Is my keyboard dead or is this fixable?
November 8, 2010 6:28 AM Subscribe
How do you tell if a keyboard is shorted out? Mine is behaving very oddly after a minor liquid spill.
A friend's soda exploded and they were sitting near enough that part of it got on my laptop keyboard. It was definitely more of a splatter than anything being dumped on it. I started blotting it up, shut it down, and, later that evening, cleaned the area with alcohol and a q-tip and let it dry until the next morning before booting up again.
Now, most of it is absolutely fine, with just a couple exceptions:
The 'p' key does both up and a 'p' at the same time.
The left arrow does both left and a '`'.
The right arrow does both right and a 'e'.
The 'q' does both 'q' and insert.
Shift modifies both, each time. The '`' becomes '~', for instance.
So far as I can tell, every other key works exactly as expected. The 'q' isn't even anywhere near the others and part of them are not keys I cleaned originally. It isn't the end of the world if I have to replace the keyboard--my friend has offered to pay--but I obviously want to be sure that this is really the issue before I go out and buy the new keyboard. If it turned out to be a software problem that I still had to fix somehow, I'd feel pretty silly. In the past, the only keyboard I had spilled on just stopped working.
Anybody have any experience with something similar?
A friend's soda exploded and they were sitting near enough that part of it got on my laptop keyboard. It was definitely more of a splatter than anything being dumped on it. I started blotting it up, shut it down, and, later that evening, cleaned the area with alcohol and a q-tip and let it dry until the next morning before booting up again.
Now, most of it is absolutely fine, with just a couple exceptions:
The 'p' key does both up and a 'p' at the same time.
The left arrow does both left and a '`'.
The right arrow does both right and a 'e'.
The 'q' does both 'q' and insert.
Shift modifies both, each time. The '`' becomes '~', for instance.
So far as I can tell, every other key works exactly as expected. The 'q' isn't even anywhere near the others and part of them are not keys I cleaned originally. It isn't the end of the world if I have to replace the keyboard--my friend has offered to pay--but I obviously want to be sure that this is really the issue before I go out and buy the new keyboard. If it turned out to be a software problem that I still had to fix somehow, I'd feel pretty silly. In the past, the only keyboard I had spilled on just stopped working.
Anybody have any experience with something similar?
Unplug it now, put it on a sunny window sill, and wait until tomorrow to see for sure; could be there's still some liquid in there which is causing the problem.
posted by wayland at 7:01 AM on November 8, 2010
posted by wayland at 7:01 AM on November 8, 2010
The 'q' isn't even anywhere near the others
The inside of a keyboard is a mat of rows and columns, and the way they are arranged, it's normal for a problem in one place (like a localized spill) to cause a problem in another place halfway across the board.
I have fixed many laptops that have been spilled on, this is most definitely the problem.
FWIW, Dell, IBM, and others have repair manuals online. The keyboard is almost always the last thing to go into a laptop, so it's very easy to remove. Typically you pry up the top area between the keyboard and the LCD panel, and there's like 1 or maybe 2 screws that hold it in. Buy a second keyboard from ebay for $15 and you're practically done. Here's a previous question where I linked to an eBay search and the Dell manual.
If your computer is an Apple, I am not sure how much my advice applies, but check ifixit.com for the teardown manual, since Apple does not supply them.
posted by fake at 7:07 AM on November 8, 2010
The inside of a keyboard is a mat of rows and columns, and the way they are arranged, it's normal for a problem in one place (like a localized spill) to cause a problem in another place halfway across the board.
I have fixed many laptops that have been spilled on, this is most definitely the problem.
FWIW, Dell, IBM, and others have repair manuals online. The keyboard is almost always the last thing to go into a laptop, so it's very easy to remove. Typically you pry up the top area between the keyboard and the LCD panel, and there's like 1 or maybe 2 screws that hold it in. Buy a second keyboard from ebay for $15 and you're practically done. Here's a previous question where I linked to an eBay search and the Dell manual.
If your computer is an Apple, I am not sure how much my advice applies, but check ifixit.com for the teardown manual, since Apple does not supply them.
posted by fake at 7:07 AM on November 8, 2010
This is fairly common with moisture damage. Replacing the keyboard should fix your issue, and hopefully that will be the end of it. To be honest I'd replace the keyboard as a matter of course because really, once something happens to a laptop keyboard, it's only a matter of time before it flakes out. And there's no sense letting any remaining moisture sit in or near the laptop innards proper.
posted by Phyltre at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2010
posted by Phyltre at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2010
Response by poster: It's not an Apple, and it looks like the new keyboard is my best bet. Ebay doesn't seem to be an option; this is a relatively recent model and the only place I can find it is the manufacturer, who wants like $35 plus shipping. Glad to know this is probably the problem.
I will try letting it dry for another day or two, though. I have a backup computer so it's not urgent. Thanks!
posted by gracedissolved at 9:58 AM on November 8, 2010
I will try letting it dry for another day or two, though. I have a backup computer so it's not urgent. Thanks!
posted by gracedissolved at 9:58 AM on November 8, 2010
The key covers are removable - do it carefully, to avoid damaging the plastic prongs that hold them in place. Remove every key that is causing problems, but no more, to be cautious, and remove one at a time. Swab the key with a q-tip dipped in hot water, and "flung" dry before swabbing (so you aren't puddling water onto the keypad. Then, dry the keypad with the other end of the q-tip.
OF COURSE, your laptop is off, unplugged, with battery removed at this point!
... What you are trying to do is to clean up the sticky residue. Laptop keyboards are fairly well sealed against liquid these days, so sticky half-dried goo is probably your problem, not electrical shorting.
posted by IAmBroom at 5:43 PM on November 8, 2010
OF COURSE, your laptop is off, unplugged, with battery removed at this point!
... What you are trying to do is to clean up the sticky residue. Laptop keyboards are fairly well sealed against liquid these days, so sticky half-dried goo is probably your problem, not electrical shorting.
posted by IAmBroom at 5:43 PM on November 8, 2010
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When I've had to replace Thinkpad keyboards in the past, Ebay has saved me some money, but other manufacturers may not be so readily available or easy to replace. Good luck.
posted by dirm at 6:36 AM on November 8, 2010