Computer Problems Or Questions?

[LoneWolf_53]

Well we first have to find out if the keyboard works at all, are you able to access the bios and use the keyboard in there or use it pre boot to windows? If you can we are probabley looking at a driver problem, or keyboard lock of some sort. If not then we will be looking at hardware, and if so then it is not going to be worth fixing, and can be used as a paper weight.

I can't access the BIOS.

I don't believe it to be a lock of any sort because upon careful inspection it appears of all the keys the "g", "h", and "-" keys work but that's it.

I figured paper weight but thought perhaps there was some common issue with those that might be curable.

I'm no fan of Compaq and never will be but since it's there.......................

[SpaceAddict]

Think. Old Computer no keyboard in bios. Button battery. Change it. That is what happens when that battery goes dead on any computer. It's the cheap first step.

[LoneWolf_53]

Think. Old Computer no keyboard in bios. Button battery. Change it. That is what happens when that battery goes dead on any computer. It's the cheap first step.

I'll take a look at that just as soon as I get my hands on one of those mini torx screwdrivers that I need to open the case on this puppy.

I'm not disputing that it may be that but it would sure be odd if three keys work fine and none of the others do due to a battery or BIOS issue.

If it's BIOS I'd expect all or nothing.

[SpaceAddict]

I never saw you had some keys still working..

One common problem is that the connecting point between the keyboard and the computer comes loose & just needs to be pulled apart, cleaned and popped back in.

Princess Auto has that screwdriver.

If it sort of clean as it looks fine no visible dirt. Just unplug it and plug it back in several times. That will actually clean it.

[smcnaughts]

Laptops dont have the same battery button as Pc's do there isent one to replace and if the battery was the problem you would have diffrent problems not loss of keyboard. If you are tech savvy enough to take the laptop apart then yes starting with the keyboard connector is a very good start un plug it, wipe it down, blow in the jack and put it back, see if that works if not, you probabley looking at a full keyboard replacment which you could probabley pick up off ebay for pretty cheap.

[LoneWolf_53]

Laptops dont have the same battery button as Pc's do there isent one to replace and if the battery was the problem you would have diffrent problems not loss of keyboard. If you are tech savvy enough to take the laptop apart then yes starting with the keyboard connector is a very good start un plug it, wipe it down, blow in the jack and put it back, see if that works if not, you probabley looking at a full keyboard replacment which you could probabley pick up off ebay for pretty cheap.

Yeah I've changed a laptop screen before so I'm not afraid to take it apart just need to hit Princess Auto tomorrow and grab one of those torx screwdrivers.

I have a compressor too so I'll clean the contacts and see how it goes.

I shall report back.

[OffRoad]

Does a USB keyboard work when connected to the notebook?

[LoneWolf_53]

Does a USB keyboard work when connected to the notebook?

Yes a USB keyboard does work when connected to it.

[rekabis]

Laptops dont have the same battery button as Pc's do there isent one to replace and if the battery was the problem you would have diffrent problems not loss of keyboard. If you are tech savvy enough to take the laptop apart then yes starting with the keyboard connector is a very good start un plug it, wipe it down, blow in the jack and put it back, see if that works if not, you probabley looking at a full keyboard replacment which you could probabley pick up off ebay for pretty cheap.

Having taken apart enough laptops in my career (15+ years, both PC as well as Mac laptops) I can say with 100% assurance that laptops also have button batteries. After all, you don’t want the bios to be wiped just because you swapped out the main laptop battery, no?

However, problems with these “bios batteries” rarely affect keyboards -- these button batteries are only meant to keep enough power in the machine so that the bios retains its settings. Keyboards are very fundamental hardware units in of themselves, and will not be affected by the bios unless the bios itself is corrupted or destroyed.

A quick and easy way of testing things is to attach an external keyboard. All laptops made within the last 15 to 20 years will have either a single USB port or single PS/2 connector (at minimum). Take a normal desktop keyboard and plug it in.

If you are able to get into the bios using the external keyboard but cannot get a response from the built-in keyboard, then the built-in keyboard has a problem somewhere, and is the culprit.

As previously suggested, I would then remove the built-in keyboard from where it connects to the motherboard and clean the connectors. However, this might be a job for a professional who knows your model, as each laptop manufacturer attaches their keyboards to the laptops in different ways; some are nearly impossible to disconnect without detailed technical instructions. I know some models of Mac laptops that require the laptop itself to be extensively disassembled before you could remove the keyboard.

If the laptop isn’t going anywhere, you could always use a normal desktop keyboard. Or if your laptop has bluetooth, you could get one of the new wireless Mac keyboards that are super-short. Even the wired Mac keyboards are very slim and lightweight, although you would need a free USB port.

[smcnaughts]

Dont get me wrong, with no doubt does a laptop have a cmos battery but the design of the battery from laptop to laptop are completley diffrent and is generally not the same as a desktop where you can just pop out a button battey and change it, most laptops require a manfacturer cmos battery. Some laptops the battery are built right on the board others are a button battery but connects to the board using pins and some are complely diffrent. i should have written what i wrote a with a little more explination to it, i just wrote it in a short form cause i did not think the cmos battery had anything to do with it.

[SpaceAddict]

He said he still had some keys working so it's not the button battery.

[BriTer]

What proccessor speeds can I expect to find in a 3 year old Dell desktop?
No idea of model. Did they have duo core??

[binky11]

Feels like I'm butting in the middle of another conversation, but I have a computer question, that I think should be pretty simple, and this appears to be the place to come?? I know briter will punish me if I'm intruding lol

I've switched back to using my desktop now, and when I power on it asks for my user name/password. I can just hit enter and bypass it, but it's a pain that I know is fixable. I did go into control panel and "users" and I thought I had chosen no password needed but obviously that wasn't the problem. Any suggestions???

[SpaceAddict]

To remove the password from the user account:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts.
2. Click the user account.
3. Click "Remove my password".
4. Type the password in the "Type your current password" box, and then click Remove Password.

[binky11]

Doesn't have the option "remove my password", at least not from that screen. What do I click on after going to user accounts?
I can:
1) Pick an account
2) Create a new account
3)Change the way users log on and off ( but both options require logging on)