Keys Improperly installed on some MacBooks

A few owners of the new Late-2008 (Unibody) MacBooks have had the keys on their keyboards pop off. It seems the keys can either be loosely fastened or somehow not be fully secured to the holding arms.

Apple Discussions poster Michael Ginsberg writes:

"Just got a custom configured MacBook Pro 15 inch and after typing on the left bracket key for a bit, it pops off to one side. I push it down and it clicks in and then is OK, until it pops off again."

This problem seems to affect keys, with one affected user reporting the "V" key, and others identifying "O" and "E" keys. For some users the problem seems to be easily correctable by firmly pressing down on the key until a click is heard, though for others this is only a temporary fix.

The keys on all MacBook laptops are held in place by a rocker mechanism that connects to the keycap via a hinge and snap. If a key is loose, it is recommended to lift it up to see if the snapping clamps are blocked or broken. If so then a replacement can be installed at any authorized apple service center, or users can try installing new ones themselves. Some keycaps can be purchased at various online sources as well, including PowerBook Medic.

Beyond loose keys, users might also have a defective keycap installed where a print error or error in the plastic has the key installed crooked with the text not aligned with the other keys. Since this is more of a cosmetic problem it shouldn't affect the performance of the computer, but if desired users can replace the keycaps by gently prying them up, following the steps outlined in these articles (1, 2)

While the computer models outlined in those articles may be different, the mechanism for holding the keys in place is the same so the principle applies to all models. If users are unsure about replacing keys themselves, this can be done at an authorized service center and usually takes a few minutes to complete.

Resources