Cleaning under a laptop keyboard - is it safe?

[johnnybgood]

Well lots of my keys are not functioning on my laptop. [ I'm using an old p'n'p keyboard to write this ]

If I disconnect the battery to get access to the casing assembly screws.......

will I lose any data?

Is there an internal power source that keeps things 'safe' whilst I attemt to remove the coffee stains?

any advice will be great, cheers....

[Chicog]

How much would it cost to get it properly serviced by a professional?

[Aachen]

You will loose nothing, but you may damage one or more key caps. If you are near a service center of your -unknown- laptop manufacturer ask them for cleaning. They have fixed prices for this.

Have fun.

[MilesofSmiles]

No you won't lose data by disconnecting the battery and doing some DIY.

Ear cleaners work well, even with the keys all still in-place. Don't use a vacuum cleaner unless you like sifting through dirt to recover keys and keycaps

Laptops can be a real pain to disassemble though, so if you don't know what you're doing, I'd suggest taking somewhere to get the keyboard cleaned.

Should cost around 300 baht.

You can just pop off the keys yourself, they're probably scissor-key style, which feel fragile, but take a fair bit of abuse.

Honestly, compared to the hassle of doing it yourself, I'd just take it to a shop and pay a few hundred baht.

[Crossy]

If it's truly coffee or some other corrosive liquid (coke) it's likely to be far easier to get a replacement keyboard fitted by your local laptop man.

If you're in BKK there are places in Pantip, Fortune and (if you have transport) Zeer Rangsit who have new and used keyboards for all manner of machines.

[marstons]

fitted a new laptop keyboard a few months ago, googled how to do it, ordered a new one from E Bay as i wanted a UK keyboard 10 minute job. Take out battery take off cover undid 2 screws slid out the key board un pugged from laptop and reversed the process with the new one. easy peasy.

[MichaelJohn]

If you've spilled liquid on it then you must have a new keyboard. Buying one on eBay is easy and there's usually a fitting video on YouTube you can easily follow.

If you try to remove the keys you will almost certainly break one/some.

Removing the battery and unscrewing the retaining screws etc will not cause you to lose any data

If it's dust, fluff and general rubbish under the keys then the best thing is compressed air; take it to the garage and use the tyre air to gently blow under the keys.

[dharmabm]

At the university I use to work for in the US, the computer lab would run their keyboards through a dishwasher once a week. These were standard USB without actual electrical parts in them, but I imagine if you took out the batteries it would be with a try. Most keyboards just have plastic enclosed circuitry under the keys, the only concern would be any exposed metallic parts

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[dharmabm]

But seriously, a new keyboard is only a few hundred baht, even for wireless, so why bother?

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[sustento]

At the university I use to work for in the US, the computer lab would run their keyboards through a dishwasher once a week. These were standard USB without actual electrical parts in them, but I imagine if you took out the batteries it would be with a try. Most keyboards just have plastic enclosed circuitry under the keys, the only concern would be any exposed metallic parts

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus SlimKat using Tapatalk

All USB (and for that matter PS/2 and DIN) keyboards have electrical parts in them. They wouldn't function otherwise.

[dharmabm]

At the university I use to work for in the US, the computer lab would run their keyboards through a dishwasher once a week. These were standard USB without actual electrical parts in them, but I imagine if you took out the batteries it would be with a try. Most keyboards just have plastic enclosed circuitry under the keys, the only concern would be any exposed metallic parts

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus SlimKat using Tapatalk

All USB (and for that matter PS/2 and DIN) keyboards have electrical parts in them. They wouldn't function otherwise.

They are all sealed within plastic and silicon (except for the connectors) . try googling it

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[dharmabm]

Try researching something you know nothing about before commenting

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[Crossy]

OK enough chaps!

Part of the manufacturing process of electronic boards like you find in keyboards is a dishwasher-like process. I've washed all manner of kit, and, so long as it's thoroughly dried out before you power on, it mostly survives.

I wouldn't be putting a laptop (with or without batteries) in the dishwasher mind.

[MAJIC]

If it's truly coffee or some other corrosive liquid (coke) it's likely to be far easier to get a replacement keyboard fitted by your local laptop man.

If you're in BKK there are places in Pantip, Fortune and (if you have transport) Zeer Rangsit who have new and used keyboards for all manner of machines.

A new Keyboard is usually fitted for about 2000 baht.

[lmfao]

I replace a HP keyboard in pan tip for 800 baht they installed it for free even thought I have done this many times myself, Lmfao at anyone that puts a laptop in the dishwasher

Edited January 15, 2014 by lmfao

[aarn]

Plenty of instructive youtubes concerning cleaning keyboards/removing caps are out there. AA

[johnnybgood]

Once again a great reponse from members in the 'computer section'. Thanks.

Agreed it's cheap to get fixed.......... I think Tuc.com techs charge 500b per job + parts etc..

but I kinda wanted to try it myself as I've been giving first aid and elastoplast to my desktop PC for years.