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cbayer

(146,218 posts)
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 07:23 PM Aug 2013

So, a glass of red wine commited suicide onto my MacBook Pro the other night.

It was really, really rocky and I just took my hand off for a minute. Most of it went all over me and the couch, but some did hit the open computer.

Everything seems ok except the track pad.

At first it wasn't working at all, but I put in a mouse and that works fine.

Then it started getting totally wacked out. Opening windows on it's own, starting programs, zooming in and out of the page.

I disable all the track pad commands and it has stopped doing all that.

My questions are these:

Does the wacky behavior indicate that the trackpad is trying to recover?

Is there anything I should or should not be doing that might get the trackpad back to normal?

30 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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So, a glass of red wine commited suicide onto my MacBook Pro the other night. (Original Post) cbayer Aug 2013 OP
The wacky behavior implies there's some liquid in there somewhere floating around. PoliticAverse Aug 2013 #1
Maybe I will leave it open and upside down over night tonight. cbayer Aug 2013 #2
Good luck and no more wineing about your computer... n/t PoliticAverse Aug 2013 #3
Lol! I need to keep the computer and the wine away from each other when cbayer Aug 2013 #4
Sparkly has a MBP that met a similar fate. Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #5
I did this once before with some sweet tea. cbayer Aug 2013 #6
Like yours, hers works fine with a mousie. Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #7
Can they just replace the track pad? cbayer Aug 2013 #8
We'll learn that on Wednesday when she has a genius bar appointment. Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #9
What was the wine? davidwparker Aug 2013 #10
It was a zin and pretty good, too. cbayer Aug 2013 #11
If it was a Zin, that would be my biggest upset! Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #12
Ends up it's going to be a $90 glass of zin. cbayer Aug 2013 #17
LOL davidwparker Aug 2013 #13
I'm going over to town today and have made an appointment at the genius bar. cbayer Aug 2013 #16
If time doesn't fix it and you're feeling very mechanically handy sir pball Aug 2013 #14
I'm probably not going to do that. cbayer Aug 2013 #18
My last 2 keyboards have been victims of death by coffee (with cream & sugar) kag Aug 2013 #15
Lol, you are as bad as me! cbayer Aug 2013 #19
I have some good news! Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #20
That is great news. They told me they would do it in house, same cost, but it would cbayer Aug 2013 #21
I also have some great news! cbayer Aug 2013 #22
I bet you hugged that little aluminum case! Stinky The Clown Aug 2013 #23
Yes, indeed! As well as the tech it brought it to me. cbayer Aug 2013 #24
Done that twice and have killed a couple of keyboards. RebelOne Sep 2013 #25
No wine near the computer?? Blasphemer. cbayer Sep 2013 #26
That's called alcohol abuse. RoccoR5955 Sep 2013 #27
Well, I do have the excuse that the boat was rocking pretty badly. cbayer Sep 2013 #28
That's no excuse for an experienced sailor! RoccoR5955 Sep 2013 #29
We were at anchor and I was being complacent. cbayer Sep 2013 #30

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
1. The wacky behavior implies there's some liquid in there somewhere floating around.
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 07:29 PM
Aug 2013

Turn it keyboard side down and see if you can shake any out.

Leave it open in some warm area to help it dry out. If it isn't working when any liquid has dried
it's time for plan B.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
2. Maybe I will leave it open and upside down over night tonight.
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 07:49 PM
Aug 2013

I thought I had trashed my track pad once before, but it eventually went completely back to normal.

Thanks so much for your help?

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
4. Lol! I need to keep the computer and the wine away from each other when
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 08:23 PM
Aug 2013

we are rocking around.

Live and learn.

Stinky The Clown

(68,464 posts)
5. Sparkly has a MBP that met a similar fate.
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 09:12 PM
Aug 2013

Worse than wine, I think it was fruit juice. It shall be visiting the Apple Store soon to see if repairs can be economically effected effectively.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
6. I did this once before with some sweet tea.
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 09:16 PM
Aug 2013

It left sugar crystals under my screen.

I have to go to the mainland next week, so if it's still not working, I can go to the Apple store.

Boneheaded move on my part.

Stinky The Clown

(68,464 posts)
7. Like yours, hers works fine with a mousie.
Sun Aug 11, 2013, 09:27 PM
Aug 2013

So we are pretty sure the trackpad is toasted. It accepts all gestures except for clicks.

On edit . . . . would that be toasted or . . . poached?

Stinky The Clown

(68,464 posts)
9. We'll learn that on Wednesday when she has a genius bar appointment.
Mon Aug 12, 2013, 12:25 PM
Aug 2013

I'm betting they can. I just don't know how much they'll charge.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
11. It was a zin and pretty good, too.
Mon Aug 12, 2013, 06:58 PM
Aug 2013

I don't know what I was most upset about - losing my wine or possibly my computer.

davidwparker

(5,397 posts)
13. LOL
Mon Aug 12, 2013, 09:40 PM
Aug 2013

I've heard recently that someone put a wet device in a bag of rice and supposedly that it to help dry it. Good luck with it.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
16. I'm going over to town today and have made an appointment at the genius bar.
Tue Aug 13, 2013, 11:11 AM
Aug 2013

Not sure what can be done, so I will defer to the geniuses.

sir pball

(4,943 posts)
14. If time doesn't fix it and you're feeling very mechanically handy
Tue Aug 13, 2013, 08:53 AM
Aug 2013

You can disassemble the MBP and wash all the circuity with distilled water (not the hard drive!). Let it dry for a few days and it should be fine. The problem with liquids besides water is that they can leave a residue when they dry that will still short-circuit things, so there needs to be a thorough cleaning done.

That, or replace the trackpad. Cheap and readily available on eBay, I did the lady's a while back for >$50.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
18. I'm probably not going to do that.
Tue Aug 13, 2013, 05:55 PM
Aug 2013

As you can see, I am a little clumsy at times.

Apple store said it would cost $90 to replace, which I will swallow. But they also said it would take 5 - 7 days, which I just can't do.

Not sure what to do at this point.

kag

(4,108 posts)
15. My last 2 keyboards have been victims of death by coffee (with cream & sugar)
Tue Aug 13, 2013, 10:37 AM
Aug 2013

My last computer, which needed to be replaced anyway, died completely when I spilled coffee directly on to the keyboard. I tried sopping it up, letting it dry...everything but taking it to the genius bar and admitting what I'd done .

My current computer suffered the exact same fate within about two months of my buying it. (Why I don't learn my lesson is a question my hubby is desperately trying to answer .)

Well, it started behaving pretty wacky, just as you described: opening windows on its own, spewing characters as if it was possessed by the devil, etc. Oh, and the trackpad died...sort of. It wouldn't click, but it would still track, so if I switched my settings to have it click by touch instead of by pressing it, it was almost usable.

After a few weeks, it began to get back to normal, though for months every time I typed "z" or "c" it would start spewing random characters again. That has finally stopped, so my machine is almost completely back to normal. The only permanent consequence is that

1) the track pad still won't click so I still have to use the "touch" setting. I use an external mouse virtually all the time because on the "touch" setting it's impossible to click and drag. And

2) Every time my husband sees my using my computer with a cup of coffee nearby he will take on or the other away from me. Can't say I blame him .

I'll be very interested to know if the geniuses can help you, especially with regard to the track pad. Good luck.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
19. Lol, you are as bad as me!
Tue Aug 13, 2013, 05:58 PM
Aug 2013

I am thinking of just using the mouse for awhile and see if it comes back over time.

The geniuses told me they would replace it for $90, which I am willing to do. But the 5 - 7 working days is impossible for me because I plan to return to the island in 5 days.

Not sure what I will do at this point.

Stinky The Clown

(68,464 posts)
20. I have some good news!
Wed Aug 14, 2013, 02:41 PM
Aug 2013

Sparkly got her trackpad replaced today. Spill damage, as suspected. The cost was $90. The really good news is that it was done in an hour! Apparently the stores are all equipped to do this.

By the way, if it could get by with just a cleaning (a very real possibility), there would be no charge.

I hope yours works out well for you.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
21. That is great news. They told me they would do it in house, same cost, but it would
Wed Aug 14, 2013, 03:40 PM
Aug 2013

take 5 - 7 business days. I can't do that.

I have an appointment at another store tomorrow and I am going to plead with them to do it immediately.

They also told me that about the cleaning and also said there would be no charge if there was more damage than just the trackpad which couldn't be repaired.

Keep your fingers crossed. I see the geniuses at 1:30 PM PST tomorrow!

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
22. I also have some great news!
Fri Aug 16, 2013, 08:00 PM
Aug 2013

I went to the genius bar yesterday and they had my new track pad in by the end of the day.

I had to beg them, because they are backed up about a week, but they did it.

Works perfectly!!

That was one expensive glass of wine.

The Genius tech said if it ever happens again, turn it upside down immediately.

RebelOne

(30,947 posts)
25. Done that twice and have killed a couple of keyboards.
Wed Sep 4, 2013, 02:29 PM
Sep 2013

Luckily my computer survived. What you should not be doing is having a glass of wine near the computer. I learned my lesson after the second keyboard died.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
26. No wine near the computer?? Blasphemer.
Wed Sep 4, 2013, 02:38 PM
Sep 2013

What I have learned is to not have a glass of wine near the computer when we are rocking....

or tea or just about anything.

 

RoccoR5955

(12,471 posts)
27. That's called alcohol abuse.
Wed Sep 11, 2013, 01:27 PM
Sep 2013

Along with computer abuse.

As a tech, I feel that it should be punishable by something.

Yeah, they can probably fix it, it may cost you, if there's enough liquid to damage stuff in there.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
28. Well, I do have the excuse that the boat was rocking pretty badly.
Wed Sep 11, 2013, 01:33 PM
Sep 2013

But it did end up being a pretty expensive glass of wine.

 

RoccoR5955

(12,471 posts)
29. That's no excuse for an experienced sailor!
Wed Sep 11, 2013, 07:05 PM
Sep 2013

We sail a 36 foot gaff rigged sloop on the Hudson. The only ones who spill their drinks in a storm, are those without experience, and those who are foolish enough to leave their drinks on deck!

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
30. We were at anchor and I was being complacent.
Wed Sep 11, 2013, 07:36 PM
Sep 2013

Generally the swells build, and like a Disney cartoon, I watch things sliding and grab them before we hit critical rocking.

But this one got me by surprise.

Hope you got lots of sailing in this summer!

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