UKC

Morning IT help line. How many times have I said don't leave coffee perched by the lap top ? . Sort of inevitable really . Anyway this was last night , popped a few keys , soaked most up with kitchen towel / cotton buds and left to dry overnight . Just been trying to login and it looks like keyboard is done for and hence lap dog . Not really bothered about the hardware as it was pretty knocked about (3 kids) . However I would like to retrevive the data .
1 So it's windows 8 and password protected , how can I bypass the password and login baring in mind very few keys work. The track / mouse keys work
2. I have an old vista pc netwrked via Ethernet , is there any value in sticking an Ethernet cable into the pc and trying to access the laptop have drive via this ?
Thanks in advance .Any thoughts advice gratefully received ,
I ll start : coffee and lap tops don't mix .

In reply to mike123:

Can you take the hard drive out and connect it some how to your computer?

A cheap caddy from PC World or Amazon should get you to connect the hard drive to the computer. From there you may be allowed to enter a password to access the hard drive.

Something like this would help

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGIFLEX-Drive-Caddy-Enclosure-Laptop/dp/B002UZO07C...

In reply to The Lemming: that's kind of last resort , I was hoping to some how login / skip the login screen and copy the data onto an external hard drive. Luckily backed the pictures up last week, but some other stuff on there that I don't have backed up.

In reply to mike123:
Might an external USB keyboard work (or serial port if it's older)?

In reply to mike123:

USB Keyboard?

In reply to ianstevens: never used one , however neat idea , if get one and plug it it will auto override the onboard one ? Worth a try though . Ta.

In reply to mike123:

Should do; with my laptop you can actually use both simultaneously (also Windows 8). If you have to buy one, get the cheapest, simplest one you can find, preferably with a wire, as the wireless ones often (but not always) need a driver to work. I'd imagine you could beg/borrow/steal one from somebody quite easily, or if you work in an office take your laptop in and have a fiddle around with the work keyboard (whcih will probably be USB) at lunch/when the noss isn't about.

Furthermore, if it's only your keyboard which has died from coffee drowning, a simple USB keyboard will prevent you having to buy a new computer.

In reply to mike123:

It should work fine. You'll need a USB one if the computer is win8 spec. If your vista computer as a SATA hard drive you could remove the hard drive from laptop and put it in the vista computer substituing it for the vist hard drive. its should start, it'll be cranky as the hardware drivers will be missing but you should get your data.
What model laptop is the coffee drenched one?

In reply to ianstevens:

There should be an on screen keyboard.
I don't have access to a win 8 computer at the moment so this will be a bit fluffy.
When you get to the log on screen there should be a button (bottom left I think) that will look like some squares and part of a circle, if you click this there should be accessibility option in this there will be some options one of them will be an on screen keyboard. This should get you past the login and let you get the data off.
Sorry I couldn't be accurate, it might with worth a quick google.

In reply to MikeSP:
I thought you had to log in first before you could bring up the on-screen keyboard - seems I was wrong!

On my (Win 7) office computer there is a small box in the lower left-hand corner with 3/4 of a circle.

Link has an image: http://www.petenetlive.com/KB/Media/0000462/00001s.jpg

I'd imaigne Win 8 is similar

In reply to mike123:

USB keyboard will do it. The laptop may return to full functionality eventually when it dries out, or it may not, these things are hit and miss.

In reply to mike123:

USB keyboard as everyone else has said, but also new laptop keyboards are cheap and usually relatively easy to replace. Assuming there's no other damage, if you can source one it'll be good to go again.

In reply to wilkie14c:

Acer laptop

In reply to wilkie14c:

Acer laptop

In reply to wilkie14c:

Acer laptop

In reply to mike123:

It's not important what the laptop was, what coffee was it?

In reply to tehmarks:
Thanks all . The onscreen keyboard (who knew?) worked easy peasy and I m now "in" . Right thinks I , just sort this out now rather than later, so I wander to the cupboard where all things technical / important are kept to get one of 3 hard drives kept there . It s locked because of the 2 year old house mechanic / coffee chucker . We try to Keep the key out of reach however it very occasionally gets left in the lock .
Me "will have you seen the little key to this cupboard ?"
Will "yes"
Me " great . Where is it ?"
Will " I hid it "
Me " ok. Where ?"
Will " I don't know "

In reply to Oujmik:
Well there a thing . It was a cortado made with Rwanda / Guatemala and a poncy leaf floating in the micro foam . Actually I was at first more annoyed at the loss of my brew until it dawned that the lap dog was now dead .
Thanksmuchly all . Off to the shed for a hack saw blade .

In reply to mike123:

about 15 quid on ebay mate (depending on model)
youtube vids to show you how but usually some push in tabs at the vey top edge of the laptop. Be sure to order a UK layout not a US one (although you can change a few keys off your old one if you could only get a US version)

Personally I'd take the KB off now, give it a good flush under the hot tap and dry it near a radiator over a couple of days. 50/50 chance it'll work fine and you've nowt to loose

In reply to wilkie14c:
Ordered.
£8.50 including first class delivery . Thanks for that .

In reply to mike123:
keyboard arrived this am, typing this on it, very surprised that this really is a 5 minute job,
thanks again all