I was cleaning a 2015 MacBook board with IPA for years before a speck of something made me look closer.

Under my loupe, I saw a tiny bit of white residue that wouldn't budge, which turned out to be old flux the alcohol wasn't touching. I had to switch to a flux remover spray for the first time. What other 'standard' cleaning steps have you all found don't work on older gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

benc531mo ago

Oh man, that's a classic. I've had the same thing happen with old thermal paste turning into concrete. Alcohol just smears it around, and you need the proper cleaner to get it off. It's like the stuff gets harder with age.

tarag281mo ago

Yeah, that concrete thermal paste is the worst, @the_piper knows the struggle.

the_piper1mo ago

My 2008 ThinkPad had adhesive that turned to sticky tar. Had to use a special solvent, IPA just made a mess.