I have a Dell laptop and last night one of the buttons popped off. Now I have put a button back in place on a regular keyboard before but I have no idea what to do for my laptop. The actual button top has 4 retractable prongs that hang down and look like the cross beams of a picnic table - sort of like an X. The keyboard area has 4 raised silver loops and a plastic nub in the middle. It appears that the edges of the prongs need to slide under the 4 loops. But since the prongs are retractable, when you pick up the button top they no longer stay down. You have to pick it up by the edges with tweezers to allow the legs to dangle freely. Then once you place it in place, there gone again! Is there some trick to this or am I up a creek (yup, that's the one) without a paddle?

Many laptop keyboards can be quite tricky. The first thing I would try (and maybe you have) is to put the plastic nub in the center, and then begin to lay your key gently in the place it is suppose to be. Then apply a gentle but firm pressure to the key while perhaps sliding it a little to the top, bottom, left, right. See if that will snap it back in for you. I have mostly worked with IBM's but will soon have a Dell whose keyboard will probablybe very similar to your setup. Be sure to check to see that none of the pieces are broken. As untechnical as this is, I hope it helps!

Amazingly that is what everyone I spoke with suggested I do. I even brought it to work today and the computer SA's did the same thing. Unfortunately, this particular model is different. I found out at lunch from someone at Office Depot, that a special tool is needed to hold the button so that the prongs will stay extended. CompUSA is suppose to have this tool. I'm going to pull a "McGyver" tonight tho', and try paperclips and hair pins!

I know you think that you can get this done ( I think the same), but you might be amazed at how much easier this can turn out if you have an extra pair of hands, or at least one extra hand. (four might be too many). I suggest taking a skinny tipped screw driver and the aid of one extra hand when you attempt to replace the key! Have fun!

Jeff, ended up using a lonnnnnnnnnnng bobby pin - slid the pin around the prongs and it was strong enough to keep them in the extended position while I slid the button into place! Can't believe I did it with something as inexpensive as that when I bet the tool the computer repair men prob cost about 50 bucks! Thanks for your help tho!

When I was writing back to you, I popped one of my own keys off just for a closer look to see if I had similar devices under my own keys as you described (even though I'm on an IBM). I mean..I've worked with them before and what not...but I thought I'd look anyway....Well..It took me quite a long time to get the thing back on. I happened to take off the key that is the hardest to replace. Oh well. All is good now! Glad to hear that yours is working. Have a wonderful weekend! JEFF