Replacing laptop chicklet key

I'm sorry for posting this question in a forum more about software/configuration for Windows 10. But I've gotten so much good guidance here, thought I'd give it a poke.

A key just popped off my HP G5 laptop today. Photos below, of the spot where it was, and the back side of the key:




From what I've googled and youtubed, the key retainer (the white squarish thing in the second picture, with a round cutout in the middle) should have remained on the keyboard, but instead, there it is, stuck in the key. Had it remained on the keyboard, the fix would have been to get it unfolded and risen above the surface, then carefully "pop" the key back onto it. But that option isn't available to me.

I called two of my favorite locally-owned computer shops - one where I'm pretty known - and they really just laughed at me - replacing the key, which itself probably costs less than a dollar, would be more trouble to them than it's worth.

But without it, my typing is horrible. Maybe a quarter of the keystrokes to the key (or to the little button under it) register and the rest don't. And I don't want to get a whole new internal keyboard, or worse, new laptop, for want of this small cheap part.

Suggestions? To try myself, or types of places that might tackle this fix?

I've done this before. I searched for single keys available for my laptop on eBay. There's also entire keyboards you can buy cheap too. Amazon could as well have the extra keyboards for your model.

If you take off the white middle hinge piece on the key, then put it back onto the keyboard itself in the empty space, the key itself should pop right on there.

Redblade8 said:

If you take off the white middle hinge piece on the key, then put it back onto the keyboard itself in the empty space, the key itself should pop right on there.

Thanks. I tried gently coaxing the retainer off the back of the key using a small blade. I didn't break it, but I didn't get it either. Of more concern, I don't see where I'd attach it in the spot where the key goes. Can you look at the pictures and offer any advice?

May you try cleaning the key spot on the keyboard & post the new picture?

There should be raised metal pieces on the empty keyboard spot that the white plastic square piece will click into.

If you can get the white piece out of the key, you can then take the white piece, & click it into the raised metal pieces on the empty keyboard space.

If the key just came off, look at the back of the key & line it up where it goes on the keyboard.

Next, gently try to pull on the key to see which end pieces stick out. Those are the pieces that go into the keyboard. Now you can know if you take off the whole white piece on the back of the key, where the end pieces of the square white piece go.

Since my original post, it's been an interesting journey.

Pressing the key back into place has not worked. The key retainer clip is for some reason stuck to the back of the key, rather than to the keyboard. And although I don't have the magnifying power or eye to know for sure, it looks like whatever the retainer clip would latch onto on the keyboard, has broken off.

My long-trusted repair place said they won't replace the key; just replace the whole keyboard.

Because I like them and don't want them to devote time to the project, I've shopped for one online, and it's been a surprising nightmare.

The first keyboard I got from ebay didn't fit. Shop said that the screw hole pattern didn't align. I've since looked for the keyboard by part number (L01027-001 or HP part number 646125-001), taking care to ask the vendor if that will fit my Probook, and in each case, the vendor comes back and says no. I've then asked for clarification - why will this part, with the proper part number, not fit? But no one has answered that.

In descending order of preference, it looks like my options are:

1. Find a way to replace or remount the key - but I have not found a shop willing to tackle this.
2. Get a new keyboard to swap in - but this seemingly simple task has been thwarted by each vendor saying their product somehow won't fit mm model
3. Buy a nonworking 450 G5 for parts and salvage the keyboard
4. Buy a keyboard directly from HP - but from their official site, one costs $128 - vs. $20-40 for what I'm seeing from ebay and other such places
5. Get a USB keyboard

Am I missing a better option? I really wonder why the so-called compatible keyboards being sold are not compatible when I ask the sellers.