HP and Compaq service manual


Last updated on July 3rd, 2015 at 08:38 pm

My Compaq Presario 2104US laptop is playing up. It?s seems as if a non-printing key like ctrl is stuck down (except I don?t think it is that key).

Symptoms:

  1. Alt-Tab in windows doesn?t work as if ctrl key is held down. Ctrl-tab works
  2. pressing and holding the down arrow key produces a ?c? character every second
  3. Using PuTTY on a unix box ctrl-key combinations that require confirmation fail.
  4. Using KeyTweak it reports the scancode 57392 constantly repeating. When I map that code to any other key it reports the code as key 131 (but I don?t think that is right).
    Update 3 June: It turns out this was right!
  5. Booting in linux, the startup console shows ^[[26~ at the typematic rate

So hopefully cleaning the keyboard will unstick the problem. Unfortunately getting at the keyboard to clean it is not obvious. I got onto HP?s live chat and they sent me the link to the service manual. Worst case this fault will require a trip to the repair shop for a new keyboard or keyboard controller. I?ll try cleaning it first.

This manual provides reference information for servicing the HP Pavilion ze5600, ze5500, ze5400, ze5300, ze5200, ze4700, ze4600, ze4500, ze4400, ze4300, ze4200, and ze4100 Notebook PCs, HP Compaq nx9010, nx9008, nx9005, and nx9000 Notebook PCs, Compaq Evo Notebook 1050v and 1010v Series, and Compaq Presario 2500, 2100, and 1100 Series Mobile PCs. These notebook models use technology code KE.

Via the HP website HP and compaq service manual

Update @ 14:29: Cleaning the keyboard didn?t work. But I can buy a replacement keyboard from HP and it will be here in 2-6 days.


26 responses to “HP and Compaq service manual”

  1. I have the same problem.
    I brought this Compaq Presario 2500 (exact model number is 2524AI) almost 2 years ago and the problem started few months ago.
    The key that mysteriously presses itself in my case was the ?L? key.
    Which was an especially great nuisance because whenever the Windows Start menu was open I would be logged out (L being the shortcut for log out in Windows XP)

    I was not on warranty so I came up with a temporary solution.
    First I tried connecting a PS2 keyboard to the PS2 Mouse/Keyboard port in the back.
    Unfortunately plugging in the external keyboard didn?t automatically disable the built-in keyboard.
    So I was still getting those mysterious ?L? key presses.

    Then I removed the internal keyboard (Compaq Spare Number 317443-001) and disconnected the cabal that connects it to the motherboard. Now I could work in peace using the externally plugged in PS2 keyboard. Of course a USB keyboard would have worked as nicely as well.
    I worked like this until last week (I use the notebook only at home) and finally decided to get a proper solution to this.

    The HP/Compaq dealer in Sri Lanka (DMS Electronics) told me that they have the keyboard (the replacement keyboard?s number was 317443-002) and the price is about 75 US dollars. They said this problem was a very common problem and replacing the keyboard is the usual solution.
    Unfortunately when I went to see them they were out of stock and said they would get new stocks in about two weeks.

    Instead of waiting, I foolishly looked around some other shops and found one Notebook service shop who said they have the keyboard now and quoted me the almost the same price.
    So I got it replaced and it seemed to work fine then.

    The following day after working on it for a few hours the ?6? key in this keyboard started to press itself.
    I called the guy I brought the keyboard from and he assured me that the keyboard was in good working order and that it might be the keyboard controller on the motherboard that might be at fault. He said that they might be able to replace that controller chip (he sounded doubtful about it) or they might have to replace the motherboard. It might cost over 350 US Dollars, he said.
    I suppose that he could be right because the PS2 keyboard would have its own keyboard controller.

    However when I removed and closely inspected the supposedly ?new? keyboard that they installed I found that it is actually an old one and probably is used. So I suspect that it might be a keyboard that was removed for the same fault that I was having with my original problem. After all, everybody I asked, and the web confirmed that this is a common problem with Presario?s.

    So I am thinking of returning this keyboard and going back to my old PS2 keyboard.

    Sorry about the long comment, I was feeling frustrated about all this that this was sort of just a way of venting that out.

    Anyways, I hope your problem was solved and please update me/us on what happened.
    http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=878830&admit=-682735245+1149909373982+28353475

    • The long comment is welcome. That?s why I post this stuff. In my case it turned out to be the Volume Down key on the motherboard was actually jammed on against the case. I thought I?d updated this entry, but I?ll post a new entry about it.

      I?ve also seen repair shops sell ?used? parts as new. A laptop with a cracked screen will be stripped for parts. I don?t think it is the controller.

      The keyboard is worth about $25USD in Australia. Also HP tells me nobody stocks spare parts ? which makes sense. So your lead time also makes sense so DMS probably has to get parts from HP.

      Given that the L key and then the 6 key are playing up on two different keyboards I don?t think it?s your controller. Send it back to the guys who repaired it and get them to replace the keyboard with a brand new one.

      I didn?t consider using a USB keyboard but I did try an external PS2 keyboard. The BIOS settings didn?t let me disable the built in keyboard so it didn?t help.

      • Thanks Paul.

        There?s an update on what happened to me when I tried to return the keyboard.

        As it could possibly serve as a lesson to someone out there, I would just note it down.

        Finally I realized that I have been take for a ride by the shop that sold me the keyboard.

        It is a computer repair shop called PC Assuarnce at Unity Plaza (In Sri Lanka) and the person who sold me the keyboard is Mr. Sarath. He is the owner.

        In stark contrast to when I brought the keyboard, he was very unfriendly when I visited his shop today and he flat-out rejected a refund. Trying to be diplomatic, I didn?t accuse him of lying; of selling used items on the pretense of being brand new.

        But I told him that as he claims the keyboard is good and according to him the controller is the problem, and because I can?t afford to replace it (if it comes to that), I would please like a refund.

        He said that he can only give me a refund after about one week when he sells the keyboard to someone else. (Which is highly unlikely since the keyboard is probably faulty).

        So I explained to him that I was led to believe by him that he was selling me a new keyboard. I also said that I am highly doubtful whether he would refund me the money and I have given up hope of getting it back. He marked in my invoice that I am to be refunded and asked me to check in a week.

        So the lesson I learnt out of this is never be hasty in your buying decision and always make sure that you are dealing with a reputable and professional seller. Although the amount involved is small, the principle remains the same!

        So I ended up in square one, with a bad taste and a lighter pocket.

        Anyways I will probably get a new keyboard from the real HP dealer in one or too weeks when they get stocks.
        Currently, I have disconnected my old keyboard from the motherboard and am using a PS2 keyboard. It works fine for now.

        I hope sharing this lesson that I learnt would cause someone else out there to think twice before taking hasty, uninformed decisions.

        Thank you all for your support.

  2. Faulty keyboard: Villain ?Esc? key.
    I have been facing a similar problem with my Compaq Presario V3070TU (V3000 series) running on Windows XP Pro SP2, wherein all of a sudden it started closing the active Windows of any application. It even closed the context menu on right click automatically! It had a couple times given a long beep before the bootup (POST) which kind of scared me. The automatic closing of application windows proved to be quite a bit too much as it would close the window of ?Magic ISO? when it is half way through copying a 4.5GB movie from a DVD in the process of creating an Image for later burning.Windows Start menu would open upon pressing the windows Key but only to close in no time thereby making in nearly impossible to select any program from it. I tried to isolate the key in the faulty keyboard and finally zeroed in on the ?Esc? key. The temporary solution I have found is to use Keytweak (freeware). I have disabled the Esc key using it and remapped it to the less frequently used ` key. As of now it works good. I shall update in case this turns out to be a failure as well.How much does a spare keyboard of Compaq Presario V3000 series cost one in India?

  3. Hi All, I have a v3018tu model which i bought one year back. I am also having the same problem but the culprit here is refresh key F5. It is such a nuisance that it always refreshes web pages and folders. I gave it to a service centre for checking. They told me that if the keyboard need to be replaced it will cost me 3200 rupees in india. I dont have plan to replace it. I am gonna disable that key using some key trapping software.

  4. I have a Compaq Presario C500 notebook. I encountered a problem the other day. It logged me out of whatever i was doing and closed the windows. i have Windows Vista Home Basic on my notebook. I rebooted and a loud beeping sound came on and I rebooted again it stopped but the thing is the jkluiopmn keys turned in to numbers not letters and my screen flashes every so often. What could be wrong can you please help out?

    • Hi Mel

      Thanks for the comment. The numbers instead of JKLUIOPM./ keys is the num lock is set on your keyboard. The key may be labeled with num lk. On my c700 it’s on the key marked scroll. Hold your fn key down and press it.

      You may have another stuck key, so try pressing every key once or twice in succession – it may loosen it enough.

      Screen flashing, i’m not sure about except Vista is bad and these machines don’t really have enough RAM out of the box. Also a stuck key could create that.

      Windows logging you out and closing windows is often a sign of malware. when did you last scan your system?

  5. Paul, thanks for posting this. I suspect that I have the same problem but I am not sure if it is because of the volume button..
    so here goes:

    My “stuck key” is the M key on an NX9005 laptop.

    I have already disassemled it entirely, found the volume switches and put a multimeter on them. all gave the same readings, so there seems to be nothing wrong with them in that regard. Also, they can be pressed normally and are not stuck in a depressed position or so

    What do you mean by
    “the Volume Down key on the motherboard was actually jammed on against the case”

    Was something creating a short on the circuit board or putting pressure on it at a certain point? If that is the case, I will go and see what happens if i don’t install the top cover or the floppy drive maybe. For now i’m not touching any screwdriver anymore unless for a very good reason…..

    One other thing, do you maybe know if disabling the sound card in windows works, too?
    I saw this thread at the HP forums, too with the same problem and cause and they suggest that:
    http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1240786204772+28353475&threadId=895509

    If it does, I will go and try extra hard to log on, because I can’t right now.. the password field is being flooded with M’s…

    Thanks in advance

    • Hi Harmen, no worries about the double post. The original was awaiting moderation and I approved it before noticing your post.

      what I mean about “the volume key” is that the 2104US has a small up/down volume rocker switch mounted on the left side of the motherboard with a rubber cover making accessible from the outside (with the lid closed). The rubber top got jammed between the case and switch so it was constantly repeating “down volume”.

      Your scancode problem will require some googling. I tried http://www.google.com/search?q=control+key+scancode and http://www.google.com/search?q=control+key+stuck+scancode

      Try hitting each ctrl key a few times in case it’s stuck “on”. That probably won’t work as you’ve disassembled the keyboard and still have the problem.

      Try plugging an external keyboard in.

  6. Excuse my double post above, the first one was rejected by some spam filter but still got through.

    Was finally able to log on, and have installed keytweak now with a remap of the “M” key to nothing. Now i am able to log in with no problems and start programs using the mouse. So far so good..

    However, now I see that the Ctrl key is also being pressed constantly. How can I see what scancode is being used in KeyTweak – I cannot make KeyTweak report the scancode that is constantly repeating as you state in your first post.

    Thanks in advance for any help.

  7. Ah, you have a different laptop than me. I have an NX9005, and the volume switches look a lot different.

    Anyway, some more details
    I have already tried a lot of things:
    external keyboard,
    unplugged internal keyboard,
    unplugged internal mousepad,
    all at the same time etc.
    So we can rule out a physically stuck key – except for the built-in ones like the e-mail button and the volume buttons.
    What I am looking for right now is, which of those keys exactly being sent?? I was hoping to do so using Keytweak

    Below is from your first post, and something like that is what I would like to see..
    “4. Using KeyTweak it reports the scancode 57392 constantly repeating.”
    Where can I see that?

    I have of course done some googling for other scancode reporting tools or keyloggers and will do some more.. if there is any development I’ll post it..

    Thanks for listening 🙂

  8. I have a Compq presario N2000I. I do not have g,h,backspace or escape. I am using a USB keyboard successfully which everyonetold me points to a faulty keyboard.I bought a new keyboard but still have same problem.As the laptop is 4 years old and not worth the expense of motherboard replacement I am interested in remapping home for backspace,F6 and F7 for g andhand `~ for escape. could someone please advise me in steps how to do this.
    Cheers Ray.

  9. thanks for the tip on the function key and num lock. My nearly 4 year old managed to put this on and it was incredibly frustrating trying to figure it out! Good to have my keyboard back!
    Cheers,
    Gillian

  10. how to unlock a compaq nx9010 keyboard?what is the shortcut key?
    hoping your further responce regarding these matter.ty

    • Hi Lloyd when you say “unlock” do you mean the num lock or num lk is on? If that’s the case look for the words “num lk” on a key and press it while holding the functionor fn key.

      Otherwise let me know what you mean

  11. Hi paul,
    I bought a Compaq presario V 3000 laptop in year 2007. after 2 years of trouble free operation i had 3 probs ritght now and i think my laptop is dead.
    1. No display at all ( but all the power buttons are working)
    2.Unable to access to any wireless network internet and wireless icon is not displayed.\
    3.Battery is getting died within 15 minutes time
    Sir, Im really fustrated about this. Can u find me a solution please.
    Hasitha from Sri Lanka
    (MY email ID hasitha803@gmail.com)

    • @hasitha the short battery life is normal for a two year old battery. You can buy replacement batteries, it?s your choice if you buy an official HP Compaq battery or a third party. If you go for a clone battery make sure the manufacturer has a good quality reputation ? search the internet for that brand and read the reviews.

      As for the wifi and screen problems, I think they?re related. The wifi antenna and the screen power supply are in the screen frame. It is either disconnected or broken (if it?s been dropped). You?ll need to open the case and have a look or send it for repair.

  12. hi there iv just got a compaq presario 2500 and im just woundering do you know if they have wireless internet?

    • @stacie Yes I believe most models of the Compaq Presario 2500 have wireless internet 801.11a/g. You’d have to check the service manual against your specific model. Alternatively you could get a wifi PCM-CIA card for it.

  13. i have hp compaq laptop nx 9010 its have broplem in bootin its show some numbers before like 80,06 and other series of number and it have got a continuous bip even if when the key bord is removed and its take more than 5mints showind the logo of hp. and when its enter to the window the icon are outmatic select them selves so nothing can be done while its on… pleas help me

  14. i have compaq presario v3000 and i dunno what button that i have press and suddenly whole keyboard cant use. Please help me.my mom going to kill me…….thanks.

  15. I have Compaq Presario C771US laptop windows Vista. I have moved into a villa in Dubai and my laptop is not connecting to the internet. Three other computers/laptops work except for mine. I have taken it to a computer store where it connected to the internet with no problems. What do I need to do to make mine work. I know it has to be something very simple but we can’t figure it out. PLEASE help

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