Inspiron 1150 keyboard and mouse problems

My friend has an Inspiron 1150. Recently a drink was spilled on it but it didn't appear to get into or onto the keyboard (looked like it only got on the wrist area below the keyboard). However, this incident seems to correspond with a problem she's been having with the keyboard and mouse.

Both the built-in keyboard and a second external keyboard occasionally become totally nonresponsive, or else seem to get mixed up randomly. For instance, all keys will cause a backspace-like response, or all the keys produce jibberish (not just mis-matched. One key will spit out 3 letters, etc). There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it. The built in and the external keyboard respond identically when this problem starts up, and this happens even when the 2nd keyboard isn't connected. Also, the mouse will randomly stop working and both buttons respond as a right click. Again, this happens on the touch pad and an external mouse, both when connected and disconnected.

The only way I can get either or both of these problems to go away is restarting (sometimes more than once) or doing a cold boot from shut down, which seems to do the trick. Sometimes the problem is present from start up, other times it sets in randomly.

I'm inclined to think this wasn't caused by the spill, cus it sounds like a driver problem perhaps. The keys aren't noticably sticky or any thing of the sort, and I have cleaned the keyboard as best I can. Seems odd that both pointer and keyboard would simultaneously develop a problem, though, sometime after the accident happened. Latest program install was a windows update, I think. Checked for spyware, etc. I'm thinking my next step will be the drivers. Any suggestions/thoughts?

Message Edited by aranath99 on 07-10-200609:59 PM