Touchpad ribbon won't clamp to mobo

[gregrocker]

Disassembled a throwaway Compaq CQ60 to repaste the heat sink. The ribbon clamps which pivot down to clamp the keyboard and touchpad ribbon cables into their place are flimsy plastic the size and heft of a fingernail clipping. One popped off and has no way to pop back on that I can see, after trying for an hour. As a result the touchpad won't work.

I don't see how to replace it because it's embedded in mobo. The part doesn't look broken but just won't reattach.

Another surprise is that the HD is loose in its compartment, missing the bracket which secures it into place so it won't slide out of contacts. Owner thinks the Geek Squat replaced it that way.

Any ideas?

 

[TVeblen]

Hey Greg

I have worked around that problem using a hot melt glue gun. It is kind of a one shot deal because although you 'can' remove the glue to start again the stuff tends to be tenacious and can really tear up the joint if you try without razor blades.

So you insert the ribbon cable, make sure it is orientated correctly and seated well, replace what is left of the clamp in its normal position, hold everything down with a large flat head screwdriver or putty knife (to apply equal pressure across the entire clamping area, then dab hot glue in the rear and sides of the clamp to the MB. hold with steady pressure for 60 seconds till the glue has completely set.

The problem, of course, is the location of the connector and the amount of stuff around it. Sometimes it can be a tight squeeze.

For hard drive you could check to see if any repair shops in your area(s) have a junk bin with misc parts (most do). If you can't find an exact compaq retaining plate you could gerry-rig one from another vendor.

Or use the hot melt there too! A little dab will do ya.
(I love my glue gun, I use it for everything. I'd use it on myself but I keep falling apart anyway)

 

[alphanumeric]

Kind of guessing here (a picture would help ) but maybe there was another piece of the clip on the underside of the motherboard that fell off.

 

[gregrocker]

I cannot see it on the matching Power/wireless button ribbon clamp, but it must have some wings that jut out and hold it into the assembly so it will rotate up and down and lock in place. But there are no holes on either side where it fits.

I'm going to try the glue idea. Does it have to be hot glue as I don't have a glue gun (no offense there quickdraw ) I get that I need to hold the piece in place firmly with a screwdriver after carefully aligning the ribbon underneath, then hold it there until it dries. Better than nothing which is what I have - although the wireless mouse is working great.

Another issue on same machine if you're game: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...bs-after-reassembling-laptop.html#post2002611

 

[TVeblen]

I guess glue would work if you are really patient. The beauty of hot-melt is it hardens in less than a minute.

You should buy one! Thousands of uses around the house.

EDIT: Re NIC probs. That is a strange one. I've got nothin' to add there.

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks I'll look at them tomorrow.

The NIC failure to connect was solved by installing HP Wireless Asst, which I have only uninstalled in the past. Seems if it is uninstalled without disabling it trips some toggle that causes LAN not to start with Windows. Or so the theory goes.

 

[TVeblen]

Now that is good to know.
We just have to figure out how to remember all this stuff!

 

[gregrocker]

The final two problems on the laptop are solved now and it's running better than any new Win7 PC, a month after it was rescued from the trash to do the processor pasting project.

The touchpad which lost its clamp during disassembly required taping the clamp in place wedged down by the keyboard using a plastic piece from a dental flosser stick. I used electrical tape to do this. I believe it's the pressure on the ribbon cable by the clamp enabled by the extra plastic piece on top that's causing touchpad to finally engage.

There is no available clamp for the HD which hardware was missing, so I taped it in place with heavy duty electrical tape as good as can be.

 

[TVeblen]

So should we start calling you McGyver now?