Need.To.Be.Spacey

December 3, 2007 7:19 PM

Spacebar.not.functional?

Took.my.Dell.laptop.in.<>

Needed.a.power.jack.I.thought.

They.said.that.did.not.fix.it...new.motherboard.required.

I.decided.to.go.ahead.and.do.it.

Now.the.computer.works.but.not.the.spacebar.

Setting?
Bad.motherboard?
Bad.reinstall.of.the.keyboard?

Help!

posted by Danf to computers & internet (19 comments total)

I'd put my money on it just being a bad keyboard, although it could be anything.

Do you mean Dell did the repair for you, or you did it yourself? If you did it yourself, try re-installing the keyboard. Also, check if the keyboard itself is damaged.

If Dell did it for you, don't take it apart, and instead point out that they broke it.

In the meantime, you're resigned to copying and pasting a space character. (Like this -> <- one, provided free of charge.)
posted by fogster at 7:24 PM on December 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

Does an external keyboard work? If so:

1. Your built-in keyboard is not connected properly to the logic board.

2. Your logic board is damaged somehow.

3. Your built-in keyboard was damaged during the installation of the new logic board.
posted by Mikey-San at 7:24 PM on December 3, 2007

An.independent.place.did.it.

They.will.stand.behind.the.repair.and.fix.it.I.think.

It's.just.a.drag.to.have.this.computer.down.

Might.disconnect.reconnect.the.keyboard.

Put.this.keyboard.in.a.year.ago....it's.worked.fine.until.this.motherboard.change
posted by Danf at 7:30 PM on December 3, 2007

I think you mean you did the repair. If so, I would bet there is an obstruction stopping the spacebar from clicking all the way home, perhaps it isn't seated flat or a cable got twisted pushing up on something?
Take it back to bits, see if you can see anything, then carefully reassemble.
posted by bystander at 7:33 PM on December 3, 2007

Probably the keyboard. You can test it by plugging in an external keyboard and trying that. Actually, I'll bet you'll be able to just use an external keyboard (a $10 investment, less if you find one at the local thrift shop) until you can get your laptop keyboard fixed.

Until then, if you have to engage in formal correspondence, the underscore character '_' might be interesting to try.

This happened to me a while ago, but with a regular desktop keyboard.
posted by amtho at 7:41 PM on December 3, 2007

Can.of.compressed.air. Attack.the.spacebar. Always.fixes.my.spacebar.and.'q'.key.bizarre.not.workingness.
posted by zengargoyle at 7:48 PM on December 3, 2007

Does an external keyboard work as a test?
posted by Pants! at 7:50 PM on December 3, 2007

Is there anything wrong with the spacebar key itself?
posted by liquorice at 8:09 PM on December 3, 2007

Also, instead of a '.' copy and paste a space!
posted by liquorice at 8:10 PM on December 3, 2007

You can copy and paste spaces if the key doesn't work.
posted by fermezporte at 8:11 PM on December 3, 2007

or remap another key to 'space'
posted by lullabyofbirdland at 8:51 PM on December 3, 2007

The thing about the spacebar is that unlike most of the other keys it has these spring supports that look like bent paper clips. It's entirely too easy to pop the spacebar back on with the clips in a position that prevents the key from working. I don't think I've ever seen it without the popping off/on sequence, but I suppose it's possible to misalign them somehow with the right mash.

The shift and return keys have a similar thing but the spacebar has two and they both have to be on right.
posted by dhartung at 9:09 PM on December 3, 2007

good advice re: copying and pasting a space.

And my sympathies. That motherboard thing ALWAYS happens with Dell laptops. They maybe weren't always crap, but they certainly are now. And their customer service (for non-business customers) is utterly atrocious.

I'm typing this on a Toshiba and couldn't be happier. I know that doesn't help you now, but for next time...
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:51 PM on December 3, 2007

Well.first.thing.is.to.take.it.into.work.and.try.another.keyboard.

The.place.I.took.it.too.is.local.

I.would.hold.them.harmless.if.it.is.the.keyboard(theyare.cheap).but.if.it.is.the.motherboard.they.will.be.good.for.it.
posted by Danf at 6:15 AM on December 4, 2007

I.think.you.may.have.started.a.new.trend.in.typing.

I'm.starting.to.like.it.
posted by worker_bee at 6:53 AM on December 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Purely anecdotal, but I work in an office where keyboard malfunctions arise with some regularity. Invariably, after some time of troubleshooting, the person with the problem mentions, “well, I did spill some $beverage on it a few minutes ago… would that cause a problem?” Test with another keyboard.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 6:58 AM on December 4, 2007

I'm already far down the road of hating the period, and am renouncing my use of them until after I leave this thread [end sentence]

I suggest the OP takes the advice of copying and pasting a space, like many have already suggested [end sentence]

I would also recommend finding another keyboard and plugging it in externally[end sentence] If this worked, it would definitely rule out the software side of things[end sentence] Attempting to pop the space bar off to manually push the sensor would be my next step[end sentence]

Here is another attempt at giving you a free space, to copy and paste: --> <--
posted by jeffxl at 7:25 AM on December 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

As I was typing the previous comment, I noticed that the spacebar was beginning to work intermittently. I went over to Word and started typing and it gradually came back, to the point where now, only the very ends of the bar are non functional.

The keyboard sat in a shop, out of the laptop, for a few weeks over the holidays, and while they first tried a dc power jack, and then ordered a motherboard, which apparently came on horseback from Outer Elbonia.

So, some condensation, or dirt, that seems to be working itself out of there.

Worst case, $15 for a new keyboard.

I appreciate all the responses. A space bar is one of those things you don't think of, but really miss when it's not there.
posted by Danf at 7:41 AM on December 4, 2007

A space bar is one of those things you don't think of, but really miss when it's not there.

Hardest working key in show business, man.
posted by Mikey-San at 8:47 AM on December 4, 2007 [1 favorite]