Nail polish remover caused symptoms. Solution?

Hi everyone,
I spilled nail polish remover on my laptop's keyboard. It has been a year since the incident. I do not have money to spare so I have not had it looked at. Below are the symptoms, could someone possibly tell me which components of my Macbook Pro I would need to replace in order for it to work properly.
a. Shift key is always active. I cannot type numbers or lowercaes letters.
b. No sound other than the intial boot up sound.
c. When a window is minimized it goes to the dock in super slow motion
d. Keyboard light does not work. Monitor light is fine though.
I don't really care about d. but others I do care. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The last thing that you want is inflammable acetone vapour inside a device from which you can't remove the battery, so why not ask the professionals at a Nokia Care facility whom no doubt have faced this issue before?
Happy to have helped forum in a small way with a Support Ratio = 37.0

Similar Messages

  • Sister spilled nail polish remover over her MacBook...

    So my sister wasn't thinking it was a bad a idea to be watching a YouTube video on her MacBook Pro while using nail polish remover and keeping the bottle open. Low and behold she knocked it over and it spilled all over her keyboard. I took the liberty of attempting to check the computer, albeit very simple, by just taking off a few keys to see if any pooled up. No remover was found under any of the keys likely due to it containing acetone (evaporates quickly.)
    The MacBook Pro shut down a few moments after the spill, sadly. I know it has to do with the acetone likely dissolving wires, parts of the circuit board, etc. I also know AppleCare doesn't cover accidents, but her AC expired in July. My main question: What are the repair costs? I know it's going to be pricey, for sure. When I tell her the whole deal I want to able to supply her with options. If she wants to repair it, go for a cheaper but good-for-now laptop, etc.
    Thanks for the potential help!

    HowWeStult,
    So the important thing is not to try to turn on the MBP (As mentioned by Sparkleberry).  If possible you should take the bottom off and disconnect the battery. Use iFixIt as has been mentioned.
    It would depend on what the solvent was in the remover. Earlier it was acetone and now they're using something chemically similar:
    http://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-nail-polish-remover
    "       Acetone (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) C3H6O
    Ethyl Acetate- colorless, flammable liquid
    Butyl Acetate- production of lacquers
    Aloe Vera- protects and conditions the nails
    Glycerin- helps nails and skin from drying out
    Cetyl Acetate- skin conditioning agent and emollient
    Petroleum- chemical compound with 5 membered lactam
    Phthalic Anhydride- made from crystalline "
    So with the composition listed here:
    First 3, short term - dissolving of the membrane, insulation between the membranes of the keyboard.
    Damage to the connectors (plastic) from the keyboard and between components to the logic board.
    Aloe Vera, Cetyl Acetate and Phthalic Anhydride, long term - possible hydroscopic action which would lead to eventual corrosion of keyboard and logic board.
    Depending on how much nail polish remover was spilled the consequences would be - total damage to the keyboard, possibility of resurrection of the logic board depending on the long term effects I describe. In general NPR is so volatile that it would evaporate very quickly. So the possibility of saving the logic board is high.
    Keyboard is another issue. In that case the trace from the power switch would be so damaged that you couldn't turn on the computer. There are usually pads to enable startup directly from the logic board.
    But pull that bottom off and disconnect the battery and let it dry out.
    "The MacBook Pro shut down a few moments after the spill, sadly. I know it has to do with the acetone likely dissolving wires, parts of the circuit board"
    I can't think of anything that the acetone would necessarily damage that's on the logic board. The "long term" components might have reached the logic board and caused the shutdown since they would be mildly conductive.

  • Iphone smells like an odd mixture of nail polish remover and bubble gum

    Can anyone tell me why/what causes my iPhone 4 smells like an odd mixture of bubble gum and nail polish remover. It's coming from the headphone jack and bottom port. The phone is not new but is less then a year old and I've never spilt anything on it.
    TIA
    Rosalie

    Ok. I took my iPhone apart to replace a cracked screen and when I took out the battery, the adhesive holding the battery ripped the protective paper on the battery itself and once that happened, I smelled the smell that you described. So more than likely, it's your battery which got too hot. You should have it replaced.

  • WARNING: DO NOT USE nail polish remover--Even Non-Acetone! (on macbook).

    Here's my experience with my pathetically stained MacBook after 4 weeks.
    The discoloration arrived, seemingly all at once, after 2.5 weeks. I tried my usual, a gentle part-alcohol Staples Screen Cleaning Fluid (coincidentally, I asked them at my local Apple Store what they used and they produced the exact same bottle). That did nothing. I tried alcohol, peroxide, still no luck. Following some poor advice on this forum, I tried a bottle of clear "Cutex Advanced" Non-Acetone nail polish remover (hereafter, "NPR"). Rubbing a little in with a Q-Tip or paper towel, I tried to remove the horrible discoloration. There was no change. I put it aside for a few days... Today, after reading a very impassioned post by someone who claimed it really worked, I figured I hadn't tried hard enough. I resumed my struggles with the NPR. After more rubbing, I noticed that an area where I'd dripped the NPR directly on the accursed plastic, and left it for about 30 seconds while rubbing the other palmrest, was discernably lighter than the surrounding stain. Encouraged, I dripped a thin layer over the whole left-side discoloration, which is the worst side on mine. After letting it sit 30 seconds or so, I rubbed the area with a paper towel until dry and inspected the results. Some areas were definitely better, however, I noticed what appeared to my eyes to be a subtle change in texture. Intrigued, I scratched at it lightly with my fingernail to feel whether the texture had indeed changed...
    I was horrified when a big scratch appeared in the surface. What appeared to be PAINT had scratched right off in my fingernail!!
    So now my freaking $1200 computer is barely a month old and now has a huge scratch in the CRAPPY PAINT right on my palmrest!
    This cheap paint stuff is what's responsible for the discoloration. It's clearly perfectly white underneath--why Apple chose to paint this plastic with this crap is beyond me.
    Thoughts, anyone?
    If anyone wants to see pictures, I have them. But I'd rather not because I only have a cameraphone right now and the quality ***** anyway.
    MacBook 2.0Ghz, White   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   With discoloration and now a big scratch!

    i'm sorry to hear that you damaged your new macbook! i can understand the frustration with the discoloration. the left palmrest on mine is slightly discolored also. so now, i'm just paranoid about touching it and i wipe it down after every use (and wash my hands before using it if i have to type). i'm also using a wireless mouse. just taking precautions.
    could it possibly be not paint that dissolved but a layer of the plastic itself that dissolved after the prolonged exposure to the NPR?
    if you can get it even or satisfactory looking, i would advise to put some sort of plastic protector over it. something akin to this : http://www.nushield.net/productscar_displayslexus.htm
    again, sorry you damaged your computer.

  • I use the nail polish remover to clean my macbook and it damage my macbook, how can i make it back?

    i use the nail polish remover to clean my macbook and it damage my macbook, how can i make it back?

    Try resetting your login keychain in keychain access. sounds like a keychain issue to me

  • Melted MacBook, with Nail Polish Remover

    I was at a friends house today and we were on her MacBook (not mine, hers is a standard white). She had some nail polish around her track pad, so I said "Lets use Nail Polish Remover to clean it" and we wiped it, her MacBook got really white around the area so I started rubbing it all over, What I thought was toilet paper accumulating was really little bits of the white plastic on the MacBook.
    *So, we need a new case for a WHITE MACBOOK 13". 1. Were do I get one, 2. How much are they?*
    Thanks,
    PC

    Cianfaglione wrote:
    I was at a friends house today and we were on her MacBook (not mine, hers is a standard white). She had some nail polish around her track pad, so I said "Lets use Nail Polish Remover to clean it" and we wiped it, her MacBook got really white around the area so I started rubbing it all over, What I thought was toilet paper accumulating was really little bits of the white plastic on the MacBook.
    *So, we need a new case for a WHITE MACBOOK 13". 1. Were do I get one, 2. How much are they?*
    Thanks,
    PC
    The MacBook top case is probably some sort of ABS plastic, which contains styrene. ABS plastics will dissolve in ketones, including what was probably acetone in your nail polish remover.

  • Nail Polish Remover on my computer

    Okay so I knocked some nail polish remover onto my macbook pro, I quickly wiped it up and continued using the computer. I remembered from chem last year that acetone evaporates quickly so when nothing really happened I figured everything was fine... Well I was wrong. A few minutes later the screen want crazy and a screeching sound came from the speakers, I turned off the computer and turned it over onto some rice. I am not tech savvy at all so I have made an appointment at the apple store for tomorrow but I am wondering, what kind of damage can acetone do to my computer other then damage the keyboard? I know that it can melt the keys and stuff. Also is there any chance that my laptop will be fine when I turn it on tomorrow morning? Ugh I am freaking out! Thanks!

    Hi Macologist,
    That was very helpful. 
    I verified c. and you were correct, it makes so much sense now.
    I was also able to figure out b. the link below explains it. My laptop was booting up in "safe boot" disabling any audio input/output after boot up. Seems like apple linked quite a bit of functionality to the shift key.
    Now Looks like the only thing left to do is the tedius replacing of the keyboard. I wish I had looked into this earlier. Many many thanks to you Macologist. Greatly appreciate your help. It was very nice of you to spend your time answering my question.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564
    a. Shift key is always active. I cannot type numbers or lowercaes letters.
    b. No sound other than the intial boot up sound.
    c. When a window is minimized it goes to the dock in super slow motion.
    d. Keyboard light does not work. Monitor light is fine though.

  • I spilled nail polish remover onto my keyboard.

    I spilled nail polish remover onto my keyboards and everything was okay. After a few minutes, the keys started not working and then the computer shut off.
    after two hours or more my macbook starting making a loud vacum nosie and the lights on the keybaord were on but the screen was still black. Also the charger was not charging. Then after a few minutes, the keyboard shut off and thevacum noise shut off.
    My macbook pro wont turn on anymore. Wondering if this is fixable and how much its going to cost ? What needs to be fixed and yeah.
    btwThis happened just yesterday.

    The only way to answer your questions is to take it in for testing/servicing.

  • Spilled nail polish remover on my keyboard... help!

    :[
    I don't know what to do! The computer itself seems to be working fine, but the keys stick and I can't type properly. Will I need to replace the keyboard? Or will the whole computer end up being fried?
    Any suggestions?

    Some types of nail polish remover (namely those containing Acetone) can dissolve plastics. Think about how difficult nail polish is to remove and nail polish remover basically dissolves it. It is possible that the remover has damaged some of the keyboard components. There are also lots of internal components that may be damaged by exposure to remover. If you're talking about just a little bit, it may only be your keyboard that has been damaged... if it has actually gotten into your MacBook, you may be looking at more significant damage. The fact that your machine is not turning on is not a good sign.

  • I spilled nail polish remover on my keyboard about 30 some minutes ago... it is okay, the only problem is my some of my keys don't light up anymore. Is there a way I can make them light up again without getting it fixed?

    Spilled nail polish remover on keyboard

    Hello kallieford and welcome to Apple Support Communities,
    "my some of my keys don't light up"
    Well if that's the only thing that happened you're very lucky. I would have expected severe keyboard issues!
    Losing a few leds on the keyboard is pretty minor.

  • Nail polish streak on screen - how to remove?

    I accidentally scraped a finger with red nail polish across the corner of my MacBook Pro's screen. There is now a small red scrape across it and it's really bugging me. I know nail polish remover would get rid of it but would it also damage the screen? what is the best way to clean it?
    any help would be amazing!! thank you!

    Is your Macbook Pro one of the newer unibody models with the glossy screens? If so, you may try some rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to try and remove it. Not sure about nail polish remover -- that's basically acetone, which will eat through pretty much anything. It's safe on glass or metal, but I definitely wouldn't use it on a matte display, and would be hesitant to use it on even a glossy LCD panel since there may be a surface coating that isn't evident.
    If you have a matte screen I would try something like iKlear, or a cleaning agent specifically designed for LCD screens. I would be very wary or using rubbing alcohol or any other solvent on a matte screen.

  • Younger sibling accidentally stained my macbook pro with nail polish, how to erase it?

    So my younger sister painted hearts on the upper case of my Macbook Pro and I tried removing it with nail polish remover but there are stains left and I have no idea on how to erase the stains. I am avoiding on using nail polish remover again because I'm afraid that the paint will fade.
    Does anyone have any safe ideas on how to remove it?

    What paint? Macs are not painted but you will stain the aluminum.
    Great care, warm soapy water and plenty of time is what you need, be very careful not to get any water inside

  • Acetone nail polish cleaner? Yikes!

    I had searched a little bit and didn't read thoroughly enough =( about using a non-acetone nail polish remover. So I used one that had acetone...i only put a little bit on a cotton ball and rubbed the wrist area then immediately wiped it off, then rubbed it with water. It definitely got it clean but after reading about other people's experience with it burning a hole in the plastic and discoloring it.
    I've been looking at mine closely under a bright light and haven't been able to notice anything damaging, but I am still a little worried. Has anyone else cleaned your wrist area with acetone in the way that I did and not noticed a difference?
    I will definitely be buying the iklear cleaning product to lessen my worry!

    If there's no harm done then you can stop worrying. Nail polish remover and the acetone inside it is volatile so it will have rapidly evaporated. Just don't do it again!
    Actually, at work, I use pure isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) to clean the dirt and smudges off my keyboard and mouse on a regular basis. The stuff we buy is for use in molecular biology, but is also suitable for electronic use. I wouldn't use it on an LCD screen, but it is a common cleaning solvent for electronic components since the pure stuff is completely anhydrous and evaporates very quickly.

  • I spilled nail varnish remover on my macbook pro

    Yesterday I spilled nail varnish remover on my keyboard and wiped it off immediately (within 10 seconds), then I vigorously rubbed my keyboard with my duvet. 24 hours later my keyboard light changes so it only lights up in the centre. I checked similar situations that others went though but my computer seems fine - just the light that is broken.
    Should I book an appointment to see apple about it or just leave it as I dont care bout the light and it is perectly usable.
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    thats acetone, that will eat thru wiring covers and cause a bad short  and corrosion.
    book an appointment to see apple ASAP  

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    Are you talking about Zagg?
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