that there is something thats blocking the particular letter
key from being pressed to produce a letter on the document I am
preparing. It’s some sort of a tiny movable obstruction something like
1-2mm in
diameter.I am not sure where it came from.
I would like to remove it but am not sure if such notebook
keys can be pried open like the desktop keyboard.
Or do I really have to carefully detach the whole keyboard and remove
the obstruction?
This unit is one of the 17 inch VAIO AR series.
To keep that keyboard usable I have to poke the area where the
obstruction is occuring allowing to roll aside, but that is not a
permanent solution.
Now I am pressing that obstructed #3 key sideways so that it will work
as if I press is frontally it won’t.
I would like to hear what are the suggestions of people that have
similar experience or knowledgeable in removing notebook keyboard
obstruction.
TIA
Roy

Roy wrote:
> Hello group
> Recently I noticed that when I open one of my sony notebook s, I
> notice that there is something thats blocking the particular letter
> key from being pressed to produce a letter on the document I am
> preparing. It’s some sort of a tiny movable obstruction something like
> 1-2mm in
> diameter.I am not sure where it came from.
> I would like to remove it but am not sure if such notebook
> keys can be pried open like the desktop keyboard.
> Or do I really have to carefully detach the whole keyboard and remove
> the obstruction?
> This unit is one of the 17 inch VAIO AR series.
> To keep that keyboard usable I have to poke the area where the
> obstruction is occuring allowing to roll aside, but that is not a
> permanent solution.
> Now I am pressing that obstructed #3 key sideways so that it will work
> as if I press is frontally it won’t.
> I would like to hear what are the suggestions of people that have
> similar experience or knowledgeable in removing notebook keyboard
> obstruction.
> TIA
> Roy
>
Off the top of my head--have you tried a blast of compressed air?
Allen

On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:46:06 -0700 (PDT), Roy
<roybasan@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello group
>Recently I noticed that when I open one of my sony notebook s, I
>notice that there is something thats blocking the particular letter
>key from being pressed to produce a letter on the document I am
>preparing. It’s some sort of a tiny movable obstruction something like
>1-2mm in
>diameter. I am not sure where it came from.
> I would like to remove it but am not sure if such notebook
>keys can be pried open like the desktop keyboard.
>Or do I really have to carefully detach the whole keyboard and remove
>the obstruction?
>This unit is one of the 17 inch VAIO AR series.
>To keep that keyboard usable I have to poke the area where the
>obstruction is occuring allowing to roll aside, but that is not a
>permanent solution.
>Now I am pressing that obstructed #3 key sideways so that it will work
>as if I press is frontally it won’t.
>I would like to hear what are the suggestions of people that have
>similar experience or knowledgeable in removing notebook keyboard
>obstruction.
>TIA
>Roy

I wonder if this obstruction is a broken off part on the
keyboard or if it's something from the outside world that
become lodged in there. If a broken off part, that could be
why the key doesn't work so well, but if it's something from
outside the laptop then however it got in is in theory a gap
big enough to get it out again.

Some keyboards can't be taken apart, they're non-servicable.
You might as well pull the keyboard module out and examine
it to see if this is the case. Gently prying up on it or
flexing it might help, (once it's out of the laptop) but I
can't assure you that it wouldn't break. Same goes for
trying to pry that key off to gain access to the area.

A last resort might be running water over the removed
keyboard module. If you're lucky and it's a food particle
that may dissolve it, though you'd then need to shake excess
water out and let it air dry for a relatively long time as
the construction of it may trap water inside such that it
drys very slowly (multiple days dry time).

On Sep 23, 2:19*am, kony <s...@spam.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:46:06 -0700 (PDT), Roy
>
>
>
>
>
> <royba...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >Hello group
> >Recently I noticed that when I open one of my sony notebook s, I
> >notice that there is something thats blocking the particular letter
> >key from being pressed to produce a letter on the document I am
> >preparing. It’s some sort of a tiny movable obstruction something like
> >1-2mm in
> >diameter. I am not sure where it came from.
> > I would like to remove it but am not sure if such notebook
> >keys can be pried open like the desktop keyboard.
> >Or do I really have to carefully detach the whole keyboard and remove
> >the obstruction?
> >This unit is one of the 17 inch VAIO AR series.
> >To keep that keyboard usable I have to poke the area where the
> >obstruction is occuring allowing to roll aside, but that is not a
> >permanent solution.
> >Now I am pressing that obstructed #3 key sideways so that it will work
> >as if I press is frontally it won’t.
> >I would like to hear what are the suggestions of people that have
> >similar experience or knowledgeable in removing notebook keyboard
> >obstruction.
> >TIA
> >Roy
>
> I wonder if this obstruction is *a broken off part on the
> keyboard or if it's something from the outside world that
> become lodged in there. *If a broken off part, that could be
> why the key doesn't work so well, but if it's something from
> outside the laptop then however it got in is in theory a gap
> big enough to get it out again.
>
> Some keyboards can't be taken apart, they're non-servicable.
> You might as well pull the keyboard module out and examine
> it to see if this is the case. *Gently prying up on it or
> flexing it might help, (once it's out of the laptop) but I
> can't assure you that it wouldn't break. *Same goes for
> trying to pry that key off to gain access to the area.
>
> A last resort might be running water over the removed
> keyboard module. *If you're lucky and it's a food particle
> that may dissolve it, though you'd then need to shake excess
> water out and let it air dry for a relatively long time as
> the construction of it may trap water inside such that it
> drys very slowly (multiple days dry time).- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I was also thinking about that possibility about broken part as I
meticulously keep my laptop to prevent any undue ingress of foreign
matter. Its not my habit of doing some dining while using my notebook
either.
I am reluctant to pry it often as I am far from the Sony service
center ( I am travelling overseas ) if something wrong went with my
DIY repair. I am somewhat clumsy tinkering with delicate things...
So my last resort if for a competent laptop repair specialist to sort
out this problem but have no idea what would be the ball park figure
for such dissection...in USD?
Thanks
Roy

On Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:05:28 -0700 (PDT), Roy
<roybasan@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Sep 23, 2:19*am, kony <s...@spam.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:46:06 -0700 (PDT), Roy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> <royba...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >Hello group
>> >Recently I noticed that when I open one of my sony notebook s, I
>> >notice that there is something thats blocking the particular letter
>> >key from being pressed to produce a letter on the document I am
>> >preparing. It’s some sort of a tiny movable obstruction something like
>> >1-2mm in
>> >diameter. I am not sure where it came from.
>> > I would like to remove it but am not sure if such notebook
>> >keys can be pried open like the desktop keyboard.
>> >Or do I really have to carefully detach the whole keyboard and remove
>> >the obstruction?
>> >This unit is one of the 17 inch VAIO AR series.
>> >To keep that keyboard usable I have to poke the area where the
>> >obstruction is occuring allowing to roll aside, but that is not a
>> >permanent solution.
>> >Now I am pressing that obstructed #3 key sideways so that it will work
>> >as if I press is frontally it won’t.
>> >I would like to hear what are the suggestions of people that have
>> >similar experience or knowledgeable in removing notebook keyboard
>> >obstruction.
>> >TIA
>> >Roy
>>
>> I wonder if this obstruction is *a broken off part on the
>> keyboard or if it's something from the outside world that
>> become lodged in there. *If a broken off part, that could be
>> why the key doesn't work so well, but if it's something from
>> outside the laptop then however it got in is in theory a gap
>> big enough to get it out again.
>>
>> Some keyboards can't be taken apart, they're non-servicable.
>> You might as well pull the keyboard module out and examine
>> it to see if this is the case. *Gently prying up on it or
>> flexing it might help, (once it's out of the laptop) but I
>> can't assure you that it wouldn't break. *Same goes for
>> trying to pry that key off to gain access to the area.
>>
>> A last resort might be running water over the removed
>> keyboard module. *If you're lucky and it's a food particle
>> that may dissolve it, though you'd then need to shake excess
>> water out and let it air dry for a relatively long time as
>> the construction of it may trap water inside such that it
>> drys very slowly (multiple days dry time).- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>I was also thinking about that possibility about broken part as I
>meticulously keep my laptop to prevent any undue ingress of foreign
>matter. Its not my habit of doing some dining while using my notebook
>either.
>I am reluctant to pry it often as I am far from the Sony service
>center ( I am travelling overseas ) if something wrong went with my
>DIY repair. I am somewhat clumsy tinkering with delicate things...
>So my last resort if for a competent laptop repair specialist to sort
>out this problem but have no idea what would be the ball park figure
>for such dissection...in USD?
>Thanks
>Roy

Random guess, it might cost about $160 to have someone look
at it and replace the keyboard. Once the laptop is open it
shouldn't be hard to replace the keyboard yourself, they
generally run about $50 to $100. You might get the part
number for your keyboard and see if you can find it any
place that will ship to your current location.

Once you have the new keyboard, you can take the old one out
and pry on it because even if you break it you have a
replacement there already. If you are successful at fixing
the old one, you can then return the new one for a refund
(if it's purchased from someplace that allows returns), or
if unsuccessful you can install the new one instead, or take
both the laptop and new keyboard to a computer shop would
can then do the work for you with minimal downtime without
the system because they don't have to wait on the part being
shipped to them.