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Little spill - any way to disable one key on MacBook keyboard?

S

SanibelMan

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 1, 2004
34
0
So there was a little spill the other day. I mopped up quickly, but now the right arrow key isn't working. It seems to twitch by itself occasionally - while trying to watch DVDs, for example, I'll suddenly skip forward in chapters to the end. Is there any way to disable the key through Terminal or something? If not, is there a way to tell the computer to ignore keyboard input if an external keyboard is attached, similar to how you can tell it to ignore trackpad input when a mouse is attached?
 
I actually had this same exact problem today! you might also experience a few other keys going out.... the first key that went for me was the h.. then the a.. etc. I took it to a genius I am friends with and he disabled the internal keyboard for me. There is a ribbon underneath the battery that he disconnected. It has blue at the end. Now I'm using an external keyboard until the new internal one comes in. good luck!
 
suimpreza16 said:
I actually had this same exact problem today! you might also experience a few other keys going out.... the first key that went for me was the h.. then the a.. etc. I took it to a genius I am friends with and he disabled the internal keyboard for me. There is a ribbon underneath the battery that he disconnected. It has blue at the end. Now I'm using an external keyboard until the new internal one comes in. good luck!
Click to expand...
Hmm, thanks. I hope it doesn't get any worse. How much did a new keyboard cost, and what's involved in replacing it?
 
Chandler Adaway said:
Good luck, and stay away from drinking around your Mac! It's never worth it.
Click to expand...

Although that said... a small water spillage, as long as its just water with nothing else at all in it, can usually be dried out.

... he says, glancing sadly at his old Apple Pro Keyboard which got lemonade on it and the sugar killed it stone dead.
 
Skeletal-dæmon said:
Although that said... a small water spillage, as long as its just water with nothing else at all in it, can usually be dried out.

... he says, glancing sadly at his old Apple Pro Keyboard which got lemonade on it and the sugar killed it stone dead.
Click to expand...
888888888888888888888888

im leaving all the unintentional 8's in this reply, to illustrate just how ann8888888oying a problem this is

hey skeletal, why not throw that out?

also8888888888888888888 i 888888f88in8d8 88888888888888888888888 - sorry...its ridiculous that the only solution to this problem (other than replacing the internal keyboard) is to physically disconnect the cable....very lame
 
I expect the reason you can't disable the internal keyboard in software is to do with the key-combinations required at startup for certain modes (CD boot, Target disk etc.)
 
jbuk said:
I expect the reason you can't disable the internal keyboard in software is to do with the key-combinations required at startup for certain modes (CD boot, Target disk etc.)
Click to expand...

I tried putting my MacBook Pro into Target Disk Mode with a USB keyboard and it worked, so I doubt that's the case.
I am having the same problem with my internal keyboard (spilled water into it, and now some of the keys go crazy). Thoughts?
 
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