AZERTY keyboard swop

[mikejkay]

Has any one changed/swopped over the AZERTY keyboard on a french configured laptop (HP Pavilion dv7-7190sf) for a standard QWERTY one?  or vice versa.  Is it possible?  Are the dimensions and fittings the same?

[PeaceLily]

You can swap out the keyboard hardware and it will fit if you get the correct keyboard for your notebook, but it isn't necessary to have a QWERTY keyboard to use the QWERTY layout. You can change the input method without changing the keyboard itself, using these steps (for Windows 7) :

Click Start, and type "change keyboard" into the search box.

Under Control Panel, click Change keyboards or other input methods.

In the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change keyboards.

Under Installed services, click Add.

Scroll down and double-click English (US), then double-click Keyboard.

Select US (default). You can click Preview to make sure it is the correct QWERTY layout you're looking for.

Click OK, and then select the French keyboard layout in the Text Services and Input Languages window and click Remove. (If you don't want to remove it, you can leave it, but then you'll need to switch to the QWERTY layout by clicking the "FR" that appears on the right side of the taskbar, and then select "EN English (United States)").

Click OK to close the Text Services and Input Languages window.

You'll need to do this even if you do replace the keyboard itself. Another option, if you want to use your QWERTY input with a proper QWERTY keyboard, is to buy a USB keyboard and hook it up to your notebook.

[mikejkay]

So, all I really need is the necessary keys or adhesive overlays.  Are the keys hard to remove and replace?

[PeaceLily · Accepted solution]

Shouldn't be too difficult to remove and reattach the keycaps. You can find many tutorials online, and video demonstrations on YouTube. Make sure you search for laptop-specific tutorials, because most desktop PC keyboards don't have the chiclet-style keys that your laptop probably has, and the procedure is slightly different. You won't need to remove the spacebar--make sure you don't, because that one can be tricky to get back on.

[mikejkay]

I have to ask, why couldn't HP Support have given me thisd information?  I've spent over an our on support chat lines going round and round in circles!

[PeaceLily]

Sorry to hear that 😞 I'm not sure. But thank you for bringing your question to the forum, and for marking the solution. That really does help other people find the answer if they have a similar question.

[mikejkay]

PeaceLily.............As a reward for being so good, life's like that!,  I don't suppose that you could let me know if I can slot in a backlit QWERTY keyboard instead of the standard AZERTY one that I've got at the moment?

[PeaceLily]

🙂 It looks like you might be in luck. With a lot of notebooks you can't do this, because they lack a ZIF connector on the motherboard (the ZIF connector is where you connect the backlight cable for power). But I looked up the Maintenance and Service Guide for dv7-7000 models and I see "keyboard with backlight" listings in the parts catalog, and I find mention of a ZIF connector in the keyboard replacement instructions.

Refer to page 23 of the guide for a listing of available keyboards. The US keyboard (in black finish, with backlight, including the keyboard cable and the backlight cable) is part no. 681981-001.

You'll find the removal and replacement procedure for the keyboard in the same guide (beginning on page 57).

[mikejkay]

Treble kudos!

[mikejkay]

For anyone interested the keyboard swop worked, I found a 681981-001 QWERTY board from a supplier in China.

There are several details that might be of use:

1    The central screw that holds the T shaped access panel does not screw into a frame or the motherboard, it screws through the motherboard into a threade pillar on the keyboard.  This pillar is held, not very securely, on the back of the keyboard with two small rivets.  Mine came loose due to overtightening and had to be glued back into place.  There is another screw on the R/H side (looking at the base) which also locates into a threaded pillar on the back of the keyboard..

2    You then have to remove the DVD player which is held in by a small screw and once you have done this you can push out one end of the keyboard using your finger.

3    As well as the tabs along the lower edge of the keyboard the upper edge of the keyboard is fairly firmly held by double-sided tape.  There are also 4 or 5 protrusions along the upper edge which only seem to come clear if the keyboard is flexed..  All in all it is not quite as easy to remove the keyboard as is indicated in the manual.

4    Attaching the cables is easy, flip up the retaining bars and remove the flat ribbon cables.  Put the replacement cables in place and push down the retaining bars.