Defective Keyboard on Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Notebook AN515-56

gmmel

The PC (home use and not for games) is only 8 months old, is under full warranty, but has an annoying defect on the keyboard: the letters (red on a black background, backlit) of some keys are progressively erasing although they are not used in a heavier way than many others (for example the letters "i" and "n" are being erasing, but not the "a" or "m") therefore we cannot speak of "usury" but of a true "factory defect".

Nevertheless, I should send the PC to the repair center in another city to verify the repair under warranty (if their subjective evaluation was "usury" everything would be at my expense), without considering that the practice involves the unavailability of the PC for at least 15 days and the need to eliminate you in advance (saving them in order to be able to restore them later) all confidential data ....

Considering the reputation of the ACER brand, such a defect seems to me a rather serious deficiency, what do you think?

Also, do you have any suggestions to make up for it without having to resort to the repair center?

Thanks.

AnhEZ28

@gmmel I think this can depend on different amounts of sweat and oil produced by many different people. Sweaty hands can make the keys erased quicker than others or the nails can scratch the keys. Laptop keyboards are mostly made from ABS plastic material so the key surfaces can be easily worn out.
I used my Nitro 5 for more than 1 and a half years now and haven't seen any fading of letters but the surface looks shinier.

gmmel

AnhEZ28 said:

... amounts of sweat and oil produced by many different people ... or the nails can scratch the keys"

I specified home use, not intensive, and only I use the PC and press the keys with my fingertips, however dirty hands or nails would act more or less equally on all keys, and not just on a few.

Since the keys are made of transparent red material with black coloring on the surface around the symbols, it would seem that the black "coloring" is defective only on some keys.

egydiocoelho

Can you send a picture of these keys? It is possible to remove faulty keys as well.

gmmel

No one comment?

Having established that it cannot be wear of the specific key (they are certainly not the most used keys), it seems to me that the anomalous type of the defect can only indicate a manufacturing problem.

Are there other similar experiences?

Any suggestions to remedy without having to resort to the repair center (problematic due to the distance and the long unavailability of the PC)?

AnhEZ28

@gmmel do those wearing keys match with your finger placement before typing?  Not sure if your most used language is English or not but this: https://www.thiagi.com/instructional-puzzles-original/2015/2/13/cryptograms#:~:text=The most commonly used letters,s, d, and t. told that the most common used keys are e, t, a, i, o, n.
Contacting a warranty is still the best solution. Another solution is to buy a new keyboard or separate keys to replace those worn out.

egydiocoelho

Check these videos:

gmmel

@AnhEZ28 
my language is IT and nevertheless I don't think to use those specific keys so much than many others ....

Thanks anyway.

gmmel

@egydiocoelho

Thank, it may be a solution, I'll look finding the new keys but it is not so easy.

egydiocoelho

In what country do you live?

gmmel

@egydiocoelho

Genova (IT)
The only official Acer supplier in IT only supplies full keyboards, on the net I have only found one supplier in Poland with whom I am in contact for specific information.

egydiocoelho

You may be able to find these keys at any store that sells scrap laptops.

gmmel

@egydiocoelho

Genova (IT)
The only official Acer supplier in IT only supplies full keyboards, on the net I have only found one supplier in Poland with whom I am in contact for specific information.

gmmel

egydiocoelho said:

You may be able to find these keys at any store that sells scrap laptops.

In IT we say "between saying and doing there is the sea" ...

I can't find absolutely anything on the net, either the full keyboard (€ 80) or 5 single keys (€ 41), but not the spare keys of my keyboard (red backlit on a black background) which are not available at least now (they can be found white on black). Not even compatible adhesives are possibly available.

egydiocoelho

I don't know what your keyboard language is:

Azhrei

I don't know how you're going to fix it, but for the future, even if you don't use a second monitor and keep the laptop itself a bit away from you like i do (it's on the corner of my desk, which is huge), I would buy a regular keyboard to plug into it (and a mouse), (and a usb hub or cooling stand with extra usb ports if you need) and use that... only use the built in keyboard if you take the laptop with you somewhere (or you have to hit a specific key on the laptop for something... like FN +F9 or F10 to lower/raise the keyboard light level, at least that's the combo on my Nitro 5). KB keys do have a tendency to do that, which is why i try not to use a built in keyboard that might be hard to replace the keys on, unless i need to.

I just got one of these off Amazon recently actually, it's a really nice KB... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CXTX7S/?coliid=I176FB2IBNNWV&colid=11DZF74TV7X4M&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

StevenGen

gmmel said:

The PC (home use and not for games) is only 8 months old, is under full warranty, but has an annoying defect on the keyboard: the letters (red on a black background, backlit) of some keys are progressively erasing although they are not used in a heavier way than many others (for example the letters "i" and "n" are being erasing, but not the "a" or "m") therefore we cannot speak of "usury" but of a true "factory defect".

Nevertheless, I should send the PC to the repair center in another city to verify the repair under warranty (if their subjective evaluation was "usury" everything would be at my expense), without considering that the practice involves the unavailability of the PC for at least 15 days and the need to eliminate you in advance (saving them in order to be able to restore them later) all confidential data ....

Considering the reputation of the ACER brand, such a defect seems to me a rather serious deficiency, what do you think?

Also, do you have any suggestions to make up for it without having to resort to the repair center?

Thanks.

I've got the same exact laptop and don't have that problem, I have used my laptop for the last 4 months continually and everyday for at least 6 hours a day with at least 2 hours a day of extensive typing and also using those E, I, O and M keys without any wear. My keyboard is the US English, what keyboard do you have? Is your keyboard the "Italian keyboard"? As I can see the € icon beneath the E key.

I suggest that you send Acer support those exact photos of your AN515-56 keyboard worn keys so that they can see the 'wear/fade of the keys' and ask if they will replace the keyboard with a new keyboard? As and if you only used recommended cleaning agents on this keyboard, the keys wear is not a normal thing after after 8 months but, Acer could refuse warranty and/or replacement due to a consumer showing any signs that they used a cleaning agent (that contained sodium, benzisothiazoline or similar chemicals) as those or any other harsh cleaning agents are not recommended that wil fade these laptops keys? Talk to Acer and see how you go?

gmmel

@egydiocoelho
As already mentioned I am IT and the keyboard is obviously IT.

The pdf you posted is practically unreadable but it seems to me that it is the list of all Acer keyboards and it does not seem appropriate to replace the entire keyboard (even for the cost!).

For the rest (replacement of individual buttons or stickers) I have already searched and said.

gmmel

Azhrei said:

.....

Thanks, but an external keyboard is too inconvenient and then the problem of discolored keys remains!

gmmel

StevenGen said:

I've got the same exact laptop and don't have that problem, I have used my laptop for the last 4 months continually and everyday for at least 6 hours a day with at least 2 hours a day of extensive typing and also using those E, I, O and M keys without any wear. My keyboard is the US English, what keyboard do you have? Is your keyboard the "Italian keyboard"? As I can see the € icon beneath the E key.

I suggest that you send Acer support those exact photos of your AN515-56 keyboard worn keys so that they can see the 'wear/fade of the keys' and ask if they will replace the keyboard with a new keyboard? As and if you only used recommended cleaning agents on this keyboard, the keys wear is not a normal thing after after 8 months but, Acer could refuse warranty and/or replacement due to a consumer showing any signs that they used a cleaning agent (that contained sodium, benzisothiazoline or similar chemicals) as those or any other harsh cleaning agents are not recommended that wil fade these laptops keys? Talk to Acer and see how you go?

Have you read my initial post?: " therefore we cannot speak of "usury" but of a true "factory defect".

Nevertheless, I should send the PC to the repair center in another city to verify the repair under warranty (if their subjective evaluation was "usury" everything would be at my expense), without considering that the practice involves the unavailability of the PC for at least 15 days and the need to eliminate you in advance (saving them in order to be able to restore them later) all confidential data ....".
Acer saw the photos but wants to see the PC to evaluate!

No, I never used cleaning agents!

egydiocoelho

Have you tried contacting acer tech support to see if they send you a set of keys so you can change it yourself?