PCA Forums

One of my friends has an IBM Thinkpad and the power button on it is broken. When you press the button it does not spring out like it should and the laptop will not even turn on. Would anyone here be able to repair this? I could probably do it myself, but i want to make sure that it is done correctly.

Thanks

Email: Spauldii@yahoo.com
AIM SN: Imspaulding

Go to Radio Shack and get some spray for cleaning electronic parts. It is nonconductive, but pull the battery and the power supply and spray the heck out of it. If that doesn't do it, you might have to take the case apart to get to the switch. Do a search at http://www.ibm.com for the specific model for replacement parts too.

You can also try here for parts: http://www.laptopsforless.com/

If you open the case you'll probably find it's a simple mechanical fix OR you can remove the plastic button and probably turn it on and off by poking into the hole with a plastic stick (don't poke metal objects in there - could short something out).

The switch is just a PC board soldered momentary push button - like what's under most keyboard switches. Then there's a plastic cap over it (what you press with your finger) that contains a spring.

ALWAYS disconnect the power supply AND remove the battery while working inside the case.