Pc Woes- Delete key no worky

[blade_runner]

I've got a Dell XPS M1530 Laptop running Vista and all of a sudden the delete key has stopped working, the back space still works ok, just the delete key does nothing

i've got the onscreen keyboard up and the delete function works on there, so is my keyboard buggered or could I have a software problem

I've looked at the device manager and it says the keyboard is working ok, and there are no new drivers available.

Any thoughts people

 

'Pinky Pics' here

[tbird]

does it feel the same as other keys when pressed, if it feels softer you've probably got toast crumbs under it (Really, it used to be a major stopper for keybards where I used to work)

[Frying Pan]

I've had a couple of Dell keybords fail on my work laptops.

 

The toast crumb suggestion is a good one as well. Rather than shake the whole PC, it's better to remove the keyboard. Most Dells have a plastic strip above the keyboard which unclips easily (usually with a screwdriver into a recess on the right hand side. There are then a couple of screws to undo and the keyboard should be free, other than for the connector (take care not to put any strain on the connector). You can then give it a good clean / hoover before replacing.

 

-----See some pictures of the build here. 17000 miles completed!

[Eugene]

My daughter's 'i' key on her Dell laptop stopped workign too...

Managed to pop-off the key top and then wiggle about the squishy bit below. Sorted the problem for a while, but it's gone intermittant now.

 

Looks like a bigger service is required 😬

 

Small Boy - with Loud Toy!

Co-founder of the BOG Club

See Eugene here

and see what I do here

 

[Roger Ford]

A new keyboard probably won't break the bank (I can recommend the silver and black one) - though for real quality you need to seek out a 25-year old IBM Model M keyboard.

[blade_runner]

Thanks for the replies Guys, I found info on the Dell website (with Pictures) on how to remove the Keyboard. and found replacements on e bay for about a tenner, i'm going to ring Dell up and get a price for a genuine keyboard, although I seem to keep putting it off as their a bit of a nightmare to talk to and just seem to want to get the laptop back for a Service when I want to do the job myself for a fraction of the price!.

 

'Pinky Pics' here

[Pooh_R]

Oooh, I didn't know the model M was a collectors keyboard. I've got one connected to my file server box. I'll read the wiki properly later

 

(Sorry about being O/T )

[Roger Ford]

Oops, it's a laptop - my reply wasn't a lot of use, sorry!

 

Pooh - not "collectors' items" as such, just appreciated as solid working keyboards by many of us. Going price is in the region of £30 - or was when I was last looking for one a few years back - they may have gone up.

 

One issue is they don't have a "Windows" key, which can be a problem if you're used to the various keyboard shortcuts that use this. Another is that they're very noisy - I have to keep a separate USB keyboard for posting on Blatchat during conference calls 😬