hep e wth y keybard

November 22, 2008 10:25 AM

Posting for my partner, who writes: Yesterday I attempted to clean some discolouration on the wrist-rest area of my white Macbook with a Mr. Clean magic eraser (as per instructions like these ones). Not only did this fail to remove all of the discolouration, but now my keyboard doesn't work!

Okay, so I think I must have accidently got some moisture in the keys. Initially, few keys in relatively a straight line--T, G, B--didn't work. I let it sit for a while, and when I came back, I, L, M, No, O, and U stopped working, while the others were all better. Moreover, the track pad was having trouble accepting my tapping. I then let it sit, upside-down, over night. This morning, the track pad was all better, but the rest of the keys were still off.

I have read this AskMe, and it sounds like a similar situation except with water. My question is, though, what should I do next? I absolutely need my computer--I am a PhD student currently trying to finish a chapter before December 1. Do I just let it sit overnight again and hope that it fixes, or can I replace the keyboard part of the Macbook, or am I stuck using an external keyboard forever? Can I go to an Apple store and just buy a replacement keyboard and then replace it myself, or do I have to leave it in-shop? Would that be prohibitively expensive?

It is an older model Macbook. 2GHz, 13", and not under any warranty anymore.

Thanks!

posted by pised to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Unplug the keyboard, let it dry out. It may take a day, may take two, but it should start working. The reason the keys are working intermittently is it's shorting out.

In the meantime, borrow a USB keyboard from someone else.
posted by scabrous at 10:43 AM on November 22, 2008

For future reference, you can use those wet wipe things (Clorox makes some) to clean the wrist wrests and keyboard of a white mac laptop. I did mine last week and it worked like a charm -- reduces danger of water getting into the computer.
posted by gsh at 10:53 AM on November 22, 2008

scabrous the macbook is a laptop. It's kind of hard to "unplug" the keyboard on.

yes, an USB keyboard will work tho. It's a kludge but effective.

you should always turn off a machine to do cleaning work on the keyboard. We run our desktop keyboards through the dishwasher to clean them. As long as they're left to completely dry out, you'll be fine.

I'd plug in a cheap USB keyboard and wait for the actual one to dry out - it should come back online. If it doesn't, take it to the Apple Store.
posted by lonefrontranger at 10:57 AM on November 22, 2008

oh and yes, you can buy a keyboard either online or at the Apple Store and DIY. Here's a youtube of how to replace a macbook kb.
posted by lonefrontranger at 11:03 AM on November 22, 2008

Lonefrontranger, the macbook's keyboard has clips that hold it on and unplugs below. It comes apart.
posted by scabrous at 11:55 AM on November 22, 2008

i read that mr. clean magic eraser thing and shuddered. it works because it takes off a micro layer of whatver it is you are cleaning. i can see what it does to my walls - it works, but eventually that part's going to ahve to be painted. it's great for grease on the stove or counters or stains that wont' come off and it's awesome on the bathtub, but in a trillion million gazillion years I would never ever let one anywhere near my computer.

that said, the keyboard does unplug. however I think you'd be fine with unplugging the machine, taking the battery out,a nd letting it completely dryout for a few days.
posted by micawber at 5:50 PM on November 22, 2008

Yes, the macbook top case is held on by about a dozen annoying screws. The repair shop I work at would charge you for an hour of labor, probably. You'd need a fine-tipped screwdriver. Check out this guide with photos and instructions from iFixit. Seems to be what the guy in the video is using as a guide.
posted by lostburner at 10:38 AM on November 23, 2008

lonefrontranger: Putting the keyboard in a dishwasher? Surprised that it still works, as keyboards have a small chip and circuit that reads the key input and converts it to serial output. (That's why the cable from a keyboard to the computer only has a few wires, instead of 50+.) Is it just dogma that electronics don't like water? Can I put my phone in the dishwasher?

btw, a video for removing the keyboard that shows the macbook instead of the tech's head.
posted by kamelhoecker at 11:00 AM on November 23, 2008

es, the macbook top case is held on by about a dozen annoying screws. The repair shop I work at would charge you for an hour of labor, probably. thank you, this is what I mean by "it doesn't unplug". it is not a simple operation and the OP didn't sound very familiar with the tech either. plus the way scabrous framed that answer sounded like a flip answer to a desktop user, my bad.

ANYWAY, yes, dishwasher. we've done hundreds of them at work this way. as long as you let them completely dry out before plugging them back in (and I mean completely, like, leave them alone for 3-4 days in a warm, dry place), they're fine.

ymmv with the phone. or was that hyperbole? it's hard to tell.
posted by lonefrontranger at 1:39 PM on November 23, 2008