Keyboard of MacBook Pro doesn't work anymore

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Level 1

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Keyboard of MacBook Pro doesn't work anymore

Hello to everybody!
I hope, that somebody out there can help me as fast as possible.
I spread a coffee over my 1-year old MacBook Pro keyboard and as fast as I could I turned it head down, so that the coffee could come out of the keyboard. I cleaned the keyboard and tried it out, if everything still works... in the begining it worked, but then some letters begun to not work anymore or I couldn't write some big letters anymore... so I desided to put my extern keyboard from an other computer on my MacBook Pro so I could at least write with this extern keyboard. But now as I wanted to put this extern keyboard away my MacBook Pro keyboard doesn't work anymore at all. Now I have the question, if I need to give in somewhere an order on my laptop that I want to use again the laptopkeyboard instead of the extern-one? The problem is, that normaly with windows I was used to just put the extern keyboard away and my computer realized on his own that it needs to use the own keyboard again, but with the MacBook Pro this doesn't work, so I'm a little bit confused and don't know, if my keyboard is now totaly damaged or if I just need some computer-language-order to tell my computer to use the normal keyboard again.
Please HELP me!!!
With best regards
Kati

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Aug 4, 2009 6:46 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 4, 2009 6:59 AM in response to Malakati

When you disconnect an external keyboard, the Mac will automatically revert to using the internal keyboard.

Most likely, the liquid has rendered the keyboard non-functional, and the keyboard (and possibly other internal components as well) will need to be replaced.

Visit an Apple Store or an AASP, or if you are a do-it-yourself person, check iFixit.com.

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Answer 2

Malakati Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 4, 2009 7:04 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Thank you for the rapid response. I feared the worst and as it looks like it happened.
Anyway I thank you for your support and I will look now for a store where I can fix it.
Have a nice day!
Kati

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Answer 3

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,666 points

Aug 4, 2009 7:06 AM in response to Malakati

Welcome!

...that normaly with windows I was used to just put the extern keyboard away and my computer realized on his own that it needs to use the own keyboard again...

I regularly use an external keyboard with my MBP and mine does exactly what you say a Windows machine does--it knows what keyboard to use.

...but with the MacBook Pro this doesn't work, so I'm a little bit confused and don't know,...

It is not because of the MBP design but probably due to damage to the keyboard and other internal parts from the coffee, as your computer's current behavior is not normal. The keyboard is not sealed, so any liquid applied to the keyboard will enter the rest of the computer

It may be possible to have an Authorized Service Center repair the damage caused by the spill, but I suspect it will be expensive. Some homeowners' insurance policies cover repair or replacement of a computer from accidental damage. You should check.

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Answer 4

Aug 4, 2009 2:10 PM in response to Malakati

ive had the same happen to my macbook pro except mine was wine white wine to be precise i turned it upside down immediately and soaked up all the rest with toilet paper.... im also going to dry it with a hair dryer but at the moment most keys are working except the a and o and apple control and the alt key some of the function keys are ok the backlite is working on some but no on others. will post update soon.

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Answer 5

tjk

Level 9

51,116 points

Aug 4, 2009 11:28 PM in response to hungryhuges

hungryhuges wrote:
ive had the same happen to my macbook pro except mine was wine white wine to be precise i turned it upside down immediately and soaked up all the rest with toilet paper.... im also going to dry it with a hair dryer but at the moment most keys are working except the a and o and apple control and the alt key some of the function keys are ok the backlite is working on some but no on others. will post update soon.

Unfortunately, given the sugar and acid content of wine, I suspect you're going to lose the function of even more keys, and eventually need to replace the keyboard (and possibly more, if the wine got inside/below the keyboard). I'm not suggesting it, as it could cause even more internal damage, but I've heard of an extremely radical "cure" where people have turned their laptop upside down and "rinsed" the keyboard by spraying it with either distilled water or isopropyl alcohol and let it dry with a fan on it for a day or more (after unplugging the power adapter and removing the battery, of course).

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Answer 6

PatBe

Level 1

20 points

Aug 5, 2009 5:42 AM in response to tjk

i'm not suggesting it also, but it could work .
Btw, i will take off the keyboard from the MBP, disconnect the conector, so you can really give him a bath and shake it.
and, as it is dead, what do you have to loose ? 😉
to take off a keyboard is quite easy, google will give you some tutorials on that.

another , may be the best method, is to clean it really, but it's like a pain in the a.s to dissassemble it.
I have done that on Apple Pro keyboard and apple Imac G3 rev 1 keyboard, and they are working as usual now, but it took me some hours, with a real good tutorial from sterpin.net(in french, useless for your topic)
so, a good bath in distillate water, with a lot of shaking, you can also press on keyboard keys, shake it, and so on, and 2 days under a august sun..
distillate is not expensive, and I will suggest it better than alcool, as it will not damage any of others components. Have in mind that it really need to be dry, so, 2 days are not so much, and, when the keyboard is under the sun , shake it too from time to time, just to be sure that some water can't make a "water bubble" in a place.
and give us some news.

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Answer 7

tjk

Level 9

51,116 points

Aug 5, 2009 10:16 AM in response to PatBe

PatBe wrote:
Btw, i will take off the keyboard from the MBP, disconnect the conector, so you can really give him a bath and shake it.
and, as it is dead, what do you have to loose ? 😉
another , may be the best method, is to clean it really, but it's like a pain in the a.s to dissassemble it.
so, a good bath in distillate water, with a lot of shaking, you can also press on keyboard keys, shake it, and so on, and 2 days under a august sun..
distillate is not expensive, and I will suggest it better than alcool, as it will not damage any of others components. Have in mind that it really need to be dry, so, 2 days are not so much, and, when the keyboard is under the sun , shake it too from time to time, just to be sure that some water can't make a "water bubble" in a place.

Good ideas PatBe.

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Answer 8

PatBe

Level 1

20 points

Aug 8, 2009 7:24 AM in response to tjk

thanks, tjk 😉
I will add that some compressed air are great to wipe out water, but compressed air cans cost a lot, more than gazoline ... 😟
so, in many air compressors, they have an option to allow you to manually release the compressed air.
In garages:
you can ask them to allow you to use it (careful, it's really powerful, so have some distance , as 20 cms from your keyboard, and press all the keys while you aim the air on them)
Individual car compressors for tires, which are not expensive. they are less powerful, so you can be near the keyboard, but keep some centimeters as a security.

according to the price of a new one, if it didn't work on the first try, you can give it a second try ..
I add to say also that, as your liquid was full od sugar, after you make him take a bath, having shake it a lot, let him for a night in water, then shake it energically again, ang began the drying process :
sugar take some time to melt with water, so a small bath could not be sufficient.

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