Chosen Solution
Can You Fix a Defective Laptop Keyboard? A laptop without a working keyboard might seem like a massive block to productivity, but it is possible to repair. This might involve some simple hardware and software maintenance, or it might require some hands-on repairs with your laptop’s insides. My laptop keyboard is repaired. Because once I am building a site my coffee cup is dropped on my keyboard.
Usually when it comes to keyboards once they’re destroyed they’re not easily repaired. However, you can try. The best way to do it is to clean the PCB with IPA (99% preferred, but 91% works) and wash the plastic parts and membrane with warm water - you can also wash them in the dishwasher, but do not put the heat on. That being said, if it doesn’t work then don’t spend much more time on it. The keyboard you selected (SK-8115) is very common, so you’ll have no trouble finding an identical one - there’s plenty of NOS ones and nice used ones out there on sites like eBay with OEM keyboards like this too. The catch is there are 2 iterations of it, so if you’re really particular about getting a XP or Vista Windows key, you want to check the photos closely or move the old Windows keys. Vista ones have a circle around the Windows logo, while XP ones are flat and just have the logo. For example, if you use a “Vista” SK-8115 on a XP machine, it will work just the same as an XP era one. No point in fussing over this one key; most are using the “XP” key with some from 2007-2008 having a Vista key. Likewise, on a Win10 machine both will also work. My dad has an XP SK-8115 we carried through 3 computers and it still works fine, and is perfectly compatible with Win10 — I’m not going to replace it anytime soon with how crappy some of these new ones. When it does I’m buying a NOS one or a similar one for him on eBay.
NOTE: it depends on what the symptoms are. Laptop keyboards are composed of contact switches and wires. On the MB there is a keyboard decoder. If the decoder is bad, replacing the kbd will not fix the situation.
Yes, laptop keyboards are repairable and also you can fix external keyboards for better use. Either you can replace it with a new or refurbished keyboard.
