From: A_Tina_Hall@kruemel.org   
      
   William Vetter   wrote:   
   > Michelle Bottorff wrote:   
      
   >> ..two of my eybord eys eep randomy stopping woring.  Guess which   
   >> ones.   
   >>   
   >> I've mosty been copying and pasting the missing etters, but it's a   
   >> rea pain. :(   
      
   > Blow all over the keyboard with your mouth, or with back end of   
   > vacuum cleaner, or with pressurized air if you can.  It is dirt or   
   > dust or cat hair.   
      
   Usually, yes, but my last working non-windoze-keys keyboard really gave   
   up. Even the 's' on the malfunctioning key itself was long gone already.   
   :)   
      
   > Avoid taking keyboard apart.  Each key has a rubber suction cup under   
   > it that all fall out when you unscrew the two halves of keyboard, and   
   > you gotta pack them all back in.  You can totally clean all the parts   
   > that way, but it will take you hours.   
      
   Not all of them look that way. I used to take them apart to clean them.   
   Only time I actually broke one was when I did so while it was still   
   connected. (Really stupid idea.) The other times I might have lost a   
   piece or damaged the plastic part of the actual key, but that was   
   something I could work around.   
      
   Insides of keyboards are rather interesting, I had one with a few layers   
   of plastic sheet with the 'wires' just kind of painted on (and a break   
   in that definitely wasn't dirt getting it to malfunction, but taping a   
   bit of real wire over the missing bit worked).   
      
   Then there was one with the little nubs you mention. One had a little   
   spring for every key (careful not to lose them!).   
      
   Some of them just went into storage taken apart because I couldn't be   
   bothered to clean them properly when I still had a replacement one lying   
   around.   
      
   The last one with the malfunctioning s key I kept alive (and me from   
   having to clean it every 4 weeks) by covering it with clear foil (the   
   type you wrap food in). Started that with the current one right away.   
   (The clear foil is easily replaced, and doesn't take too long getting   
   used to - just don't wrap it around tightly, leave it loose enough to be   
   able to press any keys). It also only takes a day or so after every   
   exchange to stop being sticky.)   
      
   --   
   "Now, what skills do you have?"   
   "I can read upside down."   
   The man blinked. "What?"   
   "Any script I'm familiar with."    -- Rennik and Ranes, Magic Earth VI   
      
      
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