If you have spilled any kind of liquid, such as coffee or soda, on your laptop computer you need to take action immediately. Do not wait for the next day. Waiting may allow liquid to get into the very delicate motherboard circuits. If that happens, it could short out the Mother board or even blow a circuit breaker if you have the power supply cord plugged in. Water and electricity do not mix. You could even get an electric shock in some cases.
Before you give up hope, here are some steps to take to salvage your laptop from the perils of a liquid spill.
1. If you have never taken a laptop apart don't even try the following step. Laptop parts are very small and a lot of them are plastic. If you break something it could be very expensive to replace. You also need special tools to take it apart. It also requires a lot of patience. Take it to a professional as soon as possible.
2. Unplug the power cord as soon as possible and remove the battery. DO NOT WAIT! It could short out and destroy the motherboard or other components.
3. Gently incline one side of the laptop and try to get out as much liquid as you can.
3. Clean up as much of the liquid on the outer case as you can. If you are uneasy about taking apart your laptop, get it to a repair shop nearby as soon as possible.
If you can do the cleaning yourself, follow these steps. DO NOT attempt this if you have never done it or are scared you will damage something.
1. Remove PC cards USB devices or anything attached to the computer.
2. Remove the battery and disconnect the power supply cord. This will also keep you from accidentally bending and maybe breaking the connection.
2. Carefully take apart as much of the outer casing as you can.
3. Remove the keyboard, swab as much of the affected areas with rubbing alcohol, and spray it with compressed area. You can use a static free towel to soak up large quantities of liquid but never rub any surfaces with a towel of any kind. A swab will allow you to get smaller areas also.
4. Let it air dry for a day and then reassemble your laptop. If you think your hard drive or other circuitry was affected by your spill, you should get some electronics circuit cleaner to clean contacts if neccessary.
5. Power it up and see if your handy work has helped.
If the laptop does not start, your hard drive may still be able to be saved. It could be transferred to another laptop. You may want a professional to look at it before you make a drastic decision.
It is an unfortunate accident to knock a cup of liquid onto your computer. The best tip for a laptop spill fix is prevention. If you are going to drink while working on your computer, keep liquids away from the spill zone. It is better to have them on a different table or just wait until you're done with working on the laptop. I normally just take a break and go to a different area of the office or home.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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