Does E460 have backlit keyboard?

[Jingga]

Hi guys,

Sorry to capture the thread a bit but since this one has been active recently:

I am interested to buy the E460, and now the general description (in Dutch: http://shop.lenovo.com/nl/nl/laptops/thinkpad/edge-series/e460/#tab-functies , but also in English: http://shop.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/edge-series/e460/#tab-features) tells me it has backlit keyboard. I also can't select it as an option like I can when I select the T450 for example. However, the (very few) reviews I can find say that it hasn't.

So, does it have a backlit keyboard? 

Thanks

[JDGillis · Accepted solution]

My understanding is that neither the E460, or any of the E series laptops, have a backlit keyboard.   You have to move to the T series to get that option.

Take Care,

[Jingga]

Alright thanks for the quick reply. A bit annoying that it says so in the description then! But ordered it anyway, T-series are just out of reach for me.

[Elric1994]

Hello,

I don't think that's true. There are so many sellers for the E440 and E430 backlit keyboards. Are they all lying?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01MA5QHR0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21IRVZWO9GJ5Q&psc=1

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06ZYLJ5W4/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1JYXXVAOOA0KI

This one is for E450, E455 -- Top Rated seller on kijiji

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-US-Keyboard-for-lenovo-IBM-Thinkpad-E450-E450C-E455-series-laptop-Backlit...

[Gareth_SA]

Well, I went ahead and bought this one that was advertised with a backlight,

aliexpress.com/item/US-Backlight-Black-New-English-Replace-laptop-keyboard-For-Lenovo-For-IBM-T440S-...

It seems like the keyboard is indeed fitted with backlights (it has the white backing, and the black strip down the middle does indeed have LED's on it when I peeled it back a bit. - and although the ribbon cables connect in the same way, I can't seem to turn on the backlights - I am thinking of trying the bios for the T440s or T440p, but I am worried about messing up my E440.

I really enjoy the smooth texture, and they keyboard certainly types much more smoothly (in my opinion)

Perhaps I will try to open up they keyboard and see if I can manually connect power to it permanantly. 

[kgoodkinn]

Not to bump or necro an old thread, but did you ever have any luck getting this backlit keyboard to work with your laptop and actually illuminate?

[Gareth_SA]

Well, yes and no.

The keyboard I ordered has a backlight (that works) because when it is detatched I traced out the wiring in the flex cable and carefully attached a CR2032 battery to some jumper wires and I can manually turn on the backlights that way. But it really does look like the Lenovo E440 has been hard wired to NOT supply the voltage in the correct place to be able to light up the said keyboard lights, which is a shame really. I expect it is something hard coded in the bios and that is beyond my tinkering, I just couldnt stand bricking my device right now. (what with all my other upgrades and tinkereings, like an upgraded i7-4900MQ etc)

I am looking for a way to source 3.7 or maybe 5v from somewhere on the motherboard and manually run some wires to the correct places on the ribbon cable and then install a manual switch somewhere (to avoid all software and bios altogether) - kinda like a frankenlight. But I have been rather busy as of late, and Im still trying to find the smallest latching push button switch that I can, then I need to find a place to mount it. (probably somewhere underneath the laptop and drill a hole in one of the bottom covers, then I can push a pencil inside to activate the keyboard lights....Im still working on it...

But there is hope, as I say, the keyboard lights do work with an external cr2032 applied directly to them....its just a matter of where I can safely find that source inside the laptop.

[LenovoDave]

I have a E485 but, do you think that E series machines have a power rail ran? Is it just a software thing?