Best way to clean up?

[AmEv]

My Satellite a105 is not that bad of a machine.

However, it does have its drawbacks.






Dust is everywhere inside and out.

Touchpad is uneven surface, probably food.

Keys (albeit very unused) are missing and wobbly.

DVD drive reads all CDRs as blank disks.

(taken care of, but wanting to help prevent) Dust in HSF area PEELS OFF OF THE HEATSINK, like you do with a lintscreen.

Fingerprints galore on screen.
(and WAY too glossy of a finish; black the screen, it nearly makes a perfect mirror.

Annoying dust IN MIDDLE, NOT EASILY REMOVED, OF SCREEN!


What is the best action for each of these steps?

[Technochicken]

Dust: If you don't want to crack it open, blow through the vents with some canned air. It would be much better though, if you could open it up first and then blow all the dust out of the heatsinks.

Touchpad: What do you mean by food? If something's wrong with the touchpad, there's really not much you can do about it other than cleaning it off.

Keys: One option would be to just get a new keyboard (http://www.buy.com/prod/laptop-keyboard-for-toshiba-satellite-a100-a105-a135/q/sellerid/32517041/loc/101/213651450.html). Alternatively, you may be able to fix loose keys by removing them completely and re-seating them. There are lots of guides online for replacing laptop keys.

DVD drive: Sounds like its done for. Luckily, slimline drives are relatively inexpensive (http://www.centrix-intl.com/details.asp?productid=5813). They are also readily scavenge-able, if you know anyone else with a dead laptop.

Fingerprints: A damp cloth works pretty well, or you should be able to spray some window cleaner on your cloth before cleaning.

[AmEv]

Touchpad works fine. I mean it gets bumpy at points.

I think I have a DVD-ROM/CDRW slimline somewhere....


I'm just nervous about wet stuff entering my system.

(ok, realised that 1st and 3rd lined don't exactly sound right..........)

[mDust]

Compressed air works wonders for cleaning out the inside of your keyboard, inside the computer, cracks and crevices, and almost everywhere else.
Don't worry about moisture getting into your computer: you should be using a damp rag, not a dripping wet rag.
New keys can be purchased from http://www.laptopkey.com/search.php. You just need to select your exact model number.
Drier sheets make the ultimate dust filter. If you're crazy picky about how it looks, they can be easily dyed with fabric dye.

[AmEv]

Thanks!



Can anything be done about the gloss short of buying a $90 screen?




*$5 a key! whoa!

[x88x]

Can anything be done about the gloss short of buying a $90 screen?

Well, you could get a privacy screen. Those are pretty cheap. Other than that, you're out of luck. Sorry. :(