Fixing keyboards

On a slightly related note, what about cleaning keyboards?

Specifically, I'm referring to the clear Apple Keyboards that put a nice clear protective layer above the dirt that accumulates around the cursor keys.

Those tiny allen screws on the underside look pretty flimsy, so I would be interested in some creative techniques for cleaning.

Rob

For encouragement/discouragement on repairing the Apple Pro Keyboard, see http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html

Dennis Mouy

-- Senior Account Manager Computers Now Email dennis_mouycompnow.com.au

Here's a detailed explanation:

<http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/bgracey/prokeyboardrepair.html#disassemble>.

On Apr 1, 2004, at 3:47 PM, robsumware.co.nz wrote:
> On a slightly related note, what about cleaning keyboards?
>
> Specifically, I'm referring to the clear Apple Keyboards that put a
> nice clear protective layer above the dirt that accumulates around the
> cursor keys.

Take off all the key caps and go at it with some compressed air and a
lint free cloth. Maybe qtips.

> Those tiny allen screws on the underside look pretty flimsy, so I
> would be interested in some creative techniques for cleaning.

They are flimsy and it is easy to mess up the keyboard if you take it
apart, ESPECIALLY the LEDs. Unless you spilled coke on the keyboard
and are going to be prosecuted by the DEA -- er, I mean or some other
sticky soda-pop substance that will destroy the keyboard ANYWAY, I
would not recommend taking it apart, chances are quite good you will
ruin it in the process.

If you DO take it apart, make sure and use the exact right size hex
driver and be careful. The screws are cheap and soft and you can
easily strip the heads. Also, there are, IIRC, seven screws (4 visible
on the back, two under keys on the front, and one under the label on
the back).

Keep track of the screws too, they are different (the ones from the
back top are shorter/longer (I forget) than the others).

It's harder than taking an ipod apart to swap the battery, but not as
hard as soldering in a mod-chip on an Xbox and no where near the level
of soldering in a mod-chip on a PS2.

I would not recommend it. Buy a wireless keyboard for $70 instead, or
a Tactile Pro for $100. speaking of which, I wish more online
companies accepted paypal. sigh.

I know this will make some people cringe, but... my experience has been that in the past, some Apple keyboard models were actually safe to throw in your dishwasher. Believe it or not!

Now, I'm NOT going to promise you this will work for you - if you try this with your keyboard, it is at YOUR OWN RISK. But: I have thrown my own dirty and/or beverage-soaked Mac keyboards in the dishwasher just like dirty dishes and had them emerge not only completely undamaged but in better condition, free of the contaminants. Left 'em to dry overnight, and no problemo.

I don't write the news, I just report it. Your mileage may vary.

Since it's sort of on-topic... anyone have any bright ideas about cleaning a PowerBook keyboard? Used to be simple with the snap-off keys; now you only snap off your keys if you don't intend to snap them back on again.

One thing I like about my 17" over my Titanium is that the keyboard crud is less embarrassingly visible to my clients -- but it's still there. Any ideas?

Best, Jeff

On Apr 6, 2004, at 10:28 AM, civitanjeffporten.com wrote:

> Since it's sort of on-topic... anyone have any bright ideas about
> cleaning a PowerBook keyboard? Used to be simple with the snap-off
> keys; now you only snap off your keys if you don't intend to snap them
> back on again.

Urgh -- ironically, only a few days after posting this, I now NEED to
know this. Got a bit of grit under my P key ("R" on Qwerty), and now
it's offbalance and sometimes misregistering. Will head to the Apple
Store if I have to, but would like to hear if anyone else has dealt
with this on a PowerBook 17".

Best,
Jeff

> I know this will make some people cringe, but... my experience has
> been that in the past, some Apple keyboard models were actually safe to
> throw in your dishwasher. Believe it or not!

In general all keyboards with mechanical switch assemblies and that have
detachable cables can be "washed". Circuit boards must be washed during
manufacturing. And when it still made economic sense, refurbishers would
take off the plastic cases and cables and feed them into an assembly line
that looked more like a commercial large scale dishwasher as anything else.
The key is to remove ALL the dirt and get it completely dry when done.
Leaving behind dirt will create new "wiring" when the mud dries. And not
getting it completely dry will cause corrosion and the aforementioned
"dirt" issue down the road.

Maybe they still do this in China but over here with new cheap keyboards
going for as low as $20 new, there's no market.

The only two keys I've had go bad were a nice mechanical one on an old
computer, and one on an early Apple Pro. One the older keyboard, simply
exercising the key with thirty or forty quick keystrokes revived it. Which
is good...it's hard to avoid the letter "I" in writing. Although your
PowerBook keyboard is not the same thing, some exercise could revive it.
(Or kill it more completely, of course.)

The other was the left shift key on an early Apple Pro (2001 time frame).
This was a physical binding which made the key not always depress all the
way. That keyboard was retired.

  --John

emperordottidbitsdotcomkupietz.com wrote:

> I know this will make some people cringe, but... my experience has been that
>in the past, some Apple keyboard models were actually safe to throw in your
>dishwasher. Believe it or not!
>
>
I will point out if you go this route make sure you turn off the dry
cycle. The heat in the dishwasher may melt your keyboard. I really
recommend avoiding this and just popping off all the keys and washing by
hand. Make sure it's dry before plugging back in.

I'm having an issue with the spacebar on my 17" Powerbook. When i press on it, it's so soft that i don't really know if it's been pressed or not. I know it may seem like it's not a big issue, however, i have to add spaces in between most of my words after i type a sentence cause it's that soft.

Any suggestions? Will Apple care of my issue? Will this be covered in the 1 year warrenty? if not... what can i do to solve this issue?

[The right Command and Enter keys just started giving similar resistance on my iBook G4. -Andrew ]

--On February 3, 2006 3:23:32 PM -0800 brad Mistry
<master_mind_99hotmail.com> wrote:

> I'm having an issue with the spacebar on my 17" Powerbook. When i press
> on it, it's so soft that i don't really know if it's been pressed or not.
> I know it may seem like it's not a big issue, however, i have to add
> spaces in between most of my words after i type a sentence cause it's
> that soft.
>
> Any suggestions? Will Apple care of my issue? Will this be covered in the
> 1 year warrenty? if not... what can i do to solve this issue?

My wireless keyboard did something similar. I removed the spacebar by
prying it up with plastic screwdriver, made sure the contacts were clean
and reinstalled it. Spacebars can be tricky to put back on because there is
usually a wire connector that allows you to hit either end of the spacebar
and still have it work. In fact that was what had gone wonky on mine, the
wire popped out of one it's holders when I dropped the keyboard.


It's covered under warranty, but even if it isn't you could probably take
it to an Apple Store when they were slow and have a Genius take a look --
they'd probably fix it for free (unless the keyboard were really bad).

>From: Kevin van Haaren <kevinvanhaaren.net>
  Spacebars can be tricky to put back on because
>there is
>usually a wire connector that allows you to hit either end of the spacebar
>and still have it work.

Oooops! After reading a previous tidbits post on the subject of cleaning
your keyboard, I prized open the space bar on my G5 keyboard and I could
never get it back in again! Ah, the dangers of reading stuff on the Net!

Paul

PS The spacebar still operates but it feels clickety-clackety!

I just repaired my space bar on a powerbook. It had developed some unresponsive spots, probably due to particles that had become lodged under it. It took me four attempts, good light, and a pair of tweezers.

Probably as part of the removal process or earlier attempts, all three of the little plastic ring/lever constructs under the space bar had become out-of-joint (the little things that stick out on the sides weren't in the little holes that they were usually in). I didn't notice at first, but it's clearly visible if you know what to look for. The white plastic thingies required removing from their metal holders, rejoining into each other, and reinsertion into the metal holders.

To stick the two white plastic rings into one another: the little plugs go into the little holes. There are two ways of doing that - one right, one wrong (with the ring flipped over). You know you've got it right when the resulting two-ring construct lies flat, as if it were cut out of one sheet of plastic.

To insert the double-O ring back into the metal holder: first, slip the side that faces you under its latch, then insert the two hooks into the metal holders on each side. This is where you really want that pair of tweezers.

The large piece of wire under the space bar is in two halves. I left the upper half attached to the space bar and slid it under its metal latches on both ends. The lower half I detached from the space bar and inserted into matching holes on either side of the keyoard tray, pushing up the upper half (it has a little room to move until it slides out of the latch again.)

I then pressed the space bar flat on the keyboard tray, and everything just kind of clicked into place. Yay, space bar!