Keyboard won't lift free - hp laptop (now free/thread updated)

[sammyc]

Have acquired a spares & repairs hp laptop which I want chiefly for parts, but thought I'd see if it's a 'can be got working' prospect so having a play around first.
First hitch; have removed all screws & followed normal procedure but the keyboard is refusing to come properly free - it feels attached at one point approx towards the mid top section. Will move at all points around, within the extent that it's possible.. Don't like to apply too much pressure, any suggestions what might be restraining it? Thanks.

Link to manual http://h20565.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/p...r_na-c02729317

(Laptop fault/s may not turn out to involve disembowelling it but this is for my own interest; may go into its actual symptoms at a later point.)

[Spreadie]

Some laptop keyboards are secured with screws from underneath, either in plain sight or hidden in the memory bay.

[sammyc]

Yep, thanks have got them all as per specs.

[GoNz0]

Slide a case opener under the area, it may have been stuck down at some stage (often due to a spillage)

tbh a sharp tug normally gets things moving. Usually when I get that one stubborn spot it is due to missing a screw but if you are happy enugh follow the "slide keyboard back" part and see how you get on?

[sammyc]

Slide a case opener under the area, it may have been stuck down at some stage (often due to a spillage)

'Stuck' was about all I could think, as the procedure for this model is so straightforward (unscrew/ lift free ie no unclipping or releasing anything further) yet it feels exactly the resistance of screwed down & is very near the site of a screw that is out. Will give it another go later with a little extra leverage, I can't do vast amounts of harm as it's only the screen & any useful bits I really need intact. Thanks.

[GoNz0]

They are very flexible so you should be able to see under enough to figure it out?

[sammyc]

Hopefully.. I don't have time to get far with anything tonight if I do shift it, so may as well look at it in daylight now.

[sammyc]

Freed it up; was indeed simply stuck & gave under pressure.

Its actual symptoms are as follows; am not really asking for advice as such, will do my own research, but if anyone's bored enough to pitch their best theory then thanks (it's not a machine I desperately want to get working so any fiddling is as much for my own education/amusement).

On plugging in to mains: machine attempts to start up instantly without pressing power button: power light and drive light come on together & drive spins up for 2-3 seconds then dies down: lights off, cycle to battery light, & repeats continually: no fan: holding down power button interrupts sequence then it starts over: no further point reached in starting up. Have literally only got so far as to switch the cmos battery and ram, removed optical drive & loosened keyboard. Haven't tried it with a charged battery but I can if necessary.

[GoNz0]

It shouldn't start up on mains but may have a setting in the BIOS for that. If you have removed everything possible including the keyboard ribbon cable, swapped ram and fitted a new battery then you are out of options. You can check all the ribbon cables are seated properly but it does sound terminal.

You can do a crude test for dry joints by pushing hard on the chip and flexing the board one the screws are out, if it comes to life doing that test the next steps to toss it in the bin tbh.

[peterb]

Funnily enough, I have just been given an HP laptop with similar symptoms, I've just been getting the data off the hard drive.

I think it's a fault in the power control cct on the mobo. I will look a bit closer at when I get a moment, although the owner isn't bothered about the laptop, more concerned about the data

[sammyc]

Stuff has got in the way of my looking at this today, all I can add is that if power button pressed when on battery instead of mains, battery light flashes 7 times orange followed by once green, back to orange then off.

Will get back to it when I get the chance. Thanks for the above posts.

[GoNz0]

7 is a fubar mainboard.

[sammyc]

Fair enough, thanks. Unlike the guy here, who hadn't tried hard reset and having done so, 'viola!' [sic] it resurrected, I bow to your knowledge that it's a goner & will harvest its organs as planned.

Have reworked 3 semi-working mobile phones into 2 usable ones this week so that's something. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37954769