Hardware Water spill on Laptop, help me

[ComeTurismO]

Hey there, this morning my ass-hat brother was ''supervising'' my niece. I told him to put on her cartoons on Netflix. He then gives her water, and she ends up spilling the water on my keyboard, causing the screen to turn white of the laptop, while there is an attached power source on it.

For example, if the charger is connected only, not the battery: the screen will be white. If the battery is only on, then the screen will be white.

How do I fix this? My exams are coming up ASAP and I need my laptop immediately!

 

[Nathan Drake]

You probably should have dunked it into rice immediately. I had a similar issue on my old MP3 player, where after dropping it in water it only booted to a white screen for awhile, but I gave it a couple days to dry out and it worked just fine after.

 

[RevPokemon]

Hey there, this morning my ass-hat brother was ''supervising'' my niece. I told him to put on her cartoons on Netflix. He then gives her water, and she ends up spilling the water on my keyboard, causing the screen to turn white of the laptop, while there is an attached power source on it.

For example, if the charger is connected only, not the battery: the screen will be white. If the battery is only on, then the screen will be white.

How do I fix this? My exams are coming up ASAP and I need my laptop immediately!

Leave it dry overnight (maybe rice it if you can) then try to turn it on again.

 

[ComeTurismO]

You probably should have dunked it into rice immediately. I had a similar issue on my old MP3 player, where after dropping it in water it only booted to a white screen for awhile, but I gave it a couple days to dry out and it worked just fine after.

Leave it dry overnight (maybe rice it if you can) then try to turn it on again.

Is it fine that I put it in rice now? Never had the chance this morning. I'll try turning it on in the morning--meanwhile am borrowing my sister's laptop.

 

[RevPokemon]

Is it fine that I put it in rice now? Never had the chance this morning. I'll try turning it on in the morning--meanwhile am borrowing my sister's laptop.

Should still help getting some excess water

 

[Sicklyboy]

Don't turn it on for a few DAYS, dude. Take the battery out. Take it apart. Fuck rice.

Even if you don't feel comfortable taking it apart entirely. You SHOULD, though. It tends to not be too difficult. Look up a guide on youtube or ifixit with your phone or 3DS or someone elses computer.

Take it apart as much as you can and let all of the components air dry. At the very least take whatever access panels off of the back that there are and remove your hard drive, RAM, and disk drive/spacer (if any). Remove any slot covers for PCMIA and SD cards, etc. Optimally, remove the keyboard and keyboard bezel and as much of the back of the computer as you can as possible. You want the motherboard to be exposed. Put it by a fan or radiator (not ON the radiator) to have airflow and/or warmth near it to help dry it. Let it like that for a few DAYS then try it again.

You'll also want to undo all of the cables that go to the monitor from the motherboard. It's probably a ~1" long connector with wires sticking out going into a cloth/gaffer tape wrap of wires that's a little thinner then a pencil.

 

[Sheimi]

What Sicklyboy said. I spilled beer on mine.

 

[Sicklyboy]

Also, if it's a Dell, they usually have pretty bitchin fully detailed teardowns in their user/service manuals. Not sure of other manufacturers.

Also, to the people suggesting rice... do you know how big a laptop is??? I have an 11" netbook and that'd still take a LOT of rice.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Many good tips here, but chances are you will need a new laptop.
Anyway, taking it apart is no doubt the best idea, it could take forever to dry otherwise, and if you open it you can see the extent of the damage better. If only a few droplets got in, there's still hope, if it's drenched in the stuff then you are better off not wasting your time.

Also, if it's a Dell, they usually have pretty bitchin fully detailed teardowns in their user/service manuals. Not sure of other manufacturers.
Also, to the people suggesting rice... do you know how big a laptop is??? I have an 11" netbook and that'd still take a LOT of rice.

Yeah, the rice trick works for smaller devices but it would get all up in the ports and it would have to be done with the lid closed to avoid damaging the screen.
Rice is cheap though.

 

[Nathan Drake]

Also, if it's a Dell, they usually have pretty bitchin fully detailed teardowns in their user/service manuals. Not sure of other manufacturers.

Also, to the people suggesting rice... do you know how big a laptop is??? I have an 11" netbook and that'd still take a LOT of rice.

Hey man, you don't know who has a bucket of rice sitting around just waiting for something to go wrong.

 

[RevPokemon]

Hey man, you don't know who has a bucket of rice sitting around just waiting for something to go wrong.

Personally I have 3 and a half bags of.rice in my house

 

[Sicklyboy]

Hey man, you don't know who has a bucket of rice sitting around just waiting for something to go wrong.

Personally I have 3 and a half bags of.rice in my house

We talking "Minute Rice" sized bags, or "I'm going to be spending the next five years of my life in a remote village of China" sized bags of rice?

 

[RevPokemon]

We talking "Minute Rice" sized bags, or "I'm going to be spending the next five years of my life in a remote village of China" sized bags of rice?

All mine is about 10 pounds of rice

 

[Ryukouki]

All mine is about 10 pounds of rice

10 pounds pls I have three 50 pound bags in my garage.

 

[RevPokemon]

10 pounds pls I have three 50 pound bags in my garage.

I'm a rice noob I know but I'm trying to get more

 

[Sicklyboy]

10 pounds pls I have three 50 pound bags in my garage.

Come on man now that's just cheating

 

[Ryukouki]

Rice works with almost anything. I digress! I eat a couple pounds a week.

But seriously, take the computer apart if you can, let it airdry for a few days. Don't get hasty with it.

 

[ComeTurismO]

Don't turn it on for a few DAYS, dude. Take the battery out. Take it apart. Fuck rice.

Even if you don't feel comfortable taking it apart entirely. You SHOULD, though. It tends to not be too difficult. Look up a guide on youtube or ifixit with your phone or 3DS or someone elses computer.

Take it apart as much as you can and let all of the components air dry. At the very least take whatever access panels off of the back that there are and remove your hard drive, RAM, and disk drive/spacer (if any). Remove any slot covers for PCMIA and SD cards, etc. Optimally, remove the keyboard and keyboard bezel and as much of the back of the computer as you can as possible. You want the motherboard to be exposed. Put it by a fan or radiator (not ON the radiator) to have airflow and/or warmth near it to help dry it. Let it like that for a few DAYS then try it again.

You'll also want to undo all of the cables that go to the monitor from the motherboard. It's probably a ~1" long connector with wires sticking out going into a cloth/gaffer tape wrap of wires that's a little thinner then a pencil.

The idea seems so good, but I don't have the proper tool to do so I'll try borrowing one from someone who I think might have it, but for now I just put the battery and the laptop separetly in rice. I didn't cover it all with rice though, it's sitting on rice with a cup sprinkled all over.

 

[pastaconsumer]

10 pounds pls I have three 50 pound bags in my garage.

I have 50.000000000000001 pound bag. wow m8.
200% false

 

[Nathan Drake]

The idea seems so good, but I don't have the proper tool to do so I'll try borrowing one from someone who I think might have it, but for now I just put the battery and the laptop separetly in rice. I didn't cover it all with rice though, it's sitting on rice with a cup sprinkled all over.

You really don't have any screwdriver sets? Laptops aren't exactly bound with a bunch of special screws. Most people should have the screwdrivers necessary. If you don't, you should be able to get a set of small screwdrivers perfect for the job from somewhere like Walmart. Hell, I got the set I still use from a dollar store at least ten years ago. Besides that, that is a super halfassed rice set up.