Dell Inspiron 4100 keyboard failures

I'm having repeated failures of a keyboard in my Dell Inspiron
4100. The first keyboard lasted just over a year. Its replacement
lasted only 2 months and the latest keyboard failed after 4 months.

The failure mode is always the same, some keys start requiring a
harder than normal push. After some days they fail completely and
other keys start acting up, soon these fail as well. The keys that
start failing first are always: left-Ctrl, Home, End, PageUp,
PageDn. The next keys are less predictable, the current keyboard
has problems with the 5 and 6 keys (previous keyboards had problems
with the left-shift and tab key).

Dell seems not to care what the problem is, they just keep sending
me new (or refurbished keyboards). I had to pay for the first one
(which at $24.95 wasn't too expensive), but the rest have been
free. However I'd much rather have this solved once and for all.

Have other people had this problem? I'm not mistreating the computer
(it's a laptop, but it hardly ever leaves the house, it used to
travel much more last year when the keyboard lasted the longest).

marcos


--
Marcos H. Woehrmann | | http://www.panix.com/~marcos
"I thought you didn't like talking to people?"
"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no
problem with." - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Marcos Woehrmann wrote:
I'm having repeated failures of a keyboard in my Dell Inspiron
4100. The first keyboard lasted just over a year. Its replacement
lasted only 2 months and the latest keyboard failed after 4 months.

The failure mode is always the same, some keys start requiring a
harder than normal push. After some days they fail completely and
other keys start acting up, soon these fail as well. The keys that
start failing first are always: left-Ctrl, Home, End, PageUp,
PageDn. The next keys are less predictable, the current keyboard
has problems with the 5 and 6 keys (previous keyboards had problems
with the left-shift and tab key).

Dell seems not to care what the problem is, they just keep sending
me new (or refurbished keyboards). I had to pay for the first one
(which at $24.95 wasn't too expensive), but the rest have been
free. However I'd much rather have this solved once and for all.

Have other people had this problem? I'm not mistreating the computer
(it's a laptop, but it hardly ever leaves the house, it used to
travel much more last year when the keyboard lasted the longest).

marcos

You can try vacuuming it. Really, keyboards gather *everything*, and a
bit of detritus under the key will prevent full contact with the
pressure pad.

Q

Try turning your keyboard upside down and tapping/slapping it on the
backside. If you really want to stop the problems, see if you can talk Dell
into an upgrade keyboard.... or buy a Logitech and keep that one as a spare.
CYa


"Marcos Woehrmann" wrote in message
...
I'm having repeated failures of a keyboard in my Dell Inspiron
4100. The first keyboard lasted just over a year. Its replacement
lasted only 2 months and the latest keyboard failed after 4 months.

The failure mode is always the same, some keys start requiring a
harder than normal push. After some days they fail completely and
other keys start acting up, soon these fail as well. The keys that
start failing first are always: left-Ctrl, Home, End, PageUp,
PageDn. The next keys are less predictable, the current keyboard
has problems with the 5 and 6 keys (previous keyboards had problems
with the left-shift and tab key).

Dell seems not to care what the problem is, they just keep sending
me new (or refurbished keyboards). I had to pay for the first one
(which at $24.95 wasn't too expensive), but the rest have been
free. However I'd much rather have this solved once and for all.

Have other people had this problem? I'm not mistreating the computer
(it's a laptop, but it hardly ever leaves the house, it used to
travel much more last year when the keyboard lasted the longest).

marcos


--
Marcos H. Woehrmann | | http://www.panix.com/~marcos
"I thought you didn't like talking to people?"
"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no
problem with." - Curb Your Enthusiasm

the i3800 had a known (and now admitted) keyboard problem but not the i4100.
they just sent out letters regarding the class action settlement for the
i3800 (four years after the units were bought)... those machines had a
'line of keys problem" where there would be a drop out of, for example, the
8/i/k/, keys... and though it was often just a keyboard problem that
resulted from overheating of the processor (or heating of the processor to
such a temperature that it ultimately caused the keyboard failure), it was
also sometimes attributed to being motherboard problem. the first
replacement was usually a keyboard only and a bios update (explained below)
but for the second replacement dell would also replace the motherboard as
the symptom demonstrated by the keyboard would also stem from a defective
keyboard connector on the motherboard. again, i don't know of i4100
keyboard problems (other than abuse, or just plain wear and tear), but if
replacements are not a fix then i would first try a bios flash and then look
into a motherboard replacement. my suggestion for a bios flash comes from
more aggressive use of the fan that was implemented in later versions of the
bios to keep the system cooled to a lower temperature... that is if it is
heat that is affecting your keyboard. if the system is under warranty and
you repeatedly have the same problem, they may offer you a replacement
(there is a three strikes policy that sometimes results in them offering
complete replacements for chronic duplicate problems). hope this helps more
than it confuses

"Marcos Woehrmann" wrote in message
...
I'm having repeated failures of a keyboard in my Dell Inspiron
4100. The first keyboard lasted just over a year. Its replacement
lasted only 2 months and the latest keyboard failed after 4 months.

The failure mode is always the same, some keys start requiring a
harder than normal push. After some days they fail completely and
other keys start acting up, soon these fail as well. The keys that
start failing first are always: left-Ctrl, Home, End, PageUp,
PageDn. The next keys are less predictable, the current keyboard
has problems with the 5 and 6 keys (previous keyboards had problems
with the left-shift and tab key).

Dell seems not to care what the problem is, they just keep sending
me new (or refurbished keyboards). I had to pay for the first one
(which at $24.95 wasn't too expensive), but the rest have been
free. However I'd much rather have this solved once and for all.

Have other people had this problem? I'm not mistreating the computer
(it's a laptop, but it hardly ever leaves the house, it used to
travel much more last year when the keyboard lasted the longest).

marcos


--
Marcos H. Woehrmann | | http://www.panix.com/~marcos
"I thought you didn't like talking to people?"
"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no
problem with." - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Thanks for the information. The machine does have the latest bios,
and based on how long it took the first keyboard to fail (over a
year) I suspect it's not heat related. I keep thinking it's a
mechanical problem, because when the key(s) first fail they work
when pressed harder. I've talked Dell into sending me another free
keyboard (even though the replacement keyboard I currently have is
out of warranty). If the new keyboard fails as well I'll try to
get a new machine.

marcos

In article ,
Christopher Muto wrote:
the i3800 had a known (and now admitted) keyboard problem but not the i4100.
they just sent out letters regarding the class action settlement for the
i3800 (four years after the units were bought)... those machines had a
'line of keys problem" where there would be a drop out of, for example, the
8/i/k/, keys... and though it was often just a keyboard problem that
resulted from overheating of the processor (or heating of the processor to
such a temperature that it ultimately caused the keyboard failure), it was
also sometimes attributed to being motherboard problem. the first
replacement was usually a keyboard only and a bios update (explained below)
but for the second replacement dell would also replace the motherboard as
the symptom demonstrated by the keyboard would also stem from a defective
keyboard connector on the motherboard. again, i don't know of i4100
keyboard problems (other than abuse, or just plain wear and tear), but if
replacements are not a fix then i would first try a bios flash and then look
into a motherboard replacement. my suggestion for a bios flash comes from
more aggressive use of the fan that was implemented in later versions of the
bios to keep the system cooled to a lower temperature... that is if it is
heat that is affecting your keyboard. if the system is under warranty and
you repeatedly have the same problem, they may offer you a replacement
(there is a three strikes policy that sometimes results in them offering
complete replacements for chronic duplicate problems). hope this helps more
than it confuses

"Marcos Woehrmann" wrote in message
...
I'm having repeated failures of a keyboard in my Dell Inspiron
4100. The first keyboard lasted just over a year. Its replacement
lasted only 2 months and the latest keyboard failed after 4 months.

The failure mode is always the same, some keys start requiring a
harder than normal push. After some days they fail completely and
other keys start acting up, soon these fail as well. The keys that
start failing first are always: left-Ctrl, Home, End, PageUp,
PageDn. The next keys are less predictable, the current keyboard
has problems with the 5 and 6 keys (previous keyboards had problems
with the left-shift and tab key).

Dell seems not to care what the problem is, they just keep sending
me new (or refurbished keyboards). I had to pay for the first one
(which at $24.95 wasn't too expensive), but the rest have been
free. However I'd much rather have this solved once and for all.

Have other people had this problem? I'm not mistreating the computer
(it's a laptop, but it hardly ever leaves the house, it used to
travel much more last year when the keyboard lasted the longest).

marcos


--
Marcos H. Woehrmann | | http://www.panix.com/~marcos
"I thought you didn't like talking to people?"
"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no
problem with." - Curb Your Enthusiasm




--
Marcos H. Woehrmann | | http://www.panix.com/~marcos
"I thought you didn't like talking to people?"
"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no
problem with." - Curb Your Enthusiasm

I think the connecctor become loose over time, generally reseating the
connector corrected the problem with the I3700, I3800 and also I8000.

John