OMEN 17-AN045TX keyboard replacement

[zdallin]

Hi, first post. My partner's laptop, an Omen 17-AN045TX, has an increasing number of keys that are very difficult to press. I purchased a supposedly genuine replacement keyboard for it which looks identical to the original from the front. As I'm quite good with computers/electronics I have stripped the laptop down to access the back of the keyboard, but I've found that the metal plate holding the keyboard in appears to be held on by a whole lot of plastic weld points.

Has anyone replaced the keyboard on these? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

TIA, Brett

[iomare · Accepted solution]

Hi Brett,

The official HP part is the keyboard and top cover together as you can see on page 22 of service manual

https://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c06001792.pdf

Now, some third parties sell only the actual keyboard, which keeps the cost of replacing a lot lower.

I have replaced these types of keyboards quite often and what I find works best.

You take a soldering iron and heat one weld point at a time starting from the edge. So you melt the plastic weld and pull slightly on the metal plating to free it.  This will also give a cylinder shape to each weld allowing you to replace the metal plating back onto them after you have installed the new keyboard. You need to do for each weld (long job)

Once you have removed the plating and replaced the keyboard you can put the metal plating back over all the plastic cylinders (you created) and then with the heated soldering iron pusch on each cylinder (melting it) and keep the metal plate in place.

Hope it helps,

David

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[zdallin]

Thanks heaps for your reply Iomare. I suspected that might be the case but was hoping I'd missed an easier solution. I've done that kind of repair on other electronic gear previously, although nothing with so many pins before! I've got a suitable soldering iron at work.

Really appreciate your help!

[iomare]

You're welcome Brett

Yes, time-consuming work. 

Let me know if you need any further help and if it works out.

All the best,

David