How to Safely Pop Dell Laptop Keyboard Keys Off
By Micah McDunnigan
The keys on a Dell laptop are attached by clips on the underside of the key that snap into place with a retainer clip on the keyboard itself. These clips are plastic, and likely to break if you try to pop the entire key off in a single pull. If you want to pop a key off without breaking anything, you need to gently detach the clips one at a time.
Shut down your laptop and unplug its charger.
Put the tip of your finger underneath one corner of the key you want to remove and gently lift upwards until you hear the corner click free of the retainer clip.
Repeat step 2 for the remaining corners of the key until it is free of its base.
Tips
If you are having trouble using your fingertip, you could try lifting the edge with the broad side of a flat head screwdriver. If you use one, you need to be extra careful not to scrape the area beneath the keys with the screwdriver head.
Warnings
Make sure not to use too much force when lifting the corners of the key. Lifting too hard could break the key's other clips. This would prevent you from being able to reattach that key, and possibly damage the retainer clip beneath it as well.
References
Writer Bio
Micah McDunnigan has been writing on politics and technology since 2007. He has written technology pieces and political op-eds for a variety of student organizations and blogs. McDunnigan earned a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from the University of California, Davis.