Quick Update on the Computer

[lydamorehouse]

My computer (who takes its coffee black, since some have asked) seems to have fallen into the "it could be worse," but not exactly 100% solved category. My laptop now has a resident gremlin whom I have named Apostrophe (although it sometimes manifests, not at ALL creepily, as 666). The gremlin's favorite thing to do is to pick a punctuation mark or a number and endlessly repeat it. 

Sometimes.

Sometimes everything is fine. 

So, I am currently limping along with what I have and making back-ups like mad. 

Comments

[sabotabby]

Oof.

USB Keyboard?

[lsanderson]

Try plugging in a USB keyboard if you have one. I suspect your coffee bath did not favor the keyboard. They can be replaced, but that's a complicated idea based on the value of the laptop, the cost of the replacement, and your desire for a new computer. Backups sound like a good idea. I've not had much luck cleaning sticky keyboards, but Dr. Google seems to think isopropyl alcohol (90%) is good for surface cleaning. (I'd make sure to have backups off before I started.) Good Luck.

Re: USB Keyboard?

[glaurung]

Unless it had cream/sugar in it, coffee isn't going to leave much of a messy residue. It sounds like a replacement keyboard is the answer.

A lot of laptop keyboards are riveted to the top case these days, especially for Macs and consumer windows laptops. Mac topcases are not affordable - you're often going to be better off just buying an inexpensive refurbished macbook instead. And even for reasonably affordable Windows laptops, the cost of the part is just the start, there's also labour.

If the laptop is from the past 10-ish years, then it will be designed so that all the internals are mounted to the top case and you take the bottom off to service it. In which case replacing the keyboard requires a complete dissection, taking out everything (the old style where everything mounted to the bottom case and you serviced it by taking off the keyboard and palmrest had very simple and quick keyboard replacements). Obviously check with a repair shop to confirm prices, but unless the computer is from the early teens, a keyboard replacement is probably going to be expensive.

Whereas a refurbished thinkpad (corporate grade, durable, easy to repair) from the late teens/early 20's can be had for $250, and a refurbished apple silicon macbook for under $400. Those are prices on Backmarket. The laptop will have a seller warranty and show some signs of use but be in perfect working order. Ebay prices are usually lower, but you have to wade through a bunch of working but badly beat up laptops to find the right deal, whereas Backmarket is pre-curated.