How can laptop keyboard keys be removed and replaced?

I'm trying to fix a laptop keyboard that has issues with keys on its left side. Just by feel, it's clear that something sticky got under there. There could be something crunchy too, but that might just be the sound of the key's spring releasing itself from the sticky. I don't know the cause because it's not my computer and the owner isn't sure, but I'm guessing soda spill for now.

The computer is an HP dv2500. I've removed the keyboard and blown under it but that hasn't helped. I didn't use compressed air because I just don't have any available, but I suspect it wouldn't help with sticky. So, I'd like to pop they keys off and clean with damp cotton swabs or similar. Is there a proper way to remove the keys? I've found some instructions via Google for non-laptop keyboards, but they don't seem like they'd work for me. Alternate solutions to the problem also welcome, but I've been curious about how to remove the keys for some time for other reasons.

Answer

Laptop keyboards are indeed more complicated then regular ones. Regular ones are usually quite easy to pop out and push back. For laptops however, it's different, as you need to know how the mechanism is made underneath.

Here you can find information about how to do that for a Dell laptop:

http://www.wikihow.com/Pop-a-Key-Back-Onto-a-Dell-Laptop-Keyboard

Note that the mechanism may be a bit different for your own laptop, but keep in mind that it is based on same idea. You have usually two parts together under the actual key, and a part acting like a spring underneath it.

Knowing how it looks inside may help you, I hope. In general, keep in mind that you want to pop the top part out, not the two inside ones, and that this part is held usually on four corners, as described in the given link. Apply your effort to pop it from a corner. It will require a bit of effort, especially that you have to be careful to not actually break one of the inside parts.

In general, I would not recommend popping out all the keys from a keyboard to clean them. Do it for the really stuck and sticky ones, but it is not as trivial as a regular keyboard, as you can see.