Upgrading & Fixing Laptops DUMmIES

Going deep ..........................................................................................

Deep cleaning a keyboard requires removal of the keys, which is a job that

ranges in difficulty from extremely easy to nearly impossible. Begin by con-

sulting your laptop’s instruction manual or calling customer support; you

don’t want to break the plastic by incorrect technique.

In most designs, you can lift up individual keys by using a hooked tweezer or

a chip-lifting tool. Position the tool squarely above the key and hook its arms

beneath the cap; lift straight up.

But wait! Before you do that, do the following:

1. Make sure you place the laptop on a sturdy, well-lit surface.


2. Have at hand several small light-colored boxes to hold parts as they
   are removed.


3. Make sure you know the keyboard layout.
   Your instruction manual may include a drawing of the design. Or you
   can make a drawing or use a digital camera or video camera to take a
   close-up picture to consult. (Make sure you have another computer or a
   television screen you can use to view its image.)


4. Remove just one or two key caps at a time and keep track of all parts.
   There may be a small rubber dome or spring beneath the cap. Be aware
   that some keys and domes or springs may have different shapes in vari-
   ous areas of the keyboard.


5. Use a dampened brush or small piece of cloth to clean beneath
   the key.

Chapter 10: Tripping the Keyboard Fantastic 167

Shampoo and a wash? I’ll pass.

You’ll see in some computer books and magazine
articles breathless accounts about how some
user has rescued a keyboard by putting it
through the rinse cycle in a dishwasher or hosing
it down with a garden house. Not here, though.

First of all, these guys are talking about detach-
able, replaceable keyboards for desktops and not

one that is integrated into a laptop computer. You

absolutely do not want to wet down all of the

other components attached to a keyboard that is

part of a laptop. Secondly, I’m not convinced that

a full soak won’t kill a keyboard or make it unreli-

able. And a replacement keyboard for a desktop

computer can be purchased for as little as $10.