This afternoon I decided to clean up the keys on my mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13" (MC374LL/A), and in the process I broke a number of the keys. I figured finding replacement keys would be no big deal, but that is proving to be a challenge. Individual keys are available for $4 to $9 each, with is crazy expensive. In my searching I stumbled across a couple of listings for a product called "Apple KIT, KEYCAP, BLACK BACKLIT, VERSION D - 922-9277" which sounds to me like it might be what I need. Any information on how to obtain Apple parts? I really don't want to spend a ton of money buying individual keys, and I don't need the entire upper case replacement I've found on some sites.
is this what you need ? http://www.ebay.com/itm/APPLE-Macbo..._Trackballs&hash=item3f169f5199#ht_1680wt_858 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-App..._Trackballs&hash=item35b32a2e70#ht_1508wt_830 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Macbo...=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item27c03d58eb#nogo
Yeah, I saw those auctions and might consider picking one up. I just don't relish the idea of replacing the entire keyboard.
I can't be the only one who glanced quickly at this thread and thought it said: "I killed my Keyboard! Need Pants!"
I don't blame you... having to unscrew and screw 60+ tiny screws? It is a pain in the ass, I've done it before on an HP laptop. Losing some of the screws in the assembly is also a given unless you have a real steady hand. Then again, I'm not a professional. Here's a link with some information on what you found: http://www.scribd.com/doc/51818127/24/Keycap-Replacement I'm sure you've already found this link, but in case you haven't, you can get the key caps for $40 http://www.impactcomputers.com/922-9277.html Personally, I would replace the key caps instead of replacing the entire keyboard, because I would probably mess something up internally, but if you're handy, replacing the entire keyboard isn't a horrible idea either.
Thanks Jamesesesesess, I ordered a kit this morning from Impact Computers so we'll see how it works out. As I searched around I also found this part available from "Gainsaver", but from other threads here I know they are best avoided.
Dang! I ordered the "in stock" part from Impact Computers two days ago, and yesterday I get a call from them saying it is out of stock, but they'd special order it for me for an extra $20 bucks. While I appreciate the customer service call, you'd think they would honor their posted price. Now I've got to find a different supplier.
Why not buy one of those eBay full keyboards, remove the keycaps you need and put them on your existing keyboard?
You read my mind, since I just did that a few moments ago. Hopefully it will work as I managed to find a youtube video that showed the correct and careful way to remove/install keys. The whole "need PANTS" thing is funny and has given me chuckle. Had I managed to break more than I did, my pants would have definitely needed a good cleaning.
Success! My eBay-sourced keyboard arrived today. Initially I was going to pop off the key caps and simply put them on my existing keyboard, but I discovered that wouldn't work. My MBP has(had) the "revision B" keyboard, and the one I received was a "revision A". This meant I couldn't swap out the keys, since the mechanics of the scissors springs is completely different. So I decided to dive in and with the help of ifixit I was able to replace the entire keyboard. Honestly, pulling my Macbook apart was a bit anxiety-producing but it worked. Probably the worst part was removing and installing the 50 or so micro-screws that hold the keyboard in place.