How do I replace the plastic nub that was affixed to the contact underneath the "I" key on my MacBook Pro?

January 2, 2009 11:48 AM

How do I replace the plastic nub that was affixed to the contact underneath the "I" key on my MacBook Pro? For reasons not worth getting into, it's gone. I still have the key and the two-part plastic hinge, but without the plastic nub I can't really use the key. The nub was attached to the contact, so even if I find a replacement I'm not sure how to reaffix it-- would I need to use some kind of glue? For now I've left the key off and am pressing the contact directly, but it hurts my finger and I'd really like to get this fixed. Thanks!
posted by jcruelty to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Apple store.
posted by trotter at 12:25 PM on January 2

If you can find the nub, a little superglue works fine.
posted by hollisimo at 12:31 PM on January 2

I think honestly you're going to need to replace the whole keyboard...but it is a pretty simple fix.

If your computer is under warranty, a replacement keyboard should be covered under AppleCare.

If not, new keyboards are pretty cheap...I've never replaced one on a Mac but it was a piece of cake on my ThinkPad.
posted by radioamy at 1:28 PM on January 2

I can't find a source for what seems to be called the "rubber nub" but this place says it sells individual MacBook Pro keys (although at what seems like an exorbitant price) and it doesn't seems to include the "nub" but they might be able to help with a source.

However, my first piece of advice would be to swap out the missing nub from under a less used key to the "I" key - it looks like most of the keys are the same size so unless you use the ~ key more than "I", swap out the rubber nub piece from that key to the I key and then you can at least type pretty comfortably while you figure out what you're going to do.
posted by macfly at 2:20 PM on January 2

Follow up - I took at into work and the tech stop guys put in a new key. i didn't get the details of whether the renubbed w/ glue, or what. Anyway thanks for advice, if all else had failed I'd probably have tried gluing it.

Got to clean your keyboard now and then... it's a breeding groud for germ and dirt. Have you ever opened up your keyboard looked under all the keys? Hairs, crumbs, dust... grody. Somehow quite satisfying to cleaning it out with an nitrogen sprayer or air gun. The same appeal as grooming/picking nose/cutting fingernails
posted by jcruelty at 2:23 AM on February 3