My beloved spilled half a glass of Valpolicella in my laptop. The laptop works just fine, but a few keys are sticky. Can I safely open and clean it somehow, do I need to shell out $1,000s to BestBuy to clean it or do I just live with sticky keys?
203196
What!! You and your beloved together having red wine over a nice dinner and you had your laptop open? Tsk Tsk...\n\nSome of the options available:\n\n1. Drop your beloved if she thinks she is more important than your laptop.\n\n2. If she really is that important, drop the laptop on a hard surface and claim insurance.\n\n3. If you can't leave either, give your beloved a nice kiss and a cuddle when she is cleaning the laptop with cotton swabs dipped in Jack Daniels.
353016
It could be a keypad short or a touchpad short.\n\nDoes it go away after a reboot? if so try these things...\n\nTurn the laptop off. CAREFULLY remove the keypad. Look for tabs at the edges of the keys. Most models the keypad lifts off.\n\nThere is a ribbon wire that connects the keyboard to the laptop motherboard. Either reseat it or just wigle and push deeper in.\n\nThe same is true for the touchpad.\n\nreboot and see if that helped.\n\nOh...and did you happen to spill liquid on the laptop? That is a common symptom of getting wet...\n\nThe best solution for that is to use a shop vac and suck all the moisture out.
196259
whatever you do do-not format your hard-drive at the first hint of trouble\npeople who advise this have no idea of how it sounds to those who actually know about viruses.\nit is the equivalent of re-spraying an entire vehicle to get rid of 1 scratch only to have it scratched again the next-day!\nget AVG or spyware doctor and pay for a legitimate copy.
513267
You have 2 choices. Buying a new keyboard. And the other, clean with an old toothbrush, in big spaces, with rubbing alcohol, in the small places, a cotton swab.
583928
I own a PC repair shop for  many years, i had this happen to a customer 2 weeks ago...I totally dissasembled  the laptop down to the motherboard, then took Fantastic spray cleaner ,and drenched the whole board , both sides, till it runs off the board..Lightly scrub with an old toothbrush to loosen the oxidation, and  before the fantastic dries, i throughly air blow off the board with air  compressor in my shop. Be absolutly sure it is bone-dry when you ressemble it. You didnt say how long ago this happended, but if it was recenetly, its worth a try. If the oxidation has dried, or many failed attempts to operate it at full voltage didnt work, it may already have burnt parts on the board. That would be non reparable... then I search ebay for motherboards. Youve got nothing to loose at this point!
74378
You can get anti static cleaning wipes from places like radio shack, walmat, walgreens and many more places. The dirty marks left behind is just dirt that you didn't get the first time. You can use NON Ammonia windex, just make sure it is NON ammoniated. Ammonia is bad for the plastic. Always spay it on the clean towel, never the monitor, or LCD. If you feel uncomfortable with NON ammonia windex then go for either a 50-50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water or the anti static wipes. Below is a cut and paste from a Tech Republic download on repairing and maintaining Laptops.\n\nStandard Cleaners\nFor the most basic function—cleaning exterior LCD screens, keyboards, and cases—various chemicals\nare available. I normally recommend one of the following:\n■ 50-50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water\n■ Nonammoniated glass cleaner\n■ Pure water (hot water works best)\nOther solutions such as antistatic LCD cleaning cloths and Kimwipes are also acceptable alternatives.\nCaution\nIsopropyl alcohol is a flammable liquid. Do not use alcohol cleaner near an exposed flame or when the system is on.\nThe solutions should generally be in liquid form, not a spray. Sprays can be wasteful, and you should\nnever spray the solution directly on the system anyway. Instead, lightly moisten a soft lint-free cloth,\nwhich is then used to wipe down the parts to be cleaned.\n\nCleaning the LCD and Case\nTo clean the exterior of your laptop system, use the following procedure:\nLightly moisten a soft lint-free cloth with either a 50-50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, nonammoniated\nglass cleaner, or pure water (hot water works best). Never spray liquid cleaner directly on\nthe system, especially the display or keyboard.\nGently wipe the LCD panel with the moistened cloth and then follow with a dry cloth. Be sure the\ncloth is not wet enough to drip and that the LCD is completely dry when you’re finished. Antistatic\nChapter 3\n88 Chapter 3 System Maintenance and Assembly\nLCD-cleaning cloths and Kimwipes are also acceptable alternatives. Do not use standard paper towels,\nwhich can scratch the LCD, or window cleaners with ammonia, which can damage or stain the LCD.\nNote\nKimwipes are disposable 8.5- by 4.5-inch wipes, basically heavy-duty lint-free paper towels. They are a trademarked\nbrand of Kimberly-Clark Corp., along with Kleenex, and are very popular in industrial, laboratory, and photographic use.\n\nI use the a 50-50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, I use distilled water in the mixture (no minerals in the water means no mineral deposits on the screen).\n\nI hope this helps, Good Luck.
435616
You should first bring it in to a place that can clean the keyboard without voiding your warranty, if you have one. \n\nIt sounds like there might be something in the keyboards "motherboard" that is connecting letters together (water, coffee, etc might have dripped inside and won't be able to try out on its own).
306721
spray a little windex on a soft cloth, and clean it till there are no streaks, do not spray the windex on the screen, if it an lcd monitor, just use a damp cloth damp with water onluy, do not spray any glass cleaner on it, if it is really dirty, fo to an electronics store and get the right kind of cleaner for it
483635
Regardless of brand, the best way to clean a keyboard is to use airduster if you are just trying to get the dust out. If as you said, there is "gunk" under the keys, the best thing to do is probably safely remove the keys with a nice putty knife if the computer is powered off, then spray the board down with H2Orange (A enviorment safe cleaner, also safe on electronics) and wipe really good where the keys were. But make sure you don't lose the keys while they are off.\nGood luck!
208970
Right Click on My Computer. Click Manage. In the new window that opens up, in the left pane, click Device Manager. When it comes up in the right pane, make sure there's no icons that have caution signs in the audio section. Caution signs means there's a problem, and it's usually the driver. If that's the case, right click the thing with the caution icon, click Uninstall Driver, go to the Control Panel (Start > Control Panel). Click on the upper left on a small link that says Classic View, then click on Add New Hardware. It should automatically reinstall using Windows Update (click anything in the new box that says automatic or use windows update to search for the driver).\n\nThe last Toshiba I troubleshot a problem with turned out to be hardware related. Is your laptop one of those "Media" laptops with buttons that let you play movies or music without being in Windows? If so, play a CD. If there's still no sound, use the volume buttons to raise the volume. If you hear something, then the problem should be fixed. Boot into Windows and everything should be happy. \n\nExpensive answer: If all else fails, bring it to Best Buy Geek Squad, but expect to pay $50 - $200.
27309
I've replaced a keyboard on a Dell Latitude laptop before.  I got the replacement part of ebay for about $15.\n\nIt was actually VERY easy to replace.\n\n1.  Remove screws from the base of the laptop\n2.  Pop up the top (the part surrounding the keyboard)\n3.  The keyboard usually sits above the motherboard (the main big board that is your 'computer') and is attached by some screws and one data ribbon that connects to the mother board. \n4.  Remove the keyboard screws\n5.  CAREFULLY pull the ribbon out of the socket it is attached too (if you aren't sure at this point, put it back together and pay someone to do this.  If you break the attachment, you will cost yourself a lot more in repair costs).  It is pretty sturdy though, and you should be okay.\n\n6. Take the new keyboard and attach the ribbon first. \n7. Screw down the new keyboard\n8. Place the top casing back on\n\nYou should be careful of being in a fairly static free environment (don't rub a ballon on your head, for example).  However, the replacement is really not too difficult.  It's meant to be pretty simple because keyboards receive a lot of abuse and eventually need replacing anyway.\n\nNOTE:  The work may be considered a violation of your warranty (if you still have one).  If you do have a warranty, contact the manufacturer.  Likely you don't still.  If you don't, you can do it yourself, or you can contact Best Buy (I think they have the "Geek Squad") or any Engineer that you know.\n\nGood luck!
288291
Compressed air for cleaning. Maybe they sell it with a disinfectant.\n\nor else Office Depot sells this handy-dandy kit for cleaning your keyboard. Check this out:\n\nhttp://www.officedepot.com/ddMain.do?level=FM&id=691256&cm_mmc=Traffic%20Leader-_-Overture%20SMX-_-Computer%20Accessories-_-3M%20Keyboard%20Cleaning%20Kit
551711
It's probably easiest to replace the keyboard.  If you have a desktop computer, it's cheap - you can get keyboards at Walmart and as far as the computer's concerned, they're all the same, unless you get one of the web models with the extra features.  I've seen them as low as $9 for cheap models, and as high as $100 for the matching cordless mouse/keyboard combinations with web features.\n\nOn a laptop, it's not that bad either.  I've done it.  You just have to have some courage to unscrew the case.  Or send it into the manufacturer.  Those keyboards are closer to $30, give or take.
560595
There is a _chance_ that you can clean up your keyboard but it would require an extensive cleaning. That would involve removing all of the keys (and remembering where each one goes so that you can put it back in the right place!). You would need to remove the keys carefully to avoid breaking them and then clean carefully with the appropriate brushes and cloths before re-assembling the keyboard. \n\nBut even then the damage might be irreversible. I once spent a couple of hours doing a careful cleaning because a couple of my keys weren't working due to an accumulation of cat hair all over the keyboard but even a careful cleaning didn't fix the bad keys. A spill of a liquid on the keyboard is even worse so I don't think there's much chance that a cleaning will save the day.\n\nThe good news is that keyboards are cheap. When I replaced my keyboard, I found several different models of replacement keyboards for less than $20 (Canadian). I found one I liked for only $12. If money is a problem, you can probably find a used keyboard simply by taking one from your old computer or getting one of your friends to give you the keyboard from their old computer. \n\nI'm assuming that you are using a standard keyboard of course, which 99% of people do. If you have a very exotic keyboard, it may be harder - and more expensive - to replace. \n\nI usually try to fix things rather than replacing them but this is one component where I think you will have much better results by simply buying a new keyboard.
5
There are commercial kits available, but a can of compressed air, a lint-free cloth or wipes, mild dishwashing liquid, and a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush are all you really need for a basic cleaning. \nAfter turning off your computer and unplugging your keyboard, gently shake the keyboard upside down over some newspaper to dislodge loose crumbs and particles. \nUse the can of compressed air to blow a stream of air between the keys. \nDampen a lint-free cloth with a diluted solution of dishwashing liquid and water to wipe down the keys. \nUse the vacuum cleaner brush attachment to suck away any remaining dirt or debris. <br />\nIf you have a membrane-type keyboard (it doesn't have a spring under each key) and the keys are truly grungy, you can remove the keys with a small screwdriver and use cotton swabs and 90% isopropyl alcohol to get it sparkling clean. If you are still feeling industrious, next you can tackle cleaning your mouse. \nOf course, if cleaning your keyboard seems a truly undesirable task, you can always buy a new one for around $20.
466080
Put the notebook to in a dry place for 1 week..then\nTry to see if it starts up if not....then\nYou can buy external 2.5" HD caddy cases, so that you can take the Laptop harddrive out and put it in the caddy and connect to any computer with a USB port to transfer your data.\n\nCould be a costly repair job, if you've not got accident cover
411953
It sounds like it has some trash (i.e. food) caught under the key.  On most laptops you can pop each individual key off and clean underneath.  Not sure about yours.....  \n\nKeep the soda and chips away from the keyboard.  :)