Acer Spin 3 Chromebook keys not working

Jezza587
Jezza587 Member Posts: 3 New User
in Chromebooks
Hi, I have had several great ACER products over the years & currently have a Spin 3 Chromebook. However, my Chromebooks G & H keys have stopped working after only 18 months. I have done a refresh, powerwash & checked the keyboard connector but with no luck. ACER have washed their hands of it as it is outside the 12 month warranty (18 months when the fault occurred)! Vey poor customer service.

Has anyone else had this issue? Looking at the keyboard the middle keys are more bouncy given the fixings are around the sides of the keyboard. This means the middle keys have a greater travel. This might have caused the keyboard contact pad to fail quicker in the middle. However, I would expect them to last more than 18 months!

Answers

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,174 Trailblazer
    edited August 2021
    Jezza587 said:
    Hi, I have had several great ACER products over the years & currently have a Spin 3 Chromebook. However, my Chromebooks G & H keys have stopped working after only 18 months. I have done a refresh, powerwash & checked the keyboard connector but with no luck. ACER have washed their hands of it as it is outside the 12 month warranty (18 months when the fault occurred)! Vey poor customer service.

    Has anyone else had this issue? Looking at the keyboard the middle keys are more bouncy given the fixings are around the sides of the keyboard. This means the middle keys have a greater travel. This might have caused the keyboard contact pad to fail quicker in the middle. However, I would expect them to last more than 18 months!

    Before we start, what is your Spin 3 Chromebook exact model number? Also and remember that with any consumable components in a computer and especially in a laptop the keyboard is very prone to these sorts of problems that you are having and keyboard keys do wear out and/or go faulty due to its different wear and tear environment conditions that its use under. 

    You can try to spray some circuitry spray to clean out the internal mechanics of these keys or you can undo these keys individually and try to get some similar components to replace the damaged components which is a big job and doesn't work always fix individual key problems. My advice to you is to replace the keyboard with an original OEM ‘don’t get the cheap none OEM keyboards’ from eBay or Amazon as they are not of good quality and allot of them don't fit and are cheap copies of the original OEM's nd you will have similar problems, now, that is why I asked you the exact model number as Acer have a part number specific for your Spin 3 Chromebook or you can look at the Acer part number on the kneeboard that you have.


  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi Jezza587,

    Check for updates yourself

    1. Turn on your Chromebook.
    2. Connect your Chromebook to Wi-Fi.
    3. At the bottom right, select the time.
    4. Select Settings .
    5. At the bottom of the left panel, select About Chrome OS.
    6. Under "Google Chrome OS," you'll find which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook uses.
    7. Select Check for updates.
    8. If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.
  • Jezza587
    Jezza587 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Jezza587 said:
    Hi, I have had several great ACER products over the years & currently have a Spin 3 Chromebook. However, my Chromebooks G & H keys have stopped working after only 18 months. I have done a refresh, powerwash & checked the keyboard connector but with no luck. ACER have washed their hands of it as it is outside the 12 month warranty (18 months when the fault occurred)! Vey poor customer service.

    Has anyone else had this issue? Looking at the keyboard the middle keys are more bouncy given the fixings are around the sides of the keyboard. This means the middle keys have a greater travel. This might have caused the keyboard contact pad to fail quicker in the middle. However, I would expect them to last more than 18 months!

    Before we start, what is your Spin 3 Chromebook exact model number? Also and remember that with any consumable components in a computer and especially in a laptop the keyboard is very prone to these sorts of problems that you are having and keyboard keys do wear out and/or go faulty due to its different wear and tear environment conditions that its use under. 

    You can try to spray some circuitry spray to clean out the internal mechanics of these keys or you can undo these keys individually and try to get some similar components to replace the damaged components which is a big job and doesn't work always fix individual key problems. My advice to you is to replace the keyboard with an original OEM ‘don’t get the cheap none OEM keyboards’ from eBay or Amazon as they are not of good quality and allot of them don't fit and are cheap copies of the original OEM's nd you will have similar problems, now, that is why I asked you the exact model number as Acer have a part number specific for your Spin 3 Chromebook or you can look at the Acer part number on the kneeboard that you have.


    Hi, thanks for the reply. It is an ACER R721T. I have tried some contact spray but with no luck.

    Over the years I have had many PCs/laptops & the only other one where the keys stopped working (requiring a new PCB) was my ZX Spectrum+ in the 1980s (mainly due to Daley Thompson's Decathlon). Hence, my surprise & disappointment when this ACER failed after only 18 months, especially as it was not used that much.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,246 Trailblazer
    The keyboard on your R721T isn't really able to be disassembled beyond removing it from the case. My guess is there's a contaminant either under those keys or in the membranes that form the actual key matrix. You can gently pry key caps off, but it's really easy to glitch that and not be able to put them back on. The Acer part number for the keyboard itself is dependent on the language, so we'd need that before we can get you more info
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi Jezza587,

    It looks like hardware issue. Contact acer tech support,

    https://www.acer.com/worldwide/

  • Jezza587
    Jezza587 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Thanks for the replies. I have removed, cleaned & refitted the keys - it was all clear below them. I have also removed, cleaned & refitted the keyboard MB connector. I think the membrane has gone (just like my old ZX80 used to). Looks like I will be buying a new laptop - maybe HP or LENOVO next time :(
  • huntingwhiz
    huntingwhiz Member Posts: 4 New User
    Hey there, I am having the same issue. Have any of you found the solution? If yes, please share solution with me
  • huntingwhiz
    huntingwhiz Member Posts: 4 New User
    edited May 2022
    I got the solution finally. Thank you 
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,246 Trailblazer
    @huntingwhiz and what solution worked for you?
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

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