No Space

My Aspire One  laptop stopped spacing unless I pressed right in the middle of the key, which is not the way I type. I doubt anyone else who still touch types would find that acceptable. I figured it was cat hair under the key, Loki loves sleeping on it when i turn my back. So I carefully pried it off and dusted it out, not much there really and put it back and still it only spaced when pressed right in the middle. Out to the shop for higher magnification. The keys can be removed by prying them up very gently. Very gently. Use a small bladed screwdriver and go very easy. It is just a tiny piece of thin light weight plastic. Think about nubs the size of a pencil lead. Once you have it off you see it is a clever little device, with some metal arms that balances the action. It took a while to figure out that the two with the bends in the ends went under some hooks, and the other went through holes in some tabs. Nothing you can see before you remove it its all be deduction. So replacement is not as easy as just snapping the cover back down.

Closer inspection showed that the one to the right, where I hit it the most, was bent over, the hook tab that is. See photo. How could this happen? Have to think about that. So I very carefully pried it up using a right angle probe tool as a lever, just enough for the bent end wire to go under, with both of those under their hooks, then I guided the other wire ends into the holes, and then snapped the key down.