Keyboard Trouble

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The keyboard that came with my Mac G5 has become sticky—the keys actually make a creaky-squeaky noise as they encounter resistence. I'm having to really punch them. The spacer bar is especially bad. It's like the plastic has swollen. Wut da fucque? Nothing was ever spilled on it. Does anyone else have this problem? Does such a thing as keyboard lubricant exist? Should I just trash it and get a new one?

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:16 (twenty years ago)

"break it in"

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

Used to work like a dream. (sniff).

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

try compressed air? my mac keyboards need a good blowing from time to time. the underside of keys become compacted with crumbs and foodstuffs.

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

I think that's unlikely because I've been careful, but I'll give it a try. I've got a can somewhere around here.
ACTUALLY, we rented out the house this summer and there were bunches of kids using my computer! Insane, I know.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

So, you let a bunch of kids use your computer unsupervised and now it's sticky?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

I KNOW, I KNOW.
But they were careful— next to no dust/crumbs came out when I hit it with the can of air. Also, I can see in the sides because the outer shell/base of it is clear. It's clean.
The stickiness is not foreign-substance type stickiness, but parts-rubbing-against-parts stickiness, but without the thrill. If I hit the keys from exactly overhead, exactly in the center of the key, it doesn't happen, but in my usual typing style there's some, shall we say, imprecision. Then they hang up on the other keys, or in the case of the spacer bar, on the outer shell thing. This didn't used to happen.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

are you just being dramatic?

could the change be in you and not the keyboard?

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

Are you angling for an invitation so YOU can try it?

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

If you have a shop-vac or a home vacuum with serious suction, use the compressed air in one hand to dislodge all the crap under the keys, and the vacuum in the other hand to suck it up between them.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

But there IS no crap. These friggin' keys, like bad husbands, just don't wanna go DOWN.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

now, i think we're on to something.

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

If you have a gentle touch, you can try prying the keys off with a table knife to see what's wrong. Be careful of breaking anything, and be warned that the bigger keys that make different noises (space bar, return, maybe others?) will be *much* harder to put back on.

― Rhodia (Rhodia), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

Just pop the space bar off with a small screwdriver and see what's under there. It'll snap back on. (I know, I just tried it.)

xpost!

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

cvvvvc xccccccccccccccccccccc?v v vv ccx ? çc
And that was what I wrote while wrestling with the space bar. There was no dirt, but now that I've finally got it back on right (there was a pesky little wire that had to tuck into tabs on either side), it actually seems a bit better. I SCARED it!
Thanks for giving me permission to take my keyboard apart!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

I also put a miniscule amount of JOHNSON'S BABY POWDER in there.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

It was a toss-up between that and "Fix-a-Flat."

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Now it smells like a baby's behind.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

have you considered a sex therapist?

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

I thought that was YOUR job.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

I feel like half the posts on this thread aren't getting to my computer somehow.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

Things always seem to degenerate.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

i also feel like half the posts on this thread aren't getting to my computer somehow.

― nein Socken (nein Socken), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

It's the fucking spacer bar, I tell you.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

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