Tried 2 T23 Keyboards and both won't work on the right half

[Buptink]

Hi to all! Ever since I spilled that Newcastle Brown Ale on my keyboard a year or so ago I've been having a problem replacing it. I have purchased two of them from eBay and they seem good but most of the right-side keys on both of them won't work. The left-side keys work just fine. The disobedient right-side keys either don't work at all or they open up the right-click window on my mouse.

I have the instructions for changing the keyboard and I usually respect instructions but I just don't understand why they say I have to remove the battery pack AND the backup battery AND the hard drive AND the dvd drive, etc., when I can easily remove the keyboard by simply taking out the two screws - the one in the middle of the case and the one in the battery compartment. I see on the keyboard that there is a plug under the 'J' like the instructions say and I always make sure that it's firmly seated. Other than that plug I just don't see anything that would make both keyboards act so strangely.

Why do I have to take out the backup battery?

I know that I could go ahead and follow the instructions to a T but I'm a single dad with two whirlwind young boys and I don't want parts laying around if I have to tend to something in the middle of taking everything out of my T23 just to replace the keyboard.

All advice is greatly appreciated.

[rkawakami]

As far as the removal of the "unnecessary" components is concerned, I think that the factory instructions are more for safety reasons than for providing physical access to whatever is ultimately being removed. I've pulled out many a T2 keyboard without as much as undoing the two screws you mentioned (one of them is in the MiniPCI bay and not the battery bay).

My guess is that the factory wants people to remove all sources of power (AC adapter, main and backup batteries) when exposing any part of the motherboard as a dropped screw could do some damage. Removing the AC power and main battery would also prevent the accidental powering up of the system when stripping it down.

Since you have replaced the original keyboard with others and are experiencing identical problems with them, I would think that the problem exists on the motherboard. There could be some leftover beer (sorry, ale) on the board near the keyboard connector or even within the connector itself. A good cleaning with another type of alcohol (isopropyl) may be all that is needed.

[Buptink]

Thank you so much for your help. I was hoping for that type of answer.

It could only be the plug, correct? Old dried ale on the motherboard somewhere wouldn't make the keyboard act like this, right?

How can I clean that little plug with alcohol? Take a tiny brush to it for a couple of minutes and then air spray it out? Where I'll get a tiny brush I do not know. What do you use? I called the local computer store and they said they don't have tiny brushes and that it probably isn't a matter of washing out the plug, it's probably corrosion. They said to try blasting it with air so I'll pick up a can later today.

Thanks again for your advice. Hot and humid here in South Dakota today. How's your weather?

[Neil]

Just be sure you use isopropyl (99% pure) alcohol, like Ray suggested. It will evaporate very quickly. Whatever you do, don't use rubbing alcohol, it will leave behind a oily residue that will be worse than ale.

Try a hobby/craft store for a small paint brush.

[Buptink]

Thank you kindly. A tiny paintbrush! Of course!

[Raceboy]

I have been using toothbrush for this kind of stuff for years without any troubles. It cleans very good.

Of course, don't brush teeth with it after cleaning the circuit board