Dell netbook and tea don't agree!!

susan1

Clumsily spilt tea on my laptop yesterday, it still loads and I can read things but when I try to type any thing the letters/numbers do not correspond to the keys I press. Is it salvageable?
Thanks

Johnmcl7

Which model is it? It may be possible to replace the keyboard although it will depend on which machine it is how feasible it is.

John

susan1

Thanks,
It's a Dell Inspiration Mini purchased in America a few years ago, so probably not worth the expense?

jbainbridge

I'd probably remove the keyboard and put it somewhere warm and dry for a day or so then see if it improves. You can find new laptop keyboards on ebay for £10-20 ... they're usually straight forward to remove / fit.

roadster1

Did the tea have sugar in it? If not you may be able to clean the keyboard pcb with pcb cleaner from maplins. If it had sugar in you would have less chance. As previously mentioned if a replacement keyboard is available it is quite easy to swap out. There may be a tutorial on youtube showing you how to do it.

susan1

Thanks both, no, no sugar in tea. Will get DH to go into Maplins for cleaner. May never see him again, it's his favourite shop!

shakeitright

Take the battery out,put it in a large bag ,tip in a bag of rice,tie the top and leave for 48 hours,the rice will absorbe any moisture present,worked for my daughters when a glass of lemonade got tipped over the keyboard.

Johnmcl7

If you go onto the Dell site, choose your exact model (there were a few variations of the Inspiron Minis) then select manuals you should be able to download the service manual for netbook for free. This is very handy as it shows you exactly how to dismantle the machine to get the keyboard out and check/clean the connector.

If the cleaning doesn't work you should be able to pick up a cheap keyboard off ebay (under a tenner) which is well worth a shot if the machine is working fine otherwise.

John