Member Avatar for green_monster

please forgive the lack of proper formatting.

i've spilled water on my only two keyboards and i don't know how to fix them. one puts numbers in my typing like so: the qUi8ck br5own fox jumped over5 the laZy7 dog. the other doesn't make any letters at all. one is a microsoft natural and the other is an microsoft intellitype.

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Short technical summary tied to the thread: the symptoms described here — spurious digits appearing during normal typing on one board and a second keyboard that no longer registers letters — most often come from liquid creating shorts or leaving conductive residue on the keyboard matrix or PCB. correctly notes repair can be tricky; is right that drying is the first move. The difference is that a careful, stepwise cleaning can sometimes save a keyboard if the spill was mostly water and the unit was powered off quickly.

Practical, low-risk procedure to try (in order):

  1. Unplug the keyboard immediately and do not power it while damp.
  2. Photograph the layout, then tilt/shake gently to drain free liquid. Blot with a lint-free cloth.
  3. Remove keycaps (note: some Microsoft models use scissor clips—pry gently and keep stabilizers safe). Clean keycaps separately with warm water and dry.
  4. If comfortable, open the case (unscrew), remove the membrane/PCB and inspect for discoloration or residue. Clean contacts and rubber domes with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; use contact cleaner for visible corrosion. Do NOT use household cleaners.
  5. Dry completely — 48–72 hours in a warm, ventilated spot with desiccant packs is far safer than high heat from a hair dryer.
  6. Reassemble and test on a different machine and in BIOS or a text editor to rule out OS mapping issues.

Why digits may appear: keyboards are a rows-and-columns matrix. Liquid can bridge matrix lines or short switch contacts, producing phantom keycodes (often those mapped to the numeric keypad or nearby columns). The board that is totally dead may have a severed trace, fried controller, or corroded connector — these are harder to recover.

If cleaning and drying do not restore reliable operation, replacement is usually the pragmatic choice. Note: "IntelliType" is Microsoft keyboard software/drivers, not a hardware fix — driver issues are unlikely when the board shows hardware symptoms.

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Member Avatar for TallCool1

I've spilled water on my only two keyboards and i don't know how to fix them... One is a microsoft natural and the other is an microsoft intellitype.

No recourse. Unless you are an experienced technician, you are unlikely to be able to repair either board.

Heck, I'm an experienced technician--and I probably would only have about a 50/50 chance of fixing either KB. Sorry for the bad news.

Member Avatar for jokers

how do you spill water on "2" keyboards??
at one time? turn them upside down, let them dry , even use a hair dryer on them.. then when that accomplishes nothing go buy a new one.. and be more responsible with liquids around important equipment.!!

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