Keyboard missing

[LenovoLap]

On a few occasions when I start my Lenovo T500 laptop the keyboard is
unresponsive. With all the Lenovo features, is there some keyboard
lock/unlock that I can use?

The usb mouse works and I can run apps etc.

Is this a know problem.

This laptop is new to me.
Running Win XP Pro SP3.

[Mike S]

Does an external keyboard work while the laptop kbd doesn't? If so you
might try reseating the flex cable for it.

If you boot a Linux Live CD does the kbd work normally? If so it may be
a driver problem.

How long has this been happening? Was liquid spilled on the kbd?

[LenovoLap]

never have a USB kbd where I am on travel.

Happened maybe 3 times out of 50.

never spilled on it.

when it works (most of the time) is works perfectly.

keys all feel perfect too.

I cannot replicate the problem, it happens when it happens.

[Paul]

Does the laptop battery last the normal amount of time ?

Maybe the keyboard is drawing too much current and
the Polyfuse is opening on it. Perhaps you could
leave your shift-lock engaged from session to session,
and see if the LED is dead when the machine starts
without the keyboard running.

There has to be some way to monitor that the keyboard
is getting power. I use my shift-lock LED for that,
but maybe you can think of another way.

And taking it apart, doesn't look like that much fun.
I don't like connectors I'm "forced to lift with a spudger".

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Lenovo+ThinkPad+T500+Keyboard+Replacement/41037

Paul

[VanguardLH]

LenovoLap wrote:

> never have a USB kbd where I am on travel.

Unimportant when performing troubleshooting. You are at home. So is
your laptop, so your laptop is not currently travelling. While you and
your laptop are at home, attach a USB keyboard to the laptop and retest.

> Happened maybe 3 times out of 50.

You shotgunned to multiple OS newsgroups yet it is highly unlikely that
your laptop can run all those OSes. If the problem keeps happening but
so erratically, take along a USB keyboard to test when the problem does
arise. There are rollup keyboards so they won't occupy much space in
the laptop bag, and some are damn cheap, like $8:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1NV53H4201

> never spilled on it.

Have you turned it upside down and use canned air to blow out any debris
that has accumulated under the keys?

> when it works (most of the time) is works perfectly.

Something else to try when the problem arises: boot Windows (whatever
version you have on the laptop) into its safe mode. That loads the
drivers and only the necessary (critical) services. Startup programs do
not get loaded which could be the cause of your problem.

> keys all feel perfect too.
> I cannot replicate the problem, it happens when it happens.

You said the keyboard is sometimes unresponsive but the USB mouse still
works. How about the touchpad on the laptop? Does that still work when
the keyboard becomes unresponsive? Test the touchpad, too, next time.

Since the mouse still works, and when the keyboard becomes unresponsive,
go into Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) and check if the keyboard is listed
and if there is no yellow exclamation mark for it.

"new to me" doesn't really say the laptop itself is new. Could be you
got a used or hand-me-down laptop. Talked to the prior owner yet?
Maybe that's why they got rid of it. If it was given to you the donor
probably won't hide an existing fault with the hardware. If it was sold
to you, a seller that won't respond could mean they knew about the
existing hardware problem.

The Thinkpad T500 came out in July 2008. I did not bother to check if
any [respectable] e-tailer is still selling *new* units (i.e., not used,
not refurbished). I see online retailers selling parts for the T500 but
not selling the T500 itself.