Pavilion 15-p189sa - keyboard replacement. Do I need the whole top cover?

[Musicrab]

Pavilion p189sa.  I've got some keyboard keys not working reliably - top-right keyboard -=/*

I've looked at the service manual

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04427554

This describes how to remove the "top cover".   It looks like mouse-pad and power switch are replacable in the top cover BUT keyboard ittself is integral with the top cover.

Can somebody please confirm whether the keyboard itself is replacable in the top cover OR whether I have to buy a top cover?

Thanks.  Looks like part I need (top cover) is (white).  762529-031   This is not going to be much fun.  Cheers.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Yeah its a bear of a job. You may well find keyboard only parts on eBay and such but these are sellers who have gotten their hands on the component used in making the top cover. The keyboard is bolted rather permanently into the top cover with rivets. Its theoretically possible to remove it but very hard and the few people who have tried it and reported back here were not happy with the outcome. 

So you do need the top cover and its a matter of completely disassembling the laptop and then reassembling onto the new top cover. 

[Musicrab]

Thanks for veryfying.  Lifting the top cover looks doable (but I always panic with ribbon cables); not much choice of used parts.  If I go for it I may end up with a black top cover with white trackpad...    Hopefully swapping over trackpad and power switch (or whatever the third cable is for) is not so bad.

[Huffer]

Yes to modify my answer on your laptop the top cover lifts off. You enter for service top down not bottom up so its much less a hassle. Also the laptop is old enough that donor parts units are available for relatively little expense.