Almost 4 days ago now my son sprayed an unknown amount of multi-purpose anti-bacterial Windex into the keyboard of my laptop.

I have left it open to dry since then, and tried to power it on this morning to gauge its condition. I reached the Windows Boot Manager screen after plugging in a USB keyboard (laptop keys completely unresponsive, no real surprise there...) and using it to navigate using the arrow keys.

No matter which of the two available options I select (Startup Repair or Start Normally) the screen goes black and I get a loud, continuous audio tone from the speakers, which persists till I turn it off via the power button.

I've never had this happen before, and am completely out of my element. I'm hoping there is a way to determine the problem (other than the fact there's Windex inside my machine somewhere >_>) and replace any bad parts with the least amount of expense possible. Starving artist and all that. ^_^

~Kat

The tone you are hearing is most likely a POST (Power on Self Test) tone meaning something is wrong with the hardware of your system, like you may still have windex inside it. The best solution I can offer is that the laptop will need to be completly opened up, the internal parts removed and cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, and the components left out to dry for a few days.

Taking apart a laptop isn't an easy thing to do, and then getting all the parts out is even harder as they are very tiny and small. If you are up to trying this yourself let me know and I will try to walk you through how to do it. There is no guarentee this will fix the problem as there may also be a short in your system from Windex. Liquid acts as a conductor and can cause electricity to jump from place to place where it is not suppose to, causing electrical components to get damaged. But, I have hope since your system is able to power up and you are getting something on the display.

If you do not want to try this yourself, then it will have to be repaired by a technician or if you live in or near the KMC military community, you can PM me to make arrangements for me to try and fix it for you.

If you take it in, it may cost you a few hundred dollars. If you bring it to me, the service is free. All I ask is that if I can fix it, that you consider making a donation. Donations are not required but are apreciated and do help me continue to provide this great service.

So anyway, I hope you and your son learned your lesson. Next time spray Windex on a towel first to clean the computer instead of directly on it. He was probably just trying to help. Let me know and I will do everything I can to try and help you get this working again.

Me taking my laptop apart any further than I already have (removed keyboard to asses damages then replaced all screws) is not a good idea. I'll readily admit that I am not technical enough or knowledgeable enough to do it without hurting something.

I'm sending you a PM.

~Kat

No problem. Once I get the computer it will take about a week to clean it properly and let it dry out. Hopefully a deep clean will fix any problems. If it is still not working, I'll see if I can't find the exact issue of the problem and I'll let you know the best and least inexpensive way to fix it.

BTW I am the KMCTechGuy. I just logged in with my regular account when I saw your post. Please send all PMs to kmctechguy as I just use this account to test with. Thanks.

Just to update what I've done so far. The laptop has been taken apart. I have removed the DVD drive, hard drive, memory, the LCD screen, and keyboard. To clean the system I used Rubbing Alcohol with Q-Tips and cotton balls. I have wiped down the mainboard with the alcohol and the Q-Tips, and then used can aire to blow away any residue or dust. The keyboard was wiped down with the alcohol and cotton balls. After a good wipe down with the cotton balls, I used the Q-Tips to get into all the cracks of the keyboard. A good spray with canned air cleared out any left over debris. All the parts are now sitting out drying for a few days. The dry process with the alcohol will allow the alcohol to bond with the water molecules and help them to evaporate better from all the parts. Electronics should be given at least a week to ensure there is no moisture in the system, at which time I will reassemble everything and hope it all works correctly. Because you took the keyboard apart before, it is possible that you damaged it slightly. I will know for sure in a couple more days. Monday will be a good day to start putting it back together as everthing should be dried out by then. Sorry it's taking so long, but time is the best solution when it comes to electronics and moisture.

Time is no problem for me; I'd much rather be safe than sorry.

If after everything is back together all I need is a new keyboard, I'll be ecstatic. ^_^ Those are far less expensive than a new laptop.

Thank you for the update!

~Kat