How to test/fix keyboard of OmniBook vt6200 laptop?

Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:

- In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
(nothing else).

- In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.

- The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
correctly.

The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from an
MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
Professional).

An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution, because
this laptop is (also) used as such).

Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest version
(from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.

I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves work
just fine, i.e. are not stuck.

Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

[N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
like to salvage it.]

Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
> problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:
>
> - In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
> (nothing else).
>
> - In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.
>
> - The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
> correctly.
>
> The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from an
> MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
> Professional).
>
> An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution, because
> this laptop is (also) used as such).
>
> Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest version
> (from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.
>
> I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
> not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves work
> just fine, i.e. are not stuck.
>
> Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?
>
> Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
>
> [N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
> its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
> like to salvage it.]

Have you checked the keyboard cable connection inside the laptop? I had
one Compaq that failed to type certain keys intermittently. Turned
out to be a loose connector. I had a Dell that had a known failure in
one set of keys due to a hot component melting a small hole in the
ribbon. Fixed that with tape and a car heater grid repair kit.

You might be able to find a cheap keyboard to replace/test with.

I don't know of any actual diagnostic programs for keyboards outside
of the usual key by key. You'd still have to pull the keyboard in
order to test with a continuity meter, so at that point you could
check that cable connection and make sure that's not the problem.

Good Luck-

Chris

Chris H wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
>> problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:
>>
>> - In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
>> (nothing else).
>>
>> - In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.
>>
>> - The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
>> correctly.
>>
>> The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from an
>> MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
>> Professional).
>>
>> An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution, because
>> this laptop is (also) used as such).
>>
>> Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest version
>> (from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.
>>
>> I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
>> not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves work
>> just fine, i.e. are not stuck.
>>
>> Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
>>
>> [N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
>> its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
>> like to salvage it.]
>
> Have you checked the keyboard cable connection inside the laptop? I had
> one Compaq that failed to type certain keys intermittently. Turned
> out to be a loose connector. I had a Dell that had a known failure in
> one set of keys due to a hot component melting a small hole in the
> ribbon. Fixed that with tape and a car heater grid repair kit.
>
> You might be able to find a cheap keyboard to replace/test with.
>
> I don't know of any actual diagnostic programs for keyboards outside
> of the usual key by key. You'd still have to pull the keyboard in
> order to test with a continuity meter, so at that point you could
> check that cable connection and make sure that's not the problem.
>
> Good Luck-
>
> Chris

Also, what does the laptop do when you operate it with a normal keyboard
connected externally? If the same symptoms, something in the
motherboard is failing. If the external keyboard work OK, replace the
laptop keyboard. Should not be major surgery... Ben Myers

Ben Myers <> wrote:
> Chris H wrote:
> > Frank Slootweg wrote:
> >> Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
> >> problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:
> >>
> >> - In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
> >> (nothing else).
> >>
> >> - In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.
> >>
> >> - The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
> >> correctly.
> >>
> >> The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from an
> >> MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
> >> Professional).
> >>
> >> An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution, because
> >> this laptop is (also) used as such).
> >>
> >> Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest version
> >> (from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.
> >>
> >> I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
> >> not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves work
> >> just fine, i.e. are not stuck.
> >>
> >> Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
> >>
> >> [N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
> >> its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
> >> like to salvage it.]
> >
> > Have you checked the keyboard cable connection inside the laptop? I had
> > one Compaq that failed to type certain keys intermittently. Turned
> > out to be a loose connector. I had a Dell that had a known failure in
> > one set of keys due to a hot component melting a small hole in the
> > ribbon. Fixed that with tape and a car heater grid repair kit.
> >
> > You might be able to find a cheap keyboard to replace/test with.
> >
> > I don't know of any actual diagnostic programs for keyboards outside
> > of the usual key by key. You'd still have to pull the keyboard in
> > order to test with a continuity meter, so at that point you could
> > check that cable connection and make sure that's not the problem.
> >
> > Good Luck-
> >
> > Chris
>
> Also, what does the laptop do when you operate it with a normal keyboard
> connected externally? If the same symptoms, something in the
> motherboard is failing. If the external keyboard work OK, replace the
> laptop keyboard. Should not be major surgery... Ben Myers

Thanks for (both) your responses.

As I wrote, the laptop indeed works just fine with an external PS/2
keyboard.

I'm reluctant to open the laptop because it/I may make things worse.

And it it at all likely that I can get a replacement keyboard for such
an 'old' and 'special' (i.e. HP, OmniBook not Pavilion, etc.) laptop?

Frank Slootweg wrote:

> Ben Myers <> wrote:
>> Chris H wrote:
>> > Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> >> Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
>> >> problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:
>> >>
>> >> - In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
>> >> (nothing else).
>> >>
>> >> - In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.
>> >>
>> >> - The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
>> >> correctly.
>> >>
>> >> The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from
>> >> an
>> >> MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
>> >> Professional).
>> >>
>> >> An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution,
>> >> because
>> >> this laptop is (also) used as such).
>> >>
>> >> Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest
>> >> version
>> >> (from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.
>> >>
>> >> I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
>> >> not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves
>> >> work just fine, i.e. are not stuck.
>> >>
>> >> Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?
>> >>
>> >> Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
>> >>
>> >> [N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
>> >> its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
>> >> like to salvage it.]
>> >
>> > Have you checked the keyboard cable connection inside the laptop? I
>> > had
>> > one Compaq that failed to type certain keys intermittently. Turned
>> > out to be a loose connector. I had a Dell that had a known failure in
>> > one set of keys due to a hot component melting a small hole in the
>> > ribbon. Fixed that with tape and a car heater grid repair kit.
>> >
>> > You might be able to find a cheap keyboard to replace/test with.
>> >
>> > I don't know of any actual diagnostic programs for keyboards outside
>> > of the usual key by key. You'd still have to pull the keyboard in
>> > order to test with a continuity meter, so at that point you could
>> > check that cable connection and make sure that's not the problem.
>> >
>> > Good Luck-
>> >
>> > Chris
>>
>> Also, what does the laptop do when you operate it with a normal keyboard
>> connected externally? If the same symptoms, something in the
>> motherboard is failing. If the external keyboard work OK, replace the
>> laptop keyboard. Should not be major surgery... Ben Myers
>
> Thanks for (both) your responses.
>
> As I wrote, the laptop indeed works just fine with an external PS/2
> keyboard.
>
> I'm reluctant to open the laptop because it/I may make things worse.
>
> And it it at all likely that I can get a replacement keyboard for such
> an 'old' and 'special' (i.e. HP, OmniBook not Pavilion, etc.) laptop?


There is one being sold for parts on Ebay.

Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Suddenly, the keyboard of my OmniBook vt6200 laptop is giving
> problems. There are many *shifted* characters which I can not type:
>
> - In the numeric row (not the numeric keyboard), I can only get ~%^_+
> (nothing else).
>
> - In the QWERTY row, shift-T, shift-Y and {} do not work.
>
> - The shifted characters in the ASDFGH and ZXCVBN rows all work
> correctly.
>
> The problem also occurs under (real) MS-DOS, i.e. when booted from an
> MS-DOS diskette, i.e. it has nothing to do with Windows (XP
> Professional).
>
> An external PS/2 keyboard works just fine (but is no solution, because
> this laptop is (also) used as such).
>
> Just to be on the safe side, I updated the BIOS to the latest version
> (from EG.M2.10 to EG.M2.42), but that did not help.
>
> I tried some keyboard test programs, but those only test the *keys*,
> not the combination (i.e. shift+) of keys, and the keys themselves work
> just fine, i.e. are not stuck.
>
> Any chance of determining what is wrong and hopefully fixing it?
>
> Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
>
> [N.B. The value of this old (2002?) laptop, is in the (combination of)
> its *connectivity*, not the basic display/keyboard/mouse, so I would
> like to salvage it.]
Hi Frank -

As Joe pointed out, there's a parts machine on eBay. Some of the people
selling those parts have ebay "stores", and you can email them and see
if they've got a keyboard. There are other online stores (pchub.com
was the last one I bought from) that carry all sorts of parts. I've got
an Omnibook 6100 that I can still locate parts for, so you should be
able to find what you need. It just might take some hunting.

As far as making the problem worse, well, the keyboard pretty much isn't
working properly now, and even testing would require pulling it out to
access the ribbon cable. Just pull carefully/gently and don't yank. If
it doesn't come out easily, it's either still clipped in or it's stuck
on something, in which case don't pull harder, just figure out what it's
caught on. The small pressure clips that often hold the ribbons to the
system board don't usually require much force to unclip them. Too much
force and they'll break.

Look around for a service manual, too. I'll see if I have anything in
my archives, but I don't recall anything for a vt6200 offhand. A lot
of the ones I got came from the 'net anyway.

Good Luck! If I come across anything (like a keyboard or manual), I'll
drop an note back in to this thread.

Cheers-

Chris