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In the following guide I explain how to remove and replace the keyboard in a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop. You can use this guide if the keyboard stopped working properly or you accidentally spilled something on the keyboard and damaged it.
Most likely this guide will work for some other Dell models. If it works for you, please mention the laptop model number in comments after the post.
STEP 1.
Turn off the laptop, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery.
In the battery compartment you’ll find two screws securing the center control cover. Remove both screws.
STEP 2.
Insert a flat head screwdriver between the control cover and laptop base and carefully lift up the cover.
Continue removing the center control cover with your fingers.
STEP 3.
Remove the center control cover.
STEP 4.
Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 5.
Lift up the top side of the keyboard as it shown on the picture below.
Be careful, the keyboard is attached to the motherboard with a flat ribbon cable.
STEP 6.
Remove the keyboard so you can access the keyboard cable underneath.
The keyboard cable can be removed from the connector only after the connector is unlocked.
WARNING! If you damage the keyboard connector, you’ll have to replace the whole motherboard. The keyboard connector is permanently attached to the motherboard.
STEP 7.
On the picture below the keyboard connector is shown in the locked position.
Carefully flip the brown part of the connector up, so it opens up at a 90 degree angle.
On the picture below the keyboard connector is shown in the unlocked position.
STEP 8.
Now you can pull the keyboard cable from the connector and remove the keyboard from the laptop.
Replace the failed/damaged keyboard with a new compatible keyboard.
You can search for a new keyboard by the Dell part number printed on the sticker. In my case the part number is 0P446J.
On the following picture you can see how to access other main components of this Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop.
1. In order to remove the CD/DVD drive, you’ll have to remove one screw securing the drive (yellow circle) and pull the drive from the laptop.
2. In order to remove the hard drive, you’ll have to remove two screws securing the hard drive caddy (green screws) and pull the hard drive assembly from the laptop.
3. Both memory modules (RAM modules) and wireless card can be accessed and removed after you remove the base cover.
4. The CPU (processor) is mounted under the heatsink.
In one of the next guides I explain how to replace LCD screen on Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop.
May 26th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Ok, So I’m so glad I ran into this site.. However I am too late as I removed the keyboard and accidentally broke the connector . I did that last week, I just read your article today, so are you positive that I have to replace the WHOLE motherboard ? and how much will that cost?
May 18th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Wow – glad you posted this; thanks. Very clear and accurate how to replace keyboard. Much thanks!
May 14th, 2011 at 3:33 am
Excellent instructions. I’m back up and typing this on my new keyboard.!!! Thank you so much.
May 13th, 2011 at 5:44 am
Thanks so much for this information about my laptop. I happened to accidently rip off the S key with my finger nail while playing a game, so when trying to move back its quite hard to do. Now im actually used to this, and the point is that the nop that makes the key move back also got broken. So them you really need a new keyboard, and caps lock also is doing weird though.
April 30th, 2011 at 3:08 am
Hi
On the Dell 1545 if does changing a damaged keypad also fix the scratch pad as there is no cursor movement when moving finger over the pad. some coffee was spilt over the keyboard, Enter key does not work and only partial operation of other keys work
Thank you for your directions. They are excellent.
John Jasiewicz.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:44 am
thank you so much for your step by step instructions with out this i would have broken my hinge cover as well as my keyboardconncetor i will deffo tell people about your site many thanks kind regards
April 18th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Whoever wrote this is a god among men.
You have SAVED MY LIFE, especially because I was so sure that it wasn’t as simple as popping the hinge cover off first thing because it felt like it was about to break, and now I know that was because I hadn’t taken out the two screws in the battery compartment! I would probably have broken my hinge cover if I hadn’t known that! And the images helped SO MUCH, especially the ones of the locked/unlocked keyboard connector!
In short, you are a gentleman and a scholar. You have saved my life. And I vow never again to spill soda on my laptop keyboard…
April 18th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
i just fixed a customers computer keyboard successfully and painlessly thanks to your walk-through… appreciate the help =)
March 31st, 2011 at 10:45 am
Thank you – up and running in five minutes swapping a US KB for a UK one. I would never have found those two screws on the back and worked out that they were important and would probably have broken the control cover…
March 26th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
I spilled a small amount of soda on my keyboard. I followed the instructions you gave and when I put it back together, nothing works on the keyboard. Could i have done something to damage it?