Key comes off keyboard on laptop (Inspiron 17R)

Hi ERIC STORK,

What is the exact system model? Is there any damage on the system? Are there any other keys that are loose or mechanically non functional?

If the key does not pop back into place, then I would suggest you to advise your friend to replace the keyboard.

If there is no warranty, then you could contact our team to get a quote for a paid service call - http://dell.to/1vnT6CQ

If you know the exact system model, you could order the parts here as well - https://www.parts-people.com/

http://dell.to/1n3X2po - enter the service tag and download the service manual if required.

Also, please click my DELL-username and write me a private conversation with the service tag and your Name for case records.

Let us know if you have any other queries.

Look up the warranty status using the service tag at support.dell.com (or in the country of purchase if outside the US).

Keyboard:

www.parts-people.com/index.php

Service manual:

www.dell.com/.../inspiron-17r-5737

Replacing the keyboard on a 17R Inspiron is a piece of cake. It is slightly more difficult than tying your shoes, but not by much. Just be careful when releasing the keyboard from the 4 tabs across the top of the keyboard do NOT press down on the black tabs. They are a molded part of the palm rest and if you press down on them too hard they will break off the palm rest and then the new keyboard will not lock in place.

The proper technique is to press your tool down on the silver metal part of the keyboard itself, then rotate the too of the tool back like you are trying to pry the keyboard up out of the palm rest - which is actually what you WANT to do. The prying action displaces the keyboard slightly towards the touch pad so it will clear the tab on the palm rest and then lifts the keyboard up past the tab. Once the keyboard is fully released from the palm rest, lift the lock on the motherboard's ribbon cable connector and slide the keyboard ribbon cable out. Repeat for the backlight ribbon cable if you have a backlit keyboard. Lift the old keyboard out of the way.

Installation of the new keyboard is even easier, just position the keyboard so the ribbon cable(s) line up with the connector(s), slide the cable(s) all the way into the connector(s) and press the lock(s) down until it/they snap into place. Position the tabs on the bottom edge of the keyboard into the slots on the palm rest, center the keyboard side to side in the palm rest recess, and snap the top of the keyboard into place.

The bigger issue is trying to find a backlit keyboard if that is what you now have. US English backlit keyboards were unobtainable when I needed one for my 17R 7720. I finally found some from a vendor in England. It wasn't expensive, only $24.11 with shipping, and I had it in about a week. If you need a backlit keyboard and can't find one in the US I can PM you the Ebay address of the seller I got mine from.

Thanks for responses.

Seems the warranty here at Dell expired last year but she said she had a lifetime warranty, I will have to get more, that may have been not from Dell but where she got the keyboard from.

So the entire keyboard has to be replaced just for one key?

Hi ERIC STORK,

I have responded to your private message.

Kindly review the same.

Let us know if you have any other queries.