My iBook has a problem. As evidenced by the title, the spaceb ar on it acts a little crazy. If I type a space, sometimes it only hits the spac e once, but other times it hits the space two or more times. I'd like to know if there is a n easy fix for this that would not involve buy ing a new keyboard. It doesn't matter if it's a utility or a hardware mod. Thanks for your help, whoever responds to this.
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iBook G4 spacebar sometimes makes two+ spaces-A ny fix?
- Thread starter G4TheWin
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I had this, when I typed to fast and hard. It gets caught sometimes and stucks for a moment. You may try carefully lifting the spacebar and bending the plastic angles/hinges underneath the spacebar a bit. But be careful, they brake easily or can be overbend easily.
Does the keyboard sit properly in the case frame?
Does the keyboard sit properly in the case frame?
This generally happens for one of two reasons:
An accumulation of dirt, dust, debris, or sticky liquid (e.g. colas, or other isotonics) that have seeped into the key mechanism.
Wear of the contact points of a specific key.
If it is only dirty, you can attempt to clean it. The problem is, that membrane keyboards tend to be nearly impossible to clean, as the methods that work on mechanical keyboards are not usable. If you only have dirt, dust, ash, or other solids, you can use compressed air to clean the mechanism.
If it is a spilled liquid residue, you can attempt to soak the keyboard mechanism, using very hot (but not boiling) distilled water. Do not use any other form of water!
The hot water will help dissolve the residue, but it is also easy to corrupt the contact points...
Soak the keybaord and shake it out several times, using compressed air to force the liquid through the keycap mechanisms. After a few treatments, dry out the mechanism as follows:
Use compressed air to fiercely blow out all liquid, several times.
Place keyboard, keys down, in a warm to hot, dry area, for one to two days.
Then, blow keyboard out again with compressed air, and set keyboard out again, keycaps up, for a day or two.
Failing to thoroughly dry it will certainly lead to damage of the KB, and potentially the mainboard of any system on which you use it.
It's usually best to do this kind of cleaning in lots, rather than one mechanism at a time. If you want to spend the time to clean it, rather than buying a very inexpensive replacement, that is your choice.
An accumulation of dirt, dust, debris, or sticky liquid (e.g. colas, or other isotonics) that have seeped into the key mechanism.
Wear of the contact points of a specific key.
If it is only dirty, you can attempt to clean it. The problem is, that membrane keyboards tend to be nearly impossible to clean, as the methods that work on mechanical keyboards are not usable. If you only have dirt, dust, ash, or other solids, you can use compressed air to clean the mechanism.
If it is a spilled liquid residue, you can attempt to soak the keyboard mechanism, using very hot (but not boiling) distilled water. Do not use any other form of water!
The hot water will help dissolve the residue, but it is also easy to corrupt the contact points...
Soak the keybaord and shake it out several times, using compressed air to force the liquid through the keycap mechanisms. After a few treatments, dry out the mechanism as follows:
Use compressed air to fiercely blow out all liquid, several times.
Place keyboard, keys down, in a warm to hot, dry area, for one to two days.
Then, blow keyboard out again with compressed air, and set keyboard out again, keycaps up, for a day or two.
Failing to thoroughly dry it will certainly lead to damage of the KB, and potentially the mainboard of any system on which you use it.
It's usually best to do this kind of cleaning in lots, rather than one mechanism at a time. If you want to spend the time to clean it, rather than buying a very inexpensive replacement, that is your choice.
One thing you can do is go to system preferences>keyboard & mouse and turn up the key repeat delay. This way, the space bar (and any other key) will only repeat if the key is held down for a long time. Also, if that doesn't work, also turn down the key repeat rate so at least it will be repeated less times when the key sticks.
@Amestris:
I remember with the Desktop Pro Keyboard in emergency situations, when one had cleaned the board, one would have to redraw the lines with a pencil afterwards. (Not sure, if I get across what I mean through the language barrier).
Does that problem apply to the i/power/mac-book keyboards, too?
I remember with the Desktop Pro Keyboard in emergency situations, when one had cleaned the board, one would have to redraw the lines with a pencil afterwards. (Not sure, if I get across what I mean through the language barrier).
Does that problem apply to the i/power/mac-book keyboards, too?