***Keyboard and External CD-RW Drive Problem***

[jdw4jesus]

I have a Windows 98 laptop and I have 2 problems with it:

1. The keyboard will not respond. When I press a button, it makes a loud "beeping" noise and it will not work! I restarted it a few times and got the same effect each time. Also, sometimes, it loads the setup when I did not press the button and I press the escape and it does not do anything, because the buttons are not working! Is the keyboard shot and I need a new one, or what can I do to fix it, also....

2. I bought an external 2.0 52*24*52 CD-RW drive yesterday and since I have Windows 98SE, I had to download the drivers, which I did, and I plugged everything in right, but my computer does not recognize the drive. I reinstalled the driver and it says that there is no driver that would support it. I really need that CD drive but nothing seems to be working now.....

If you need more info, please ask!

Please help me!!!

Thank you in advance

Jonathan

This post has been edited by jdw4jesus: Today, 08:23 AM

 

[superfly]

1. have you tried unplugging your keyboard, and the plugging it back in?

2. external? what does it use to connect to the computer? usb? then you might need some usb drivers as well.

 

[jdw4jesus]

I have a laptop so I cannot unplug it...

Yes, it uses USB, so I will try to get the drivers!

Thank you!!!

 

[superfly]

I have a laptop so I cannot unplug it...

oops, silly me!

have you recently dropped or bumped or opened or something'ed your laptop? it sounds like there might be a loose connection or something... and is it old or new-ish? i.e. is it still under guarantee? if not, then try to open it and reseat the keyboard... just take *very* careful note of where everything is as you open it up.

 

[jdw4jesus]

Well, a little water spilled, but it did not affect it...so it should not be a problem, I dont think..hmmm...

It is a old computer, probably 5 yrs. old or so

It is not under guarantee, and I do not know how to reset the keyboard

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

A couple of suggestions as I used to run round with my laptop in a big truck (18-wheeler) The first thing you could try would be to make sure no keys are stuck, this doesn't sound very likely but it's worth a shot, what's more likely is whatever spilled has made a mess on the bottom side of the keyboard, most of these have a metal strip an love to gather up a bunch of junk if anythin gets spilled on em. What specific laptop is it? Most Compaq and Dells are very easy to remove the keyboards and find out if they've had it, I say are very easy, the older ones are like the one your talkin about.

Secondly.... RW drives have become a huge annoyin disaster in my opinion, there definetly needed these days but folks are poppin em out to fast an are havin all kinds of troubles with em, what specfic drive is it? Make? Memorex has an external that runs circles around a bunch of the newer drives, but crashes on alot of the newer OS's, works great on 98, then again, LG a rather new comer or marketer has an internal that works well on newer systems but doesn't know what it is under 98. I'd have to look, but so far as I can recall there should be a windows update for usb 2.0 as 98 didn't employ it's use back then, I'll have a look see an let you know.

Here is a link that may help you with the 2.0 drivers if windows update doesn't have anythin for you. http://www.techspot.com/drivers/index/file/information/2060

 

[jdw4jesus]

It is a Dell Latitude Laptop

I/O Magic CD-RW Drive

Thank you!!!

 

[Psalms34]

ugh if you never opened a laptop before I highly recommend against doing so.

beeping, eh? Well when you spill water sometimes the contacts between the keys and the receiver gets corroded. Beeping though sounds more like faulty connection somewhere from the keyboard to the main board. Not no signal but a corrupted signal since the BIOS system does beep when you press a key. Possibly shorting from corrosion perhaps?

Quick fix is to plug a USB keyboard into the laptop. Well not a fix but a work around. At least if you can get your hands on a USB keyboard you will know if it is a physical problem with the laptop keyboard or something else. But yes chances are it's the keyboard and possibly corrosion.

Don't bother buying a USB keyboard if you dont have one, spend the money for the shop repair. Laptops really need to be serviced by a tech and laptop repair is definitely specialized.

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

Quick fix is to plug a USB keyboard into the laptop. Well not a fix but a work around. At least if you can get your hands on a USB keyboard you will know if it is a physical problem with the laptop keyboard or something else. But yes chances are it's the keyboard and possibly corrosion.

Don't bother buying a USB keyboard if you dont have one, spend the money for the shop repair. Laptops really need to be serviced by a tech and laptop repair is definitely specialized.

I've got to mention a couple of thins here, simply pluggin in another keyboard won't work if your current keyboard is indeed shorting out, this is what I was talkin bout with the metal backin of the on board keyboard. You would need to unplug the current keyboard from mainboard before another keyboard would work. I've got the same problem with one of my laptops and the on board keyboards, to my recollection, will not disengage while you are plugged into a seprate keyboard (gee am I sayin keyboard enough?? hehe)

Yes I agree that you should use a qualified tech, however, the keyboards are genreally rather cheap an their part numbers are also generally on the backside of the keyboard, dell's site would/should be able to tell you exactly which keyboard you need, the draw back? Repair shops are rather expensive and when you figure that a keyboard is only like 35-45 dollars, you walk out of a place like that with a large price tag. I personnaly have no idea what shops are chargin these days but I charge 35 dollars/hour so keep in mind I'm cheap lol shops are gonna have a higher per hour wage. If you are not comfortable an if you don't have any real mechanical skills then yes take it to someone, but make sure you get a quote first! This may also be a time to have them look at why your burner isn't workin.

 

[Psalms34]

Yes I agree that you should use a qualified tech, however, the keyboards are genreally rather cheap an their part numbers are also generally on the backside of the keyboard, dell's site would/should be able to tell you exactly which keyboard you need, the draw back? Repair shops are rather expensive and when you figure that a keyboard is only like 35-45 dollars, you walk out of a place like that with a large price tag.

Itsa laptop keyboard (i.e. the keyboard is built into the laptop) and you just cant run to Best Buy and pick one up for $35. When you crack open your laptop case, you quickly realize that there are 1000's of parts in there and you cant stick a tooth pick in between any two given parts (very compact). Just to crack open an external keyboard is a compleat nightmare let alone the sheer terror of cracking open a full blown laptop system. You need special tools (like I have), and by the time you spend the cash for the toolset you'll outspend what it would have cost to pick up the repaired system at a shop.

Now as for an external keyboard working, I cannot say, as I said it depends on what is really wrong, so can't tell you how it will work w/o plugging one in. That's just if you happen to have one, don't waste the money buying an external for a laptop.

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

Itsa laptop keyboard (i.e. the keyboard is built into the laptop) and you just cant run to Best Buy and pick one up for $35. When you crack open your laptop case, you quickly realize that there are 1000's of parts in there and you cant stick a tooth pick in between any two given parts (very compact). Just to crack open an external keyboard is a compleat nightmare let alone the sheer terror of cracking open a full blown laptop system. You need special tools (like I have), and by the time you spend the cash for the toolset you'll outspend what it would have cost to pick up the repaired system at a shop.

Now as for an external keyboard working, I cannot say, as I said it depends on what is really wrong, so can't tell you how it will work w/o plugging one in. That's just if you happen to have one, don't waste the money buying an external for a laptop.

I'm sorry I don't really understand you. I've had dozens upon dozens of laptops apart and I don't understand what you're talking about with this keyboard is built into the laptop. Of course it is but it's not like they fall apart or something when you take them out. Typically the front cover with the mouse pad and keyboard are componets locked together merely by plastic tabs, the older laptops are especially easy this way.

There are 1000's of parts in any system.... if you're counting mainboard componets, but laptops are really no different than any other system aside from size and compactness. I maintain, if you haven't very good mechanical knowledge then it's of course better to take it to someone, as well as if you merely do not feel comfortable with it then make sure you take it to someone else.

No you can not go to BestBuy and get a keyboard for your specific laptop, however if you have the part number of your keyboard you can ebay one for 35 bucks or so.

If you're interested in what tools you would need, they really aren't special at all, torx bits are the most common type screws that are employed on laptops.

Regardless of any of this, and especially don't get caught up in mine or Faith_Warriors banter hehe, do what you feel is best and if you feel you aren't up to the task then make sure you take it to someone else. In an effort to save yourself money, go to Dell's site and find out what keyboard your laptop has and check into ebay for one. You may be able to save some money if you supply your repair tech with the parts in advance.

 

[Psalms34]

Well this is an older laptop (Win 98?) and many of the older brands are quite difficult to work with. Yes I have a new laptop and service is fairly easy as I know. Some laptops are extremely difficult just to reassemble (needing tools) but this all depends on the design. Most older designs really suck.

Anyway thought you were suggesting an external keyboard yet in the first paragraph you were saying an external wont work, I shouldn't try reading so fast heh. I think we both agree that having the internal keyboard working is far more preferable.