help! the key for the letter that comes *etween a and c wont work!

[browntrout]

I dropped a can of coke on the keyoard earlier today and whilst everything else seems to work ok, the key for the second letter of the alphaet wont work. I have taken off the plastic cover and it all seems dry *ut it wont work at all. Is there anything I can do?

thanks in advance (I'm heading off to *ed now so will check in the morning for any replies!)

[jkklpu]

if you're using word, you can use the insert/symbol option and then copy and paste it but that will only work each time you log on as the clipboard will be erased each time

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Is there anything stuck underneath either the B cover when you take it off or on top of the thingy underneath the cover. Maybe try giving it a good clean with a toothbrush or a wipe with a babywipe. I guess it could be sticky residue causing a problem?

[BubbaAndBump]

Bit of a PITA, but if you do Num Lock, then press ALT 98, you get the lovely letter b

[BubbaAndBump]

Or uaAndump if it doesn't work for her ;)

[BubbaAndBump]

that didn't work - what I meant was something that looked like
?u??aAnd?ump

[browntrout]

ah now I know I'm a total Luddite here ut am on a lap top and there is a num lock ut is a secondary function on the scroll key and I dont know how to change to the other function. Sorry to *e so useless. Am very grateful for all the help though

[BubbaAndBump]

there should be a button (possibly in blue?) with the letters Fn on it - press that and then press the num lock button. Then the numbers for 98 are written in small on the keypad...

[browntrout]

thanks so much. At work now but will try when I get home. I love MN sometimes - so much knowledge!

[WebDude]

I was given a laptop to sort out which had had a glass of wine spilled into it. Replacement keyboard unit (with 17! screws to hold it in) would have made a hole in 80 quid and time taken to get bad kbd out would have cost quite a bit (if I had been charging).

Friend (of friend) was more concerned with photos (thousands) of family and music pieces, and decided didn't want to spend 150 quid on parts (battery dead too). I just plugged in a USB keyboard and can move laptop to back of the desk (hate silly little mice anyway, so a USB optical mouse was added). Unless you want to spend a lot, can probably get mouse for a fiver (or less, on Ebay) and a USB keyboard for same.

[WebDude]

Meant to add - of course only if you don't mind a separate keyboard. There are some narrow (width wise) keyboards, if size is important, but I much prefer having numeric pad separate and the separate cursors, home/ end/ del/ insert cluster.

A tiny number of functions still need the laptop 'Fn' key to be used - eg turning wi-fi off/on, screen brightness, switching to another (external) monitor, but after the wine, only a few keys (like the numbers row) still work, the rest show garbage and one cannot login without a separate keyboard, and it was a cheap option compared with trying to get a replacement, and when replacing it, have a chance of further damage (like throwing through window in frustration!)

[browntrout]

just an update - couldnt get the Alt 98 thing to work and, for the moment have shelved the separate keyboard. Instead I just cut and paste the letter b which is time consuming to say the least but has the advantage of requiring me to be a bit more creative with my vocabulary! thanks to all anyway.

[RustyBear]

If you're working on a longish piece in word it might be quicker to just type another character like # instead of b each time & then do a find & replace (you'd have to c&p the b to put into the replace box, of course.)

That's what DD had to do when a picture fell off her wall at uni onto her laptop keyboard & broke the alt & x keys - for most things she could do without those two, but she happened to be writing an essay on the psychology of sex....

The laptop is currently having a new keyboard put in rather expensively at John Lewis; I'm just hoping it comes back in time for the new term.