Help Needed, Dell Inspiron 1720 Coffee Spillage!!

hi everyone, my friend has the aforementioned notebook, and has spilt a cup of coffee over it. somehow, it is sill working fine, but some of the keys are sticking. so basically, im wondering how easy/difficult it is to get the keyboard of and give it a wipe down. ive had a fair amount of experience with desktops, but never a laptop, but am definately willing to give it a go!!
any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Here is a guide to remove the keyboard

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1720/en/SM/keyboard.htm#wp1179979

 

You may laugh at this suggestion but I cured my Bro's Orange Juice spill this way:

-Disconnect keyboard (we took all the keys off too)
-Run under HOT HOT water and get all the stickies out (we even got a little scrub brush and went at it)
-Dry thoroughly with blow dryer (and I mean thoroughly =D )

Voila!

 

lol well, firstly, thanks very much for the guide atbnet, looks easy enough.

and secondly, hopefully just scrubbing it will do the trick.

thanks very much again.

 

You can get keyboards on ebay easily enough for about $25-$35

If you note when you get it out the KB has a lip all around the outside edge. I imagine it helps retain small spills within the keyboard instead of them flowing in to the internal parts of the laptop.

 

that might explain why it still works then yeah, if the keyboard looks wrecked ill suggest getting a new one yeah. cheers alot

 

Gotta love the sealed keyboard on the current Inspirons....

 

I'd grab a new one from ebay

 

Hah...ironically enough, my Daughter just threw my Logitech VX Revolution into the toilet...it had the battery in, hopefully it's not tostada ;D

 

I have a question about that, I have the "sealed" keyboard on my 1420 and I'm wondering what keeps the liquid from leaking through the edges of the keyboard when you spill something on it?

 

Admittedly, I have the same question...If I look carefully at my D630's keyboard, I can see what looks to be parts of the insides.

Supposedly the D630 also comes with a sealed keyboard, maybe the new keyboard was a mid cycle change, (mine was built in Nov. 07, way before the new Inspirons came out)

 

...good news, in case anyone was on the edge of their seat...my VX Revolution that took a flight into the commode is up and running...

Cheers!

P.S. Double proof water/liquid doesn't necessarily ruin electronics...just don't run them while they're wet

 

.....ewwww

 

To explain the keyboard, there is a slight lip around the edges of the keyboard tray. This will hold the liquid in. The bottom is sealed with a glued on piece of plastic. If the liquid misses the keyboard tray or spills over the little lip of the keyboard, it will still destroy the internals of the laptop. It's good enough for small spills on the keys.

 

thanks for all the input folks. right, ive got the dell here and have taken the ketboard out, real easy actually. now i cant see too much coffee stains or anything, theres only 2 keys not working, so im gonna order a new keyboard, looks way too intricate for me to be pulling keys on and off so rather just get the keyboard, 22.50 on ebay! not bad.

 

dsp...if you're willing to get a new one...why not try and fix the existing one with the method I suggested and spend the 22.50 on something else, like a couple big macs, 3 movies, half a tank of gas, or a lot of bubble gum?