Keyboard

[Minnie M]

Hi Folks

Have you missed me

I had an accident with my laptop (spilt a drink on it) and for the past 3 weeks have not been able to use the keyboard - any postings I have made have been smilies or have been cut & pasted (the mouse works ok)

I now have brand new laptop

Any ideas on fixing my old one

Adding an external keyboard didn't work

Most of the numbers worked OK but the letters were all mixed up AND when I used the R & D I think it thought I was also using the control key as it went into RUN (for the R) and out of the system for the D

Anyway it is nice to be back

Happy birthday to the birthdays I missed and an extra extra big hug and congratulations to the Hargraves

Lynda x

[Stuart]

I did this with my keyboard in the office, and the first thing our helpdesk asked me was "Did you have sugar in your coffee?". The reason for this is that the sugar caramalises with the heat generated and renders it useless. Therefore if there was no sugar in whatever you spilt you may be able to get it dried out. How you would do this though I don't know.

[El Salsero Gringo]

What make is the old one? It should be possible to buy just the replacement keyboard, but if it's old then the cost of the new part will be more than the current value of the laptop.

It's probably that the external keyboard didn't work because some laptops have a different wiring on the external keyboard/mouse connector that allows you plug a mouse in directly or a keyboard AND mouse with a special adaptor. You'd need the adaptor.

[Northants Girly]

Take care with keyboards - they can be very nasty

[Lynn]

I had an accident with my laptop (spilt a drink on it) and for the past 3 weeks have not been able to use the keyboard - any postings I have made have been smilies or have been cut & pasted (the mouse works ok)

So frustrating and can happen so easily!


Moves cup of coffee (with sugar) away from the computer....

[David Franklin]

Don't know if either of the following links help:

Cleaning Laptop Keyboard
Replacing a Laptop Keyboard and Mouse

[bobgadjet]

Great to have you back in full working order.

be careful if you intend to do something alien to your normal line of work.

[Minnie M]

It was only carbonated water - but I used it before it had time to dry out properly - it asked a question about the keyboard and I clicked yes without reading it properly - then it was too late - I know silly girl

It is (not was as it is not completely dead yet) an Acer

thank you all for your help - will NEVER leave any drink anywhere near my laptop again !!!!

[frodo]

What make is the old one? It should be possible to buy just the replacement keyboard, but if it's old then the cost of the new part will be more than the current value of the laptop.
...

You can often find replacement keyboards cheaply on EBay from people whose laptops have failed for other reasons, and are selling the bits.

[Minnie M]

I don't think it is the actual keyboard as the external one didn't work either - I think it might be the driver or something like that - but what do I know

[frodo]

I don't think it is the actual keyboard as the external one didn't work either - I think it might be the driver or something like that - but what do I know

I don't know, but if I connect two keyboards to one computer and I hold the Windows Key down on one and hit R on the other it goes into "RUN".

It may follow that the if laptop keyboard has a stuck CRTL, SHIFT, ALT, or Windows Key, the external keyboard could also appear not to work.

If this was the case the normal keyboard could be disconnected internally from the laptop motherboard, and the external one should then work.

That is not say it isn't software. I use specialist software which often does this to me ( though a reboot generally cures ).

[Minnie M]

I don't know, but if I connect two keyboards to one computer and I hold the Windows Key down on one and hit R on the other it goes into "RUN".

It may follow that the if laptop keyboard has a stuck CRTL, SHIFT, ALT, or Windows Key, the external keyboard could also appear not to work.

If this was the case the normal keyboard could be disconnected internally from the laptop motherboard, and the external one should then work.

That is not say it isn't software. I use specialist software which often does this to me ( though a reboot generally cures ).

I think you could be right here as all the water appeated to accumalate in the corner where the CRTL, SHIFT, ALT keys are ............ hmmm we are getting somewhere now -

[bigdjiver]

Carbonated water is probably quite a good conductor of electricity, and could have resulted in the destruction of the driver chip on the motherboard. Otherwise it may have left a conductive residue, behaving as though one or more keys were permanently depressed.

Sugar, present in many drinks, usually just acts as glue as it dries out, sticking the keys. The keyboard should be removed and cleaned immediatelyl with damped swabs as per instructions on the linked page. Sugar carmelises at quite a high temperature, and you would be detectable by odour and probably smoke, and is unlikely to happen to a keyboard.

If you can find an expert that you can trust, I would put it into their hands.

[Minnie M]

Carbonated water is probably quite a good conductor of electricity, and could have resulted in the destruction of the driver chip on the motherboard. Otherwise it may have left a conductive residue, behaving as though one or more keys were permanently depressed.

Sugar, present in many drinks, usually just acts as glue as it dries out, sticking the keys. The keyboard should be removed and cleaned immediatelyl with damped swabs as per instructions on the linked page. Sugar carmelises at quite a high temperature, and you would be detectable by odour and probably smoke, and is unlikely to happen to a keyboard.

If you can find an expert that you can trust, I would put it into their hands.

Didn't realise being carbonated it could cause so much damage - looks like this is the problem - thanks, now all I need is a trusted expert to get it right - if it can be fixed (and if I can find one too )

[Clive Long]

<< snip >>
It's probably that the external keyboard didn't work because some laptops have a different wiring on the external keyboard/mouse connector that allows you plug a mouse in directly or a keyboard AND mouse with a special adaptor. You'd need the adaptor.

Exactly my experience with an IBM Thinkpad - only had one PS2 type input - could use a mouse (ha! ha! just re-read that!) on its own OR keyboard and mouse via a "Y" adapter as ESG has written.
However all computers are different and some are different every day (just having wasted 3 days upgrading a friend's PC)

Clive

[bobgadjet]

It is (not was as it is not completely dead yet) an Acer

That explains why you mightn be having trouble getting help.

I gave up with Acer after my unit overheated, they repaired it, and then it still didnt work, so they took it again, and I ended up wiht a new unit in the old case, but they forgot to connect things inside.
I eventually got my money back, and a new computer.

Good luck. They must have one of the worst customer services in the IT world.

[Swinging bee]

[QUOTE=Minnie M]Hi Folks

Have you missed me

I had an accident with my laptop (spilt a drink on it) and for the past 3 weeks have not been able to use the keyboard - any postings I have made have been smilies or have been cut & pasted (the mouse works ok)

I now have brand new laptop

Any ideas on fixing my old one

Adding an external keyboard didn't work



Hi lynda. nice to have you back...Have 3 of our offsprings in IT,Will contact them re your problem JF x

[Dreadful Scathe]

You can get a nice USB keyboard for about £4 from ebuyer - you wont need any cables for your mouse/kb port then. And as Frodo said, I would disconnect the keyboard to make sure it doesnt conflict - you should be able to disable it in Device Manager in XP .

[Clive Long]

You can get a nice USB keyboard for about £4 from ebuyer - you wont need any cables for your mouse/kb port then. And as Frodo said, I would disconnect the keyboard to make sure it doesnt conflict - you should be able to disable it in Device Manager in XP .

Some PC BIOS requires you to enable USB keyboard support. There are many paths through this forest and most lead nowhere. An acne covered teenager who dresses like a goth and loves PCs might be able to help.

Clive

[Minnie M]

[QUOTE=Clive ..........An acne covered teenager who dresses like a goth and loves PCs might be able to help......[/QUOTE]

BTW I actually bought a USB keyboard, the chap in the shop said just plug it in (maybe his knowledge went with his acne )