Cherry MX11900 "Scroll Lock" dead, help

[mikeruth]

I bought one of the Cherry MX11900 keyboards on ebay (chicagoliquidators) for $15 (free S&H).

The only key that does not work is the "Scroll Lock".  It's LED indicator works (as tested with several programs).

How do I safely remove the key cap to check the switch (Cherry black, I think).

mikeruth

[pfink]

I bought one of the Cherry MX11900 keyboards on ebay (chicagoliquidators) for $15 (free S&H).

The only key that does not work is the "Scroll Lock".  It's LED indicator works (as tested with several programs).

How do I safely remove the key cap to check the switch (Cherry black, I think).

Use one of the key removal tools pictured here:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=All+About+Keys#Removal

The third, fourth and fifth should work with Cherry keys, or you can bend a paper clip into a suitable tool. Once you've got the tool under opposite sides of the key use gentle upward pressure and rock the key from side to side until it comes off of the switch.

Do you actually have a use for Scroll Lock? I haven't used the Scroll Lock key since I got out of mainframe programming 15 years ago.

[mikeruth]

Use one of the key removal tools pictured here:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=All+About+Keys#Removal

The third, fourth and fifth should work with Cherry keys, or you can bend a paper clip into a suitable tool. Once you've got the tool under opposite sides of the key use gentle upward pressure and rock the key from side to side until it comes off of the switch.

Do you actually have a use for Scroll Lock? I haven't used the Scroll Lock key since I got out of mainframe programming 15 years ago.

Thanks for the info.

I do not use it much.  I sometimes use it in large Excel spreadsheets.

[Oqsy]

I got the same board from the same seller, and I have to say I'm surprisingly fond of cherry blacks.  I just knew I'd hate them and that I'd want to replace them with the browns off another board (a less than 100% functional mx11800), but I'm rethinking that now.  No reason to tear it apart until I'm no longer enjoying the blacks.

As for your situation, you should also just open the case and get anything off the PCB / Plate or under the switch mechanisms that might have fallen in over time.  Mine had a single paper clip in the number key pad on the right lodged under the keys.  You might find that you have a foreign item under your keys as well.  Many here have reported these MX11900s from chicagoliquidators to have multiple paper clips and straight pins under the keys along with lots of fuzzy board chow.  If the board is relatively clean, as mine is, then a little shot of compressed air to clean off the PCB is probably not a bad idea.  However if it's covered in gunk and debris, a good cleaning is in order before you give up on it.    If the switch IS dead, then perhaps there's another key on the board you never use... like the Alt Menu button (mouse right click context menu) in between the right ctrl and right windows key that you could trade out with the faulty scroll lock and have a board that is, at least for your purposes, 100% functional.

If the cleaning and switch inspection yields no results, I'd contact the seller and tell them about the problem, and see if they'll ship you and exchange board.  If the item doesn't operate properly and is sold as a working unit, you really should give that a shot before bothering with switch dismantling, swapping, etc...

[elservo]

If you never use it you can use the visual keyboard in Windows or whatever OS you use and de-activate it there.  It's what I do with my crappy Logitech board when I have to use it.

[mrbill]

Mine had stickpins and dryer lint; I haven't unpacked the second one yet.

[Oqsy]

I'm so glad mine showed up clean minus the one paperclip.  Other people's hair / lint would make me gag.  It's hard enough cleaning up board chow from my own past, much less a total stranger's.  

Still enjoying this linear black board more than I expected.  I'm just so giddy about doing a innards swap on a cherry that I'm having a hard time with the idea of leaving this board alone!

[mikeruth]

I opened mine up but did not find anything obviously wrong with the switch.

I did clean out 4 straight pins, 2 ends of those plastic price tags attachments and a golf ball sized amount (after gathering) of lint and hair, and a broken case registration pin.

I got this keyboard to try out the Cherry blacks and I do not like them.  Too stiff (thirty years of using forearm crutches have wrecked my wrists).

My Focus 2001 is lighter but too big for my workspace and it puts my mouse too far out.   My Logitech K300 also has a lighter touch than the "blacks".

I guess that I will have to stop eating for the next month so that I can buy a Filco Tenkeyless "brown".

[strike]Anyone want the my Cherry MX 119000 with a bad "Scroll Lock" key?  I will sell it to you for whatever it costs me to send it to you.  Hopefully it will be less that the $14.99 ebay cost.[/strike]

SOLD.

[Oqsy]

At least register a complaint with the seller first, they might be willing to make it up to you somehow.

[Oqsy]

By the way, to anyone that does go for this board minus the working scroll lock, it really is amazing how quiet and solid these boards are.  No play in the key caps whatsoever.  I wish the blacks had some tactile bump like browns and I'd be in heaven, but I'm afraid anything cherry mx style with a tactile bump is going to have more play by the very nature of the design of the stems.  Quality stuff.