Coffee in Keyboard - Fatal1ty repair

[VirusType2]

I don't know if anyone here has the Fatal1ty keyboard that came out in 2006? They don't make it any more!

I've had this keyboard for a few years and absolutely love it. Can't use another one. It's been working flawlessly.

But ooo noooes, I spilled coffee into my keyboard.

First I turned it upside down and shook much of the liquid out. Turned off the computer, unplugged it, then used a hair dryer, and finally a wet/dry shop vacuum. After a bit I tested it out and it worked, but certain keys were sticking really bad. 10 of them.


Keyboard ruined, right? **** no, do you know who I am?

HOW TO FIX:

Spoiler

I messed with trying to take it apart for about an hour before I realized this was the most difficult thing I'd ever tried to take apart. And I take everything apart.

But before I gave up, I eventually learned to pop the keys out one by one. You gently pry up from the bottom of the key. The plastic scissor joint is semi-locked in there pretty good, but it's very flexible high quality plastic and won't break. The clear plastic here isn't really flexible, only the white stuff!

So as I took the keys off, I put them in a little bowl of detergent soap and warm water. Then I took some Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, a flat-head screwdriver and paper towels to carefully clean in all the cracks on the keyboard itself. That took an hour.


I took the keys out of the soapy bowl and sprayed them off with full force from the tap. I shook most of the water off, worked the scissor joint a bit and put them on a paper towel to dry.

After drying:

Then I managed to snap them back on. The top of the key goes on first (opposite order you removed them). You need to slide it down a little while pressing down. You'll get the hang of it, and it won't take too long to get them on.

The ESC and Function keys are smaller and all the way to the edge. DO NOT MESS WITH THESE KEYS UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST. I spent about 30 minutes on the ESC, and about 1 hour trying to get the F1 key on. Very frustrating. The plastic on the keyboard was stressed and bent, looked like it could break. I had to keep unbending it. You will need to get the cover of the keyboard partially off (it doesn't seem to come all the way off without breaking)

PHOTOS:
Keys removed, being cleaned:

Spoiler

Keys, drying, after a good wash:

Spoiler

Job complete. Keys replaced, minus coffee:

Spoiler

(there's still some splatter stains on some of the keys, but I didn't want to push my luck. They weren't sticking, so I left them alone. Hopefully this keyboard can last me a couple more years or more.

I dare say it works a little better now since I had never vacuumed it before and there was quite a bit of stray hair, dust and crumbs trapped under the keys. (gross because you can see them with the clear keys)

I guess it was worth it, but if you make a lot of money, **** that shit, throw it away.

Otherwise, good luck fixing your keyboards.

/sips coffee

 

[Robbo]

I may or may not have done the same thing and may or may not have gotten Logitech to replace it as faulty

 

[kineaesth]

You're a real champion.

Both of you.

 

[VirusType2]

But more me, right?

I'm so ****ing happy I fixed this bitch. Otherwise I'd be using one that came with an eMachines, HP, or a Compaq. Cheap ass keyboards. And right now my job has me doing data entry, so that would suck.

 

[kineaesth]

But more me, right?

Actually, I'm more impressed that you decided it was fixable. I would have basically gone "SHIT"

"SHIT I JUST GOT COFFEE ALL IN MY KEYBOARD"

"SHIT"

edit: moral is don't drink coffee at the computer, or if you do, drink it with a straw out of a sealed container.

 

[VirusType2]

Yeah, I'm never using that mug at my PC again. It's got a small bottom and a large mouth. It's top heavy and precarious.

I'm gonna get something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Wide-Bottom-C...pp_url?ie=UTF8&tag=feedage-20&creative=381421

 

[15357]

That's very cool. I would have gone pretty much along with KA.



Or you know, pour acetone in the keyboard and see how that goes after it evaporates.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Stop drinking coffee, it sucks.
Also lol'd: Coffee in Keyboard - Fatal1ty

 

[Dynasty]

I once spilt coke on my Logitech MX510 mouse.

The side buttons as well as the smaller top buttons behind the roller to control the sensitivity of the mouse began to stick and it became so damn annoying.

Pulled it apart, wish I hadnt, and spent longer than I would have liked putting it all back together again. And I had to pull off the smooth pads/feet to get at all the screws, which now cant be replaced and just gather gunk from the table as they were glued on in two layers.

Still love my mouse though, and use it on a mousepad with the wrist gel stuff back at home so its all good once I clean the outside when I get home in a few days.

 

[Raziaar]

I've spilled orange juice on my microsoft keyboard I'm using right now. In the first two seconds I quickly reached around and unplugged the USB for it.

"Oh shit!" <unplug> <-- all in one fluid motion.

I then had to strip it naked and set aside the electronic board(wiping off the few drops of OJ), giving the rest of it a cold, embarrassing shower. Putting it all back together was the most annoying part. Particularly the space bar thing that has to sit in there upside down all perfectly aligned while you sandwich to the two pieces together. Had to use some tape to get it accomplished. I also had to rip apart the plastic layers to get at the hidden moisture between them which was also still messing it up as I found out after putting it together once before.

 

[StarBob]

I've spilled orange juice on my microsoft keyboard I'm using right now. In the first two seconds I quickly reached around and unplugged the USB for it.

"Oh shit!" <unplug> <-- all in one fluid motion.

I then had to strip naked

That's all I read.

 

[Raziaar]

The human body is a remarkable sponge, you know.

 

[PJ]

I spilled coke on the Logitech keyboard I'm using now, at first I just drained it but as it dried the keys started sticking, so I stripped the keys off, which didn't take much effort, put them in hot water with soap and mixed it around violently, and left them on the boiler in a towel overnight. As the the keyboard, I just sprayed detergent on it, and wiped it.

Note: they are waterproof when the keys are in, cos there is no holes for the liquid to seep in.


I also love using an air duster on my keyboard, seeing all that shitty shit flying out. mmmmm.

 

[Rizzo]

I once spilled egg all over my keyboard. Not hardboiled either, but something in between and put it on a sandwich. I think there still might be some in there but I don't really care.

 

[Raziaar]

I once spilled egg all over my keyboard. Not hardboiled either, but something in between and put it on a sandwich. I think there still might be some in there but I don't really care.

Hopefully you won't end up with some human chicken half-breed.

 

[VirusType2]

I've got to get some sort of cup holder shit. Oh god, this keyboard is awesome now.

/sips coffee from 2.5 lb. mug

 

[Escaep]

It's got a small bottom and a large mouth. It's top heavy and precarious.

Sounds like my ex.

 

[Rizzo]

oh lordy lord!

 

[Asus]

I've removed all a keyboard's keys and cleaned it before but it sounds like my keyboard was a little easier to take apart.

But I usually like getting new keyboards and so if that happened to my last logitech I would just buy something new. (just bought an ABS M1 last week) I don't think I had a keyboard that at the end of 2+ years I really wanted a new one of the same thing. My last logitech (g15) was probably closest to that idea but I still wanted something different.

 

[VirusType2]

I've a few keyboards apart, but I've never popped keys off. I didn't know they came off without breaking. The keyboards I've taken apart, you simply take the back off, and all the keys can be removed.

This keyboard has the illumination sheet and the various layers seemed to be glued together in a sandwich. In fact I was unable to see why the front or back wouldn't come off. I'm sure I wasn't overlooking any screws, but it was just locked in there somehow, and it looked like it would snap before it let go.

I'm sure there are other keyboards out there that I might like, perhaps even more than this one. But for me, the keys are much more important than features, and I've yet to see a keyboard that can hang with this bitch. I can type like 33% faster with this keyboard, and the keys always activate. Like on some keyboards while typing fast, sometimes keys won't even register. Probably just human error (maybe I didn't press it on all the way?), but that's because the buttons suck, not because I didn't press it.

I am interested in taking a look at other keyboards but I'd have to try it in the store first, or something. I have yet to find a feature on another keyboard that I actually care about, much less use.

My only gripe with the Fatal1ty is that the Function keys are not separated at all. On the rare occasion (twice in memory), I've accidentally hit a function key while going for the number keys. Imagine accidentally hitting F7 while you are playing a game. "quick load". Oh, god damn it. I think another time I was posting here and accidentally hit F4 or whatever, erasing what I had typed.

 

[Dynasty]

I'm currently going through a Logitech phase. My mouse, keyboard and PC speakers (with sub) are all Logitech. They just all feel so robust, relatively cheap, sometimes cheaper than Microsoft stuff, and it just lasts.

When it comes to typing though, I choose my laptop every time for some reason. Maybe its because the keys are slightly closer together, Im a bit of a blur when I type apparently.

I can touch type almost perfectly as well. At Uni I used to type out references at the library just by reading the page and typing at the same time, the whole time my eyes will be on the page.

Ive carried on typing when my boss comes over and asks me something, and the first time I did it he stopped mid-sentence and asked if I was listening to him, concentrating on typing or doing both, and just laughed and said he'd never seen someone continue typing whilst not looking at the screen.

Maybe I will be promoted to secretary some day for my typing skills...or is that demoted, I dunno right now. Some vague reference to not getting paid enough for this ***t. But then is anyone? Oooh, more binding and filing work. My job description says Assistant WDM Engineer. Engineer my ass...