its called a lock ring too you can find in a engine repair shop. I have the tool, but the teeth were not long enough to reach the holes on the lock ring. here is an alternative

1. Get the longest screwdriver you can find, that can touch the battery and still have length showing once you put the screwdriver in the battery well. any type of tape, to tape down the wires.

2.remove plastic cover it will pop off once glue is removed. there is only 2 screws holding down the electronic board. remove the first screw, 2a, bend back slowly the soldered part that you just removed the screw from, 2b, unscrew the post.

3.there is a piece of tape the is covering the wiring lock to the circuit board. remove tape, unclip the plastic lock and pull circuit wire from the back of the board ( similar to Ipod,Iphone connection)

and push the circuit board towards the button you use to power up the keyboard. slide slowly, the battery connection is attached. once you see the connection take it off with your nail or screw driver

4.slide out circuit board, and using the some tape, tape down the circuit wire and battery wire. you can now see the lock ring.

• NOTE*** be careful and be attentive to the keyboard wire as you perform the next steps

****

5. tape the tip of the screw driver and stick the inside the battery well.you will use the screwdrive to push up the battery. put a PLASTIC BAG over the opening, because there is a spring that will pop out.

6. using the screwdriver with one or two forceful pushes, push hard and the slip ring will give way the battery will move up towards the opening over were the plastic bag is at. if the screwdriver is not long after the battery moved up, put another old battery in the well to give you an extension.

7. slowly push keep pushing up the battery until the spring and holder pop off. now the well is open and you can push the battery back down the original way it came in. REMEMBER THE KEYBOARD WIRES CAN GET DAMAGED IF YOU KEEP PUSSHING THE BATTERY FOWARD.

8. Clean corrosion and put back parts in reverse order.

I did this on 5 keyboard and the spring never broke once while i pushed. it very thick. i tried to put a picture on this but was unable.

hope this helps you

UPDATE: for battery insertion To possibly eliminate or reduce a future battery acid leak, i put 1 pieces of duck tape around each area were the batteries touch +/-. if you put to much the batteries will not slide in the battery well. I am hoping that this will contain as much acid leak as possible should it occur again

You could try a tiny bit of baking soda to dissolve the corrosion.

I used baking soda and a few drops of water and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then I forcefully banged the thing on a countertop and the batteries came out, it was thrilling. Thank you for the good advice!

Just in case anyone still needs to figure this out - I used the W-D-40 and it worked! I squirted some in, jiggled the keyboard around a little, and then I noticed that the W-D was seeping out the other end of the keyboard (where the power button is - not where you put in the batteries). So I jiggled it a little more, hit the sides of the tube where the batteries go, and after a couple of minutes the bad battery slid out. It was only very slightly corroded - normally I wouldn't even notice that tiny amount of corrosion - suggesting to me that the battery tube area (sorry don't know the technical term) is very tight. Probably as soon as you get the message that the batteries in the keyboard are about to run out, you should change the batteries. I always wait for them to actually die which probably had something to do with it.

Anyway - glad I solved this problem for myself and I hope I can help someone else with this technique!

My aluminum wireless keyboard had only two batteries in it. The alleged "third battery" was actually not a battery, although, like the previous post said, it looks very similar. Meanwhile, after struggling and banging on the battery tube, I noticed there's a little diagram on the outside of the tube with only two batteries shown. So I followed the diagram, inserted fresh AA batteries, turned it on, and it works.

I guess some keyboards have three batteries, but mine had only two.

BklynPhotog

Actually, I find if you pour a small amount of white vinegar where the batteries go, it will dissolve the green crud effectively. You may need to try this a couple of times. Once finished, be sure and let the keyboard dry out before using again.

Find a rod slightly smaller than the AA battery. Drop a small amount

of Super-Glue on the end and lower the keyboard over the rod and hold for a few seconds. Don't put more Super-Glue than a drop else

you'll have a rod stuck in the keyboard. Good Luck!

An A+ for your answer, GqMarti, but my problem is that I can't open the battery cover, even with an screw. What would you do?

GqMarti, good advice. I managed to take out circuit board. Put longest screwdriver in through the end where batteries usually go in. I even used a hammer on the screwdriver and nothing budged! Is there something else i need to dissemble before i do this?

I have a photo of where I am at in the process, but don't know how to load the photo to this site. See if this link works

http://picasaweb.google.com/EphShiu/Misc...

I now have the same problem. Battery cover is stuck due to corrosion. Went to apple and they won't replace it even if under warranty.

How do we get the %*#@ battery cover off :)

Hello,

Sorry for late delay i have been overseas I received the request. I will post a response for each. Shortly

I just had this issue and a screw driver just wouldn't grab the slot. So secured a nickel into a pair of vice grips and worked the cap back and forth until it was loose enough to remove.

The nickel was warped but it is the perfect size and got the job done.

Tried this and busted the keyboard. The batteries were s corroded when I pushed the screwdriver in it went through one battery. The repeated pushing disconnected the wire from the attachment. And it was all over. I suggest care in doing this. Though I have to say the corrosion on my batteries were quite bad.

I just managed to get 2 jammed batteries out of my apple wireless keyboard-

i mixed a little baking soda with water, as suggested, and using a teaspoon dribbled a bit down onto the batteries.... at first I though it hadn't worked, but then they dislodged pretty easily with a scribe tool about a minute later, whereas before I had been trying to dislodge them like this for ages with no progress at all.

I guess I will have to wait a few days to see if the keyboard actually works once it is dried out though!

Interestingly, it turns out it was an energiser battery that was provided with the keyboard which exploded. (This happened about a year ago, but I've only just felt the determination to do something about it!)

Just before resorting to this method, I gave the technical guys at apple a call, and they seemed to think there was no alternative but to buy a new keyboard!

Also, possibly kind of important:

I read a few blogs just now about removing battery leakage in general, and the general consensus seems to be that these chemicals are not particularly good for you, so it might be sensible to wear gloves and open some windows while you are experimenting!

I'm irrationally hyperparanoid about things like this so just reading this has made my skin crawl slightly, but its probably all in my mind really..

I used the old Jiffy Lube trick of using coffee to get rid of the corrosion. You might not have baking soda around the office so give it a try.

Coffee is alkaline so it does neutralize corrosion. I just used a paper towel and a few drips in the battery container. Leaving it for 15 min.

Sorry for my delay in answering the keyboard corrision problems. I have returned from overseas and have bought some pretty bad keyboards. I will take picture step by step. From beginig to end with picture.For the young man who missed up the Board send me a email to GqMarti.com. I will send you a new board. To fix what you damaged all I ask is that you send me the broken one.

I know that this is an old thread but if anyone is still monitoring it - how about W-D-40? One battery is stuck in the bottom - I don't know if it's corroded or what the problem is - but I can't get it out - I tried using a skewer (like for making shish kabob) to loosen it but it's not working - if I can find the W-D-40 I will try that - but I am very frustrated.

Thanks in advance if anyone is reading this.

Finally! Thanks everybody. I started yesterday and got one battery out by hitting the side of the key board. Then went to two Mac stores, and one owner got one more battery out by poking and hitting, but the third battery was stuck. All batteries were swollen with corrosion. Today I tried a little moist baking soda, before went on this site. Then, as suggested, I tried a few drops of vinegar, twice, finally, I went to WD-40 and waited a few minutes, hit the board more on the side. Nothing happened, so I gave it another shot

of WD-40, and poked the battery with the long screwdriver. Battery didn't move, so I just slammed it down really hard flat on the back and out popped battery #3. So I cleaned it up with soft rag and screwdriver - don't know yet if it still works after all that hitting and slamming.

I new would have got this far without the above postings. I should know better than to leave anything electronic for a long period with the batteries in it.

Thank you all for the tips. Had the same problem as all of you. Used water and baking soda to loosen the corrosion and a good long and sharp corkscrew to hook into the batteries. The third battery was more difficult to extract and needed more water and baking soda than the other 2 batteries. With my 4 1/2 inch corkscrew was able to uncork my last battery after adding also a little WD-40.

My recommendation would be to use baking soda and water, WD-40 if necessary, and buy a good corkscrew with a sharp tip, and a bottle of good wine. The latter is not for the keyboard, but for you as a reward for having mastered the art of uncorking batteries.

You will have a hard time finding a 4 1/2 inch long corkscrew, but mine did just fine. It is a Screwpull corkscrew, a little pricey, but even with a bottle of wine, still cheaper than a new wireless keyboard.

À votre santé!

Cheers!

have the same problem....but have to say my husband thinks I am a techie as I know how to use vinegar, baking soda and a q-tip! Two batteries out and one to go! didn't use the screwdriver yet!!

Because of this thread, I immediately decided I should just insert the batteries only when using the keyboard, not giving them he chance to corrode. I don't use it that often. I was horrified to find that already I could not get the third battery out, and immediately made an appointment for the genius bar, about an hour from my home.

Imagine how stupid I felt when the man pointed out that the batteries were already out. There are only two, not three. The contact inside looks just like the head of a battery! I wasn't sure he was correct until he showed me the tiny picture of two batteries close to the cap, right in the crease where the tube meets the keyboard.

I'm thankful I didn't do any more drastic action than to bang the tube pretty hard against something, and hope I don't see any problems in the future from my abuse.

I read all the posts and were about to try alll these methods....I had banged it many many times vertically when it struck me that it may help to strike it horizontally.... (g-force, batter full weight, wedge, u get the idea...) etc) and it helped :) - got loose after ONE big bang :)...cheeers :)...!! Hope it helps some soul out there!

So, I have the same problem on my keyboard (with two batteries) but was able to get both batteries out since they just leaked slightly. But the acid is now dried up on the insides of the battery well, and the very inside of the well where the first battery makes contact (at the far end of the tube). I have tried to put new batteries in and the keyboard does not work, and it is tricky to get them out, but I did.

Anyway, I am thinking of using the baking powder and water, or wd40 or coffee techniques, but was wondering if I drip a little in there, how long should I let it sit, and will it damage the inside contact point where the battery hits (near the power button), and the actual functionality of the keyboard? I have tried taking it to the Apple store and they told me it was not covered by the warranty and I should just try these experimental methods!! Any help is much appreciated!

I have two keyboards - model A1255 takes three batteries and model A1314 takes two batteries. Make sure you check before you go looking for the "missing" third battery.

Use a dremel tool to cut a narrow slot into the battery channel on the bottom of the keyboard where it won't be seen. Then tap out the corroded batteries with a sharp tool like a pocket knife blade or small screwdriver.

Hi I just had the same problem with the batteries and the covers stuck. I sprayed the top of the cap with WD40 and left it for about one hour. Came back, grabbed a big long screw driver and opened it fairly easy.

Now I have to figure out to get the batteries out without destroying the keyboard.

I sprayed the batteries with the WD40 but no luck, I fumbled with a knife, nothing... all three batteries are stuck, hopefully its just the first one.

Wow, I can't tell you just how satisfying it is to have finally retrieved the last corroded battery from my keyboard. I tried baking powder, GT85 lubricant, then white wine vinegar and I think it was the latter, combined with slamming the keyboard against my desk that did the job.

Next question: how do you get a cleaning rag out of a wireless keyboard battery slot??

Just kidding! Well now the batteries are out I hope it will work, but after pouring all that stuff down the tube I'll wait a couple of days before trying it.