4 ms·

Keyboard Repair Lenovo ThinkPad: X13: 60 seconds X1 and everything from Apple: You’re literally doomed. Complete disassembly required. At least Lenovo documen

Keyboard Repair Lenovo ThinkPad: X13: 60 seconds X1 and everything from Apple: You’re literally doomed. Complete disassembly required. At least Lenovo documents well how to remove the base cover, battery, mainboard, display… All of that pain for 1 mm less height and a sharp palmrest. I surprised how much pain people with Windows can suffer and keep using it. With weird arguments like “I forced to use that application” and “Ans Linux doesn’t do FSR4.1 something”. You decided that you need that?

dewey 1y ago
> X13: 60 seconds If you know what you are doing, and have that spare part including the correct screwdriver and screws in the shelf next to your desk? How often does your keyboard fail? I've never had that happen in all my computing life and the other parts are usually not that easy to change for any regular person on a laptop. Not sure if that's the scenario to optimize for.
- ho_schi 1y ago
  For regular users with a consumer laptop, a damaged key or keyboard means: Laptop defunct. Use an external keyboard if not affordable. Used my X220 for ten years, handled it with care, but after ten years a new keyboard was a nice uplift. You can also switch languages but especially also the layout between ANSI- and ISO. Buying an Apple device with ANSI in Europe? Pain. ThinkPads? Buy anything. 30 EUR and new keyboard.
  - louthy 1y ago
    So even after 10 years you didn’t need a new keyboard, you just wanted one? I think you’ve proved the GP’s point.
    - ho_schi 1y ago
      How many people use a laptop for ten years?
      - louthy 1y ago
        Er, exactly! Most people replace the entire machine within that time, so they still don’t need a replaceable keyboard. You’re now arguing with yourself.
- dijit 1y ago
  I mean, the irony is that the keyboards most people associate with failing are the Apple ones (2015-2020). ... Which are nearly impossible to replace, and are what the modern Thinkpads are trying to emulate. The old X13's would almost never fail, so replacing them was never a consideration. (also, screws are not that annoying, but I agree with the rest, most companies aren't/weren't replacing keyboards on laptops)
- fainpul 1y ago
  I don't know the X13, but I have lots of experience with old Thinkpads. Keyboard replacement really used to be super easy: Turn Laptop over, look for the screw holes with a keyboard icon next to it, remove those screws with a Phillips size 1 screwdriver, flip over, open lid, slide keyboard up and lift out, unclip flex cable, then do the reverse steps with the new keyboard. After a while, Lenovo started using more clips and fewer screws and things started to go downhill from there.
csomar 1y ago
On the other hand, Apple has better coverage. Good luck getting parts for some random laptop especially outside the US.
- hagbard_c 1y ago
  Everything I've ever needed can be found on eBay, Aliexpress, iFixit and elsewhere. That is everything from drive caddies for old expired Thinkpads, CCFL tubes for Acer and HP consumer models, inverters for the same, CPUs, random lids for machines missing those, etc. Also, keyboards for those terrible Apple models which require the equivalent of open heart surgery to replace them. You might need to get one of those bags with 120 tiny screws with it if those are not included, make sure to check.
easton 1y ago
weirdly, i've done the repair on one of the previous X1 generations. It was a pain to disassemble most of the machine (~2 hours?) but it was at least doable. i don't think you can do it on a Mac at all?
- ho_schi 1y ago
  Respect. May biggest adventure was a screen upgrade for a X13 (Hint: HiDPI requires a bigger cable). Luckily the mainboard could remain in place. The procedure for keyboard replacement should be similar between an X1 and MacBook. They are somehow “layered” to be cheap and flat. It was already a pain with the MacBooks from 2008.
- tim333 1y ago
  You can do it on macbooks - various how tos on youtube eg. https://youtu.be/ivMD4nYVBBI https://youtu.be/ivMD4nYVBBI but also fiddley.
maccard 1y ago
I’ve been using laptops for 25 years, and I have never, not once, had a keyboard need to be replaced. I worked in an IT repair place for 5 years where we repaired laptops for customers. I can probably count the number of times we got people asking for keyboard swaps. For context of scale, we probably handled 30-70 computers a week, the vast majority of which were “user serviceable” repair jobs
- dsr_ 1y ago
  I've been using laptops for 30 years, and I have had three keyboards need to be replaced for 1-3 keys having mechanical problems, plus an HP which got its keyboard replaced four times before being dustbinned. I've also seen a large percentage of MacBook butterfly switch keyboards require a complete return to Apple, for about 2 years.
  - maccard 1y ago
    Totally fair point on the butterfly keyboards - I skipped that particular model by chance. If dell or anyone else had a design fault, Regarding the others… respectfully what on earth are you doing to them that you’ve had to replace them that frequently? That’s more often that I replace actual consumeble parts that have real wear like USB cables and the likes.
    - ho_schi 1y ago
      I avoid eating and drinking in front of the computer (hygienic). But a little sticky liquid is enough. A drop of something hard is also enough. I was able to rescue a ThinkPad by popping out a key and clean the mechanism with isopropyl. Another one was sadly killed by the power-button, which got defunct. But a 20 Euro keyboard safes it. Don’t underestimate how much devices get killed by simple stuff like lose hinges, defective trackpads and so on. People are often careful, often not and usually helpless when it is damaged. The water holes in the ThinkPads existed for…reasons. But it doesn’t help if people tilt them in sheer panic.
- hagbard_c 1y ago
  I've replaced 6 laptop keyboards on machines I've used ranging from consumer HP and Acer to a number of Thinkpads and most recently a Macbook Air. Some of them I replaced just because I wanted a different layout, others because they were worn out or broken. The Macbook Air keyboard was - of course - in the latter category as all these things seem to end up doing with the Q to O keys going A.W.O.L due to what I consider to be a design problem. Needless to say that the Apple machine was the hardest to fix due to the repair-hostile design. What is a quick 4-minuted job on a Thinkpad - a device known for having good keyboards - is a several hour slog on one of those Apple trinkets involving nail clippers to remove half of the rivets which did not come out of the frame because their heads ripped off. Keyboards are wear items and should be user-replaceable but that does not fit with the Fruit Factory Philosophy which instead insists on replacing the whole top shell. I go this Macbook Air for free because its keyboard had failed so maybe I should thank the FF for furthering the cause of the throwaway consumer society but there is no question here that these devices are designed to live just long enough and no longer and that they often fail on the wrong side of that lifetime. Short: keyboards fail, quite often. They are wear items which should be user replaceable.
endymion-light 1y ago
I don't use an X13. The Lenovo Laptop I have requires a complete disassembly, with the warranty being incredibly limited. I would much rather have the capability of improved performance and hardware. I might consider switching to an X13, but Lenovo support software is incredibly intrusive, and I've learned to despise windows. However, I also use a large amount of applications like Touch Designer, which is not available on Linux. I'd much rather own a mac for travel purposes.
- ho_schi 1y ago
  ThinkPad + Linux = Love I can only recommend to use Linux by wanting Linux. This way you can replace stuff which is holding you back. Just leaving Windows because Microsoft sucks is often failing, you are still within the vendor lock-in of the applications. The authors only port if they I made a clear cut and lost my favorite game. Luckily Valve decided some years later to port it natively to Linux. Which leads to two options: Drop proprietary applications. And spending money on Linux support. Design applications seem one of the most troublesome areas?
  - endymion-light 1y ago
    I mean this is a nice dream but in practice doesn't seriously apply. You are literally talking about sacrifices you have made specifically to move to a certain linux OS. That's not a sacrifice I find acceptable. So I'll switch to Mac instead.
    - prmoustache 1y ago
      I wouldn't call abandoning proprietary apps a sacrifice, quite the contrary.

dewey 1y ago

> X13: 60 seconds If you know what you are doing, and have that spare part including the correct screwdriver and screws in the shelf next to your desk? How often does your keyboard fail? I've never had that happen in all my computing life and the other parts are usually not that easy to change for any regular person on a laptop. Not sure if that's the scenario to optimize for.

ho_schi 1y ago
For regular users with a consumer laptop, a damaged key or keyboard means: Laptop defunct. Use an external keyboard if not affordable. Used my X220 for ten years, handled it with care, but after ten years a new keyboard was a nice uplift. You can also switch languages but especially also the layout between ANSI- and ISO. Buying an Apple device with ANSI in Europe? Pain. ThinkPads? Buy anything. 30 EUR and new keyboard.
- louthy 1y ago
  So even after 10 years you didn’t need a new keyboard, you just wanted one? I think you’ve proved the GP’s point.
  - ho_schi 1y ago
    How many people use a laptop for ten years?
    - louthy 1y ago
      Er, exactly! Most people replace the entire machine within that time, so they still don’t need a replaceable keyboard. You’re now arguing with yourself.
dijit 1y ago
I mean, the irony is that the keyboards most people associate with failing are the Apple ones (2015-2020). ... Which are nearly impossible to replace, and are what the modern Thinkpads are trying to emulate. The old X13's would almost never fail, so replacing them was never a consideration. (also, screws are not that annoying, but I agree with the rest, most companies aren't/weren't replacing keyboards on laptops)
fainpul 1y ago
I don't know the X13, but I have lots of experience with old Thinkpads. Keyboard replacement really used to be super easy: Turn Laptop over, look for the screw holes with a keyboard icon next to it, remove those screws with a Phillips size 1 screwdriver, flip over, open lid, slide keyboard up and lift out, unclip flex cable, then do the reverse steps with the new keyboard. After a while, Lenovo started using more clips and fewer screws and things started to go downhill from there.

csomar 1y ago

On the other hand, Apple has better coverage. Good luck getting parts for some random laptop especially outside the US.

hagbard_c 1y ago
Everything I've ever needed can be found on eBay, Aliexpress, iFixit and elsewhere. That is everything from drive caddies for old expired Thinkpads, CCFL tubes for Acer and HP consumer models, inverters for the same, CPUs, random lids for machines missing those, etc. Also, keyboards for those terrible Apple models which require the equivalent of open heart surgery to replace them. You might need to get one of those bags with 120 tiny screws with it if those are not included, make sure to check.

easton 1y ago

weirdly, i've done the repair on one of the previous X1 generations. It was a pain to disassemble most of the machine (~2 hours?) but it was at least doable. i don't think you can do it on a Mac at all?

ho_schi 1y ago
Respect. May biggest adventure was a screen upgrade for a X13 (Hint: HiDPI requires a bigger cable). Luckily the mainboard could remain in place. The procedure for keyboard replacement should be similar between an X1 and MacBook. They are somehow “layered” to be cheap and flat. It was already a pain with the MacBooks from 2008.
tim333 1y ago
You can do it on macbooks - various how tos on youtube eg. https://youtu.be/ivMD4nYVBBI https://youtu.be/ivMD4nYVBBI but also fiddley.

maccard 1y ago

I’ve been using laptops for 25 years, and I have never, not once, had a keyboard need to be replaced. I worked in an IT repair place for 5 years where we repaired laptops for customers. I can probably count the number of times we got people asking for keyboard swaps. For context of scale, we probably handled 30-70 computers a week, the vast majority of which were “user serviceable” repair jobs

dsr_ 1y ago
I've been using laptops for 30 years, and I have had three keyboards need to be replaced for 1-3 keys having mechanical problems, plus an HP which got its keyboard replaced four times before being dustbinned. I've also seen a large percentage of MacBook butterfly switch keyboards require a complete return to Apple, for about 2 years.
- maccard 1y ago
  Totally fair point on the butterfly keyboards - I skipped that particular model by chance. If dell or anyone else had a design fault, Regarding the others… respectfully what on earth are you doing to them that you’ve had to replace them that frequently? That’s more often that I replace actual consumeble parts that have real wear like USB cables and the likes.
  - ho_schi 1y ago
    I avoid eating and drinking in front of the computer (hygienic). But a little sticky liquid is enough. A drop of something hard is also enough. I was able to rescue a ThinkPad by popping out a key and clean the mechanism with isopropyl. Another one was sadly killed by the power-button, which got defunct. But a 20 Euro keyboard safes it. Don’t underestimate how much devices get killed by simple stuff like lose hinges, defective trackpads and so on. People are often careful, often not and usually helpless when it is damaged. The water holes in the ThinkPads existed for…reasons. But it doesn’t help if people tilt them in sheer panic.
hagbard_c 1y ago
I've replaced 6 laptop keyboards on machines I've used ranging from consumer HP and Acer to a number of Thinkpads and most recently a Macbook Air. Some of them I replaced just because I wanted a different layout, others because they were worn out or broken. The Macbook Air keyboard was - of course - in the latter category as all these things seem to end up doing with the Q to O keys going A.W.O.L due to what I consider to be a design problem. Needless to say that the Apple machine was the hardest to fix due to the repair-hostile design. What is a quick 4-minuted job on a Thinkpad - a device known for having good keyboards - is a several hour slog on one of those Apple trinkets involving nail clippers to remove half of the rivets which did not come out of the frame because their heads ripped off. Keyboards are wear items and should be user-replaceable but that does not fit with the Fruit Factory Philosophy which instead insists on replacing the whole top shell. I go this Macbook Air for free because its keyboard had failed so maybe I should thank the FF for furthering the cause of the throwaway consumer society but there is no question here that these devices are designed to live just long enough and no longer and that they often fail on the wrong side of that lifetime. Short: keyboards fail, quite often. They are wear items which should be user replaceable.

endymion-light 1y ago

I don't use an X13. The Lenovo Laptop I have requires a complete disassembly, with the warranty being incredibly limited. I would much rather have the capability of improved performance and hardware. I might consider switching to an X13, but Lenovo support software is incredibly intrusive, and I've learned to despise windows. However, I also use a large amount of applications like Touch Designer, which is not available on Linux. I'd much rather own a mac for travel purposes.

ho_schi 1y ago
ThinkPad + Linux = Love I can only recommend to use Linux by wanting Linux. This way you can replace stuff which is holding you back. Just leaving Windows because Microsoft sucks is often failing, you are still within the vendor lock-in of the applications. The authors only port if they I made a clear cut and lost my favorite game. Luckily Valve decided some years later to port it natively to Linux. Which leads to two options: Drop proprietary applications. And spending money on Linux support. Design applications seem one of the most troublesome areas?
- endymion-light 1y ago
  I mean this is a nice dream but in practice doesn't seriously apply. You are literally talking about sacrifices you have made specifically to move to a certain linux OS. That's not a sacrifice I find acceptable. So I'll switch to Mac instead.
  - prmoustache 1y ago
    I wouldn't call abandoning proprietary apps a sacrifice, quite the contrary.