Spilled soup on laptop and keyboard doesn't work.. do I have to get a new computer?

Question

My girlfriend recently spilled some soup on her laptop keyboard, and now most of the keys on the board don't do anything when pressed. Some of the keys work but function as another key, and only a few keys still work properly. It's a P4 Toshiba with 512mb ram and 60gb hd and still works perfectly except for the keyboard. I tried plugging an external usb keyboard but it didn't work. The computer's only used for internet access, word processing, and listening to music (or the occasional movie), so it seems like such a waste to throw it away. What's the cheapest solution?
Thanks in advance.

Tomorrow I'll try all suggestions till I find one that works. Thanks everyone!

Answer 1

You probably shorted the keyboard thingy that transforms the electriclal impulses to data. Its a small chip / board on the keyboard. 99.9% of the time that chip is part of the keyboard & not the laptop. The usb will not work because the keys signals are probably all stuck in the down position at the same time on the main keyboard.

Buy a used keyboard for that model on ebay used, It should cost you like $40

I have a toshiba model a25-s207 & replacing the keyboard is really easy on it.

Pop off the power key cover, Unscrew the 4 screws that hold the keyboard in, tilt it up, unplug it. Then whip it against the wall & enjoy.


Alternatively, you can try removing the hardware keyboard alltogether & use your usb keyboard. If the bios lets you boot without a keyboard error, you should be okay with what you have & no money spent.

Answer 2

Disconnect all power sources from laptop; remove the battery and continue to unscrew the keyboard from laptop. Once this is done, seperate the keys from the circuit board underlying.Then with a little patience clean the stained areas you see on the circuit board. Also make sure to clean all the keys on the keyboard inside out. Allow time to dry before putting it back together. You will need some Q-TIPS, rubbing alcohol, paper towels and a fan to help with the drying stage. GOOD LUCK !

Answer 3

My nephew spilled a glass of milk on his keyboard, and I disconnected it, dumped it out and called the tech. He said to rinse the keyboard with water and turn it upside down and shake it to get most of the water out and let it dry upside down and then try it. I did what he advised and placed the keyboard upside down on the floor register. I left it there all night and then when my nephew tried it out, it worked fine!. My son spilled a cup of coffee on my keyboard, and I did the same things that I did for my nephew's keyboard, and it works perfectly. If the soup has dried, you may have a bigger problem, but you might want to try my method, its worked twice.

Answer 4

Keyboards form part of the user interface and a keyboard problem can be very annoying. Sometimes the keyboard drivers can get corrupted. Some of the problems can be fixed . I have found the details given at http://fixit.in/keyboard.html is more useful.

Answer 5

Unplug it from the computer and let it dry out COMPLETELY. Not a guarantee. For some electronics (cell phones), I've heard that you should pack it in uncooked rice to soak up all the moisture. Might be worth a shot.

Answer 6

No, just take it in to a local repair shop and have them replace the keyboard. It should cost between $100- $150.

Answer 7

No, turn it over. Let it dry for a day or so or use a blow drier.
It's happened to me before but with a strawberry milkshake and that was crazy. My keyboard keys kept sticking but it's okay now.

Answer 8

I would use a spirit like surgical spirits because it evapurates very quickly and shouldn't do any damage if you wait for it to disappear, it will clean out the grime inbetween the keys

Answer 9

I would take your laptop to a technician that specializes in that category. Usually a computer repair specialist can fix your problem, but they can be pricy, like $50+ per hour, but if they can fix it right away it can be a lot less costly that a brand new laptop.

Answer 10

you may have to at least get keyboard in that laptop replaced.....and or cleaned..........does the reast of the computer seem to work fine?......maybe get an external USB keyboard and plug it to usb ports let bios recognize it and then windows...that may just do you the deal....good luck and QUIT EATING over your keyboard/computer.........does water / soup / mix with electrical current and what is the usual end result....short circut......fried compuetrs - laptops...... hope this helps ya!