Eight keys on my notebook call wildcat strike

[marlinman]

I was using my HP Pavilion dv6 under a hot sun the other day, when some keys became a little unresponsive. I moved into the shade, thinking they'd come right with less heat. It was not to be; three days later, my 'p' key and seven neighbouring keys are completely nonfunctional. I pried off a keycap, and removed the two small 'frames' that lay beneath it. I removed hair etc from the newly exposed area. Still no joy. I removed the k/b ribbon cable and inspected it and its connector. Looks fine. I'm thinking of sticking the k/b in the freezer for a while - is there anything I can try before attempting this possibly drastic step?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Does anybody else use the machine? (Sounds more like somebody spilled a small amount of liquid on the KB.)

 

[marlinman]

I guess it does, doesn't it. I'm the only user, but I'm not as careful as I should be with respect to e.g. raindrops etc. If liquid _is_ to blame, is there any way to repair the damage?

The k/b doesn't even seem to have the 'equivalent' of a numeric keypad, so doesn't look like I'll be able to enter alt-codes

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Nah, not really any way to repair that kind of damage. You just gotta swap the KB out. It's not usually all that hard to do. If the machine's under warranty, and you're sure you didn't spill anything, then you can probably send it back to the manufacturer for repair. (They check for water damage if it's not covered by the warranty, but things do break, so... yeah.)

There appears to be a couple different "DV6" models, they might not all have the same keyboard, but DV6 keyboards are running about $20 USD ($24 NZD) here, so they shouldn't be too bad. You could always see if somebody in FS/FT would be willing to work as your proxy.

 

[marlinman]

Ahh rats... oh well - appreciate your insights Dave (and your region-awareness)!