Liquid spill in keyboard - possible motherboard crashing?

[Damon24]

Hi, I am new to this forum, I came across it and noticed its a decently popular place for feedback with problems? I dont know. But I have a pretty major problem and at this point I'd like anyone's input haha!

So, the other day, I accidently spilled some milk onto my keyboard, it didn't seem as if much went inside, but apparently it was enough :(. For the first 10-or-so seconds only sticky keys and the 's' key occuring six times on one push were the symptoms. But then shortly after my screen started flickering, then random lines of black going through it, then big squares of black covering a total of 3/4 of the screen, then it just turned pitch white. I immediately turned off the laptop and removed the battery.

I came back to it around 5 hours later and put in the battery to test it. It turns on fine, all signs of the power working. But, the screen is completely black. It does not show the startup image of Toshiba or any loading of anything whatsoever. But it stays powered on fine? So basically I am left now with a laptop that powers on, but has nothing visible onscreen!

So, sorry if this is a long post, I'd thought I'd tell everything that happened exactly for a more accurate response :P. Basically I'm looking for what could be wrong with it. I'm thinking the motherboard failed?

[jlreich]

Welcome to the http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif forums.

It sounds like some of the milk managed to get down around where the VGA cable plugs into the motherboard shorting it out. I would remove the plug and battery and wouldn't try to turn on the machine anymore until you get this taken care of.

It's possible if you were to open the system up and dry it out it would work just fine again. It's also possible the milk fried something on the motherboard.

The only way to find out is to take the system apart and carefully clean it up. You can do this yourself. Toshiba should have a service manual to show how to take apart the system. Or if you don't feel comfortable doing it you should take it to a shop.

If there is milk inside the machine it won't likely dry out by itself very easily. The good thing is most laptop KB's are built like a tray with little lips that would hold most of the liquid in the KB only allowing a little bit to seep through in certain spots, or if the spill got around the side of the KB.

[Damon24]

Thank you for your quick reply. I have opened it up and cleaned it out, unfortunately no luck. I noticed the milk did seep through into the internal parts. So I'm assuming it fried something on the motherboard then. So at this point am I right to purchase a new motherboard and replace it? Or is there anything else I should try? Thanks.

[jlreich]

Did you try reseating the VGA cable?

It sure sounds like the motherboard was damaged. But I would like to see you do as much troubleshooting as possible before you order a new motherboard which will cost big bucks to replace.

It's possible the LCD screen shorted out. Try hooking up an external monitor. If it works fine with an external monitor then the mobo is more than likely OK. Although I have seen times that the system will pump out video to the external but not to the onboard screen. Or vice versa.

Do you have onboard video, or do you have a dedicated video card? If you have a dedicated video card it could be the card was shorted out.

[Damon24]

Yes I did that. Also I hooked up an external monitor and still did not work. And my video card is onboard. So now I'm just giving it in to a guy I know who owns a shop to replace the motherboard (unless he works miracles and fixes it some other way), I've created enough problems for this laptop no need to have a possible screw up replacing it myself ::p.

I would like to thank you for all your help though. It's been greatly appreciated.

[jlreich]

Yea if the external doesn't work then the board is toast.

Good luck. :)

[softwares88]

Guess u can get a new laptop?I also did something like what u had done..Spilling liquid on the keyboard.:eek: