I've been posting about the same topic. Lets keep in touch and maybe one of us will get a solution. My email is ccruz@spi-engineering.com
Here is my post:
My fiancee's keyboard on her Inspiron 2200 has been having periodic problem that have culminated in it almost always being inoperable.
What happens is it periodically goes into a mode where certain keys don't work properly. For example, the "h" key becomes a "space", the "space" key becomes "n", and the "h" key becomes "enter".
I've run Norton antivirus and Spy Bot and even after cleaning the problem persists. Restarting the machine used to help but not anymore.
I'm not sure if its a software issue or hardware issue.
Same symptoms. i key types i followed by p. 0 key types 0 followed by 8. Other keys affected but cannot remember which keys. Can no longer log on to computer at start-up because of problem. Any suggestions? Have you talked with Dell to see if it is hardware problem?
I'm having the same issue, although mine revolves around the H, G, 5 and 6 keys. When I type any of those I get a combination like: th6is wh6at do you th6ink it mig5h6t be?
Anyway, it's annoying. I have popped the keys from the keyboard and found nothing out of the ordinary - and updated the bios to no avail....
Let us know how it goes and if you find something loose. Someone recommended that on a different thread.
My fiancee' talked to a Dell rep about it at a kiosk in the mall and he gave nebulous info and gave her a card with a number to call.
I'm considering stopping by the kiosk on a busy day at the mall and talking very loudly about our problem with the keyboard and how many other people we have communicated with that have the same problem. Maybe that will motivate them to get on the phone and help us! It certainly won't help that kiosk's sales if they don't!
Does anyone have their warranty? Dell wont even give me an answer without charging me without mine...I've tried everthing I can think of as well...nothing is working.
No, my Inspiron 1200 is out of warranty and don't feel like at this point to incure the charge for support. I found Dell's page on how to disassemble the keyboard/case to inspect the keyboard connection cable - I plan on doing that to see if it somehow got loose...
In case it comes down to it, I called Dell to get pricing on the replacement keyboard for the Inspiron 2200. The number is 1-800-449-3355. To get to a body to talk to, you have to enter 1, the xtension 7269937 and then select menu items 5-3-2 and you'll get a person. They ask for your service tag but I ignored them and got right to my question. The operator took down my name and number and now I know why, they put you on hold and the call ends up hanging up!
I haven't heard back from Dell yet but I found a price for a keyboard here:
As I mentioned I went ahead and opened up the casing on my Inspiron 1200 to see if the keyboard cabling was somehow loose or damaged. It was a heck of a lot easier than I expected and the whole process took less than 10 minutes.
Short story, it worked. No more keyboard issues (e.g. "h" instead of "h6" when I type h).
All I did was pop the keyboard out once it was free from the outer case, and carefully pull it out and inspect the flat cable connecting it to the main board. It appeared very secure and all I did was run my finger across it to make sure. I also got a can of compressed air and sprayed the heck out of the inner case, the underside of the keyboard, and within all of the keys (which were easier to get to once the keyboard was in my hand away from the case).
Popped everything back in (there are no screws, just plastic fittings. At least on the 1200) and powered up.
Viola, no more issue. Heck, if it happens again, which who knows it may, now I know of a fix!
And simply got a painter's putty knife to do the prying of the case. It was scary at first but it popped right out and was easy to do if you follow those steps.
So we pulled apart my 2200...unhooked the keyboard, left it unhooked for a few minutes then put it all back together...its working fine! :smileyvery-happy: Hope this helps!
cruzcj
6 Posts
0
July 25th, 2006 19:00
Hi,
I've been posting about the same topic. Lets keep in touch and maybe one of us will get a solution. My email is ccruz@spi-engineering.com
Here is my post:
My fiancee's keyboard on her Inspiron 2200 has been having periodic problem that have culminated in it almost always being inoperable.
What happens is it periodically goes into a mode where certain keys don't work properly. For example, the "h" key becomes a "space", the "space" key becomes "n", and the "h" key becomes "enter".
I've run Norton antivirus and Spy Bot and even after cleaning the problem persists. Restarting the machine used to help but not anymore.
I'm not sure if its a software issue or hardware issue.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Charlie
jimmyS123
1 Message
0
July 26th, 2006 02:00
Same symptoms. i key types i followed by p. 0 key types 0 followed by 8. Other keys affected but cannot remember which keys. Can no longer log on to computer at start-up because of problem. Any suggestions? Have you talked with Dell to see if it is hardware problem?
jsmackey
4 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 13:00
Hello,
I'm having the same issue, although mine revolves around the H, G, 5 and 6 keys. When I type any of those I get a combination like: th6is wh6at do you th6ink it mig5h6t be?
Anyway, it's annoying. I have popped the keys from the keyboard and found nothing out of the ordinary - and updated the bios to no avail....
cruzcj
6 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 18:00
Let us know how it goes and if you find something loose. Someone recommended that on a different thread.
My fiancee' talked to a Dell rep about it at a kiosk in the mall and he gave nebulous info and gave her a card with a number to call.
I'm considering stopping by the kiosk on a busy day at the mall and talking very loudly about our problem with the keyboard and how many other people we have communicated with that have the same problem. Maybe that will motivate them to get on the phone and help us! It certainly won't help that kiosk's sales if they don't!
daffy88
12 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 18:00
jsmackey
4 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 18:00
cruzcj
6 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 19:00
In case it comes down to it, I called Dell to get pricing on the replacement keyboard for the Inspiron 2200. The number is 1-800-449-3355. To get to a body to talk to, you have to enter 1, the xtension 7269937 and then select menu items 5-3-2 and you'll get a person. They ask for your service tag but I ignored them and got right to my question. The operator took down my name and number and now I know why, they put you on hold and the call ends up hanging up!
I haven't heard back from Dell yet but I found a price for a keyboard here:
http://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=853&prevaction=category&previd=26&prevstart=0
They are out of stock but it gives all of us an idea of the cost to potentially fix the problem - not much. $30
cruzcj
6 Posts
0
July 26th, 2006 19:00
jsmackey
4 Posts
0
July 27th, 2006 00:00
As I mentioned I went ahead and opened up the casing on my Inspiron 1200 to see if the keyboard cabling was somehow loose or damaged. It was a heck of a lot easier than I expected and the whole process took less than 10 minutes.
Short story, it worked. No more keyboard issues (e.g. "h" instead of "h6" when I type h).
All I did was pop the keyboard out once it was free from the outer case, and carefully pull it out and inspect the flat cable connecting it to the main board. It appeared very secure and all I did was run my finger across it to make sure. I also got a can of compressed air and sprayed the heck out of the inner case, the underside of the keyboard, and within all of the keys (which were easier to get to once the keyboard was in my hand away from the case).
Popped everything back in (there are no screws, just plastic fittings. At least on the 1200) and powered up.
Viola, no more issue. Heck, if it happens again, which who knows it may, now I know of a fix!
Hope this helps!
- Jeff
saschoch
5 Posts
0
July 29th, 2006 00:00
Very good, glad that simple fix got you right.
Could you explain though, for those of us not too techie, just how you opened up the case and got the KB out?
-steve
kayd1966
4 Posts
0
July 29th, 2006 14:00
I have the same problem!
I'm going to get my 'tech' hubby to pull out my keyboard and try that.
Imagine this...none of us have warrenty! Mine ran out last month :smileymad: just in time to pay the service fee!
I hope this works!
Kay
jsmackey
4 Posts
0
July 31st, 2006 03:00
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins2200/en/SM/keyboard.htm#1084976
And simply got a painter's putty knife to do the prying of the case. It was scary at first but it popped right out and was easy to do if you follow those steps.
- Jeff
kayd1966
4 Posts
0
July 31st, 2006 23:00
asp0460
3 Posts
0
August 16th, 2006 23:00
roedergd
1 Message
0
August 20th, 2007 01:00