Oops...Glass Of Merlot On The Keyboard

[cabinetman]

I finally did it. Knocked a full glass of Merlot on my laptop keyboard. I blew out the keyboard and dried everything off the best I could. It powers up, but no screen. So, I'm letting it sit until tomorrow and see what happens. What do you think...will it survive?

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[chopnhack]

merlot, eh.... I figured you for a scotch on the rocks evening kinda guy and here you are sipping on a ladies drink and ruining keyboards

just kidding, if you blew it out and got it good and dry, then no, its probably toast... my experience with keyboards though says that the next day sun may shine once more, so don't pitch it yet. I did pick up a cheapy from Radio Shack, about $13 with tax, I think it was GigaWare, seems pretty good..

[cabinetman]

merlot, eh.... I figured you for a scotch on the rocks evening kinda guy and here you are sipping on a ladies drink and ruining keyboards

just kidding, if you blew it out and got it good and dry, then no, its probably toast... my experience with keyboards though says that the next day sun may shine once more, so don't pitch it yet. I did pick up a cheapy from Radio Shack, about $13 with tax, I think it was GigaWare, seems pretty good..

It's a laptop.

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[chopnhack]

It's a laptop.

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oh, sorry cman, didn't see the laptop part of that.... reading too fast. oh boy...

[greenacres2]

I didn't pick that up on the first read either...ouch. Good luck!!

earl

[JoeyGee]

Ouch, full glass. Maybe you'll get off lucky and you just hit the combination of keys that toggles video modes (lt screen only, projector only, both). Usually it's Fn+F4 or F8, depending on mfg.

Taking a KB off usually isn't a big deal. I would take it off and see what the damage is underneath if the above doesn't help.

[phrog]

Sure hope it wasn't an expensive Merlot.

[steve-norrell]

Maybe the keyboard has just had too much wine and is still 'sleeping it off'.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Seriously, if the laptop is 'toast' it may be worth the effort to open the case and make sure it is dry.

Anyway, merlot is better than coffee.

Regards, Steve.

[trungdok]

Connect it to an external monitor and try the video output mode like what JoeyGee stated. If it works with the external monitor but not with the laptop screen, then you can replace the screen. If it does not, then it might be cheaper to get a new laptop. Chances are the screen is fine but either part of the motherboard or video card is busted.

Laptop screen is pretty easy to replace -- remove a few screws, pull the screen off, unplug the connector strip. Reverse the direction with the new screen and you should be all set.

[chopnhack]

Unplugging the connector is sometimes tricky, the ribbon cable is delicate, be careful!

[mpc]

Look at the socket for the ribbon cable. It'll probably be a skinny plastic thing. Examine the upper edge carefully; see if one long side looks like it is a separate piece. If so, gently pry up the ends of that piece tunlock the ribbon cable... it'll practically fall out. If you just pull on the ribbon cable without unlocking the socket first you'll probably tear the cable.

mpc

[cabinetman]

I powered it up yesterday, and it booted and the screen came on for about 5 minutes. I shut it down. Today I powered it up and it booted, and the screen stayed on for about 2 hours. I shut it down. I'm wondering if it just needs more time. Maybe it's one heck of a hangover.

.

[JoeyGee]

I would still remove the KB to see if you can clean up underneath as much as you can, but be careful. You shouldn't even need to disconnect any cables. You should be able to follow whatever manual's instructions and unscrew/unlatch it and then lift it up carefully, leaving whatever cables attached, then clean what you can.

Sounds like maybe whatever was in the wine dried up, and then gets heated when the LT is running and then gums up again, just a guess. Whatever it is, I wouldn't leave that gunk inside the LT.

[dkerfoot]

When I first became self-employed, I provided IT services - mostly to small businesses, but I also did a fair bit of residential work. I have successfully repaired a number of laptops with this exact situation (well, different beverages).

I would suggest looking for a guide on how to disassemble your exact laptop. Chances are, there is somebody on youtube who has documented every step.

What you want to do is disassemble the thing to the point where you can remove the motherboard (leave the CPU attached). Then flush everything with a good dose of 90% rubbing alcohol. It is helpful to use a small brush to lightly scrub every surface you can get at, including the ends of the flatt ribbon cables. While flushing the keyboard, work all of the keys. Repeat several times on the keyboard.

Since the Merlot has (mostly) dried, it will have left behind residue ranging from sticky to quite hard. You'll want to let the rubbing alcohol remain in place for a few minutes to soften it up, then flush again with more to carry it away. You will end up using up to a quart of rubbing alcohol during this process. Don't be shy with it.

When done flushing, lean the parts at a sharp angle to encourage the alcohol to drain out. It will all eventually evaporate, but that can leave wine residue. The more that drains out, the less residue you will have. Leave dry overnight - warmer rather than colder temperatures, plus good airflow are of course helpful.

The whole thing will probably take about five hours of your time. If the laptop is not that dear to you, an alternative method is to unplug, pull the battery, and remove the keyboard and then flush the keyboard and laptop as best you can with lots of rubbing alcohol. Put in front of a fan in a warm place, turning every few hours. Wait at LEAST 24 hours. Where permanent damage occurs in these situations is when the laptop is powered up while there is still liquid or conducting residue bridging electrical connections.

Good luck

[cabinetman]

When I first became self-employed, I provided IT services - mostly to small businesses, but I also did a fair bit of residential work. I have successfully repaired a number of laptops with this exact situation (well, different beverages).

I would suggest looking for a guide on how to disassemble your exact laptop. Chances are, there is somebody on youtube who has documented every step.

What you want to do is disassemble the thing to the point where you can remove the motherboard (leave the CPU attached). Then flush everything with a good dose of 90% rubbing alcohol. It is helpful to use a small brush to lightly scrub every surface you can get at, including the ends of the flatt ribbon cables. While flushing the keyboard, work all of the keys. Repeat several times on the keyboard.

Since the Merlot has (mostly) dried, it will have left behind residue ranging from sticky to quite hard. You'll want to let the rubbing alcohol remain in place for a few minutes to soften it up, then flush again with more to carry it away. You will end up using up to a quart of rubbing alcohol during this process. Don't be shy with it.

When done flushing, lean the parts at a sharp angle to encourage the alcohol to drain out. It will all eventually evaporate, but that can leave wine residue. The more that drains out, the less residue you will have. Leave dry overnight - warmer rather than colder temperatures, plus good airflow are of course helpful.

The whole thing will probably take about five hours of your time. If the laptop is not that dear to you, an alternative method is to unplug, pull the battery, and remove the keyboard and then flush the keyboard and laptop as best you can with lots of rubbing alcohol. Put in front of a fan in a warm place, turning every few hours. Wait at LEAST 24 hours. Where permanent damage occurs in these situations is when the laptop is powered up while there is still liquid or conducting residue bridging electrical connections.

Good luck

This is exactly what I did. I removed the battery, and all those microscopic screws on the back. There was supposed to be four tabs next to the KB to remove it. I don't know if they are tabs, but I got the KB loose (popped off a key in the process). With the KB loose, I removed the ribbon. There was a sliding bar with a pin at each end to push back, and the ribbon came out. I couldn't get the innards to separate from the back.

I ran the alcohol all through the KB, and into the chassis as best I could. Allow it to drain and dry for about a week. I assembled it yesterday, and it would boot, but the KB didn't work. I thought it was how the ribbon was installed. Took it apart and back together 4-5 times, and the KB still didn't work.

So, I thought time for a new computer. But, a wave of guesswork came over me, and I thought, if the screen works OK, maybe I'll try a USB remote keyboard (I had one in a drawer). Well, success. It's what is working now. It's been on about 8 hours today, and still working fine. Sure beats buying a new LT. Hopefully it will stay working.

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