One more great tip:

People seem to freak out about the backlight, and how "hard it is" to remove. It was so easy to remove it nicely and save it for re-use. Just gently slide something under the glue on the sides, so that the glue lifts, and just sloooowly peel it carefully and gently.

If you only spilled water, the original backlight you peel off should still work and still be clean. The original Apple backlight outputs a perfectly even light and is the best backlight you can get. Chinese backlight copies are sometimes said to be uneven, so why take the risk?

If you carefully peel the backlight, it will be undamaged, and it's very easy to re-attach.

But I still suggest buying your chinese keyboard replacement WITH a chinese backlight just in case you destroy yours (or you spilled something gross and it's too sticky/dirty to save). "JS Mall Limited" sold me a package with both keyboard and backlight for about $3 more than just the keyboard. I ended up re-using the original so I never tried theirs.

I bet you have already solved this, but for other people: I agree, the keyboard cable is one of the hardest things to put back in its correct place.

This YouTube video helped me: "Guide: How to Remove / Replace Macbook Pro Logic Board - Easy & Detailed Instructions" by MrTechEasy.

Go to 34:20. If the video is not available in the future, here is what he recommends:

- Make sure that the socket retainer clip on the backside of the connector is on the up-position (it's the hinge on the back of the socket).

- Use a flat, plastic thing to lift the keyboard ribbon cable from the underside, so that it bulges up a bit.

- Push gently on the top with your finger, on the bulge, so it will gently start sliding into the socket.

- Keep repeating until it doesn't go in any more. Make sure it's equally inserted across the entire width, so that it's not slightly bent towards one side. Mine went in until only 1mm of the pins were visible on the ribbon cable.

- Then close the clasp.

Here are some tips for this repair:

- If you want a super detailed photo guide, Google "insidemylaptop How to disassemble MacBook Pro 15″ (Mid 2010) and replace the keyboard".

- Do NOT skip the PH000 screwdriver. You will destroy the keyboard screws if you try something larger than a PH00 on them, and a PH000 would be best. If you destroy the tiny screws, you may never be able to remove the old keyboard. Don't repeat my mistake. I nearly stripped mine and went and bought a PH000 in a panic!

- The keyboard cable connector looks weird, it has a blue strip on the backside. Do not peel that strip! It's supposed to be like that! It adds support to the connectors, which are actually the small lines on the FRONT side of the cable.

- To re-connect the keyboard cable, you should gently lift and push down on the cable to guide more and more of it into the connector, until it won't got in any further. In my situation I saw about 1mm of the connector markings on the cable when fully seated.

Everyone must understand: Official Apple parts are only sold *to* CERTIFIED Apple repair centers, and they aren't allowed to sell them loose. So the ONLY way to get an OFFICIAL keyboard is to pay for an OFFICIAL Apple repair.

YES, this means that EVERY keyboard you find on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, etc is a Chinese COPY. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!

But the copies are GOOD! I bought from "JS Mall Limited" at AliExpress:

* Price: 5/5. Only $18.

* Material Quality: 5/5. Plastic & metal quality as good as original.

* Keyboard Feel: 5/5. Typing feels and sounds exactly like original!

* Print Quality: 3/5. The key text is whiter than the original (that's not a bad thing). The print is also off-center by 0.5-1 mm, but you can't expect cheap copycats to perfectly align the printing. I don't care, they're "centered ENOUGH", only noticeable if you look very close, and you don't stare at keys when typing. Only a nerd would care about this minor issue.

Most importantly, $18 vs $400 (official repair) is an easy choice.