Recovering Internal Memory from a dead water damaged switch OLED?

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Ape_Person

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My switch got pretty badly water damaged and is no longer able to boot. While it’s in a repair shop right now I’m not sure if they’ll be able to fix it. Provided it’s still intact is there anyway to access save data in the internal memory and transfer it into a state where it could he usuable?

I don’t have specifics to the extent of the water damage quite yet and am inexperienced with electronics in general, I am just wondering if there is any option available if the motherboard can’t boot.
 
Last edited by urherenow,
Then no. Only other way would be if you have an active NSO subscription and your saves are in the cloud.

Edit: Or if the data is really that important to you, the nuclear (and expensive) option is to buy a working switch of the same model, and have both the emmc AND SoC moved over together. But if water damage messed up the SoC, you are well and truly screwed. And don't even think about moving the SoC by yourself. Many (most?) shops won't even do it.
 
Last edited by urherenow,
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Rip, Luckily I do have a lot of cloud backups but I was mostly concerned about my pokemon saves. Hopefully they can get it working then.
 
Pokemon doesn't use cloud save.
I know, I’m just lucky that I at least have something y’know. Hopefully they can at least get it to boot for a transfer.
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Then no. Only other way would be if you have an active NSO subscription and your saves are in the cloud.

Edit: Or if the data is really that important to you, the nuclear (and expensive) option is to buy a working switch of the same model, and have both the emmc AND SoC moved over together. But if water damage messed up the SoC, you are well and truly screwed. And don't even think about moving the SoC by yourself. Many (most?) shops won't even do it.
Is SoC the whole motherboard? Or a component on it?
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If it comes to that and the SoC and emmc are intact I might consider it considering I just got a new switch oled
 
Last edited by Ape_Person,
I was unaware of the cartridge ic being a requirement. SoC is also called an APU. It's the CPU, but the GPU is a part of it... thus it's referred to as a Sytem on a Chip. It's a bga, soldered onto the main board, so you need a hot air rework station to remove and install it, and you need to know how to properly reball it. Definitely NOT for the untrained.
 
I was unaware of the cartridge ic being a requirement. SoC is also called an APU. It's the CPU, but the GPU is a part of it... thus it's referred to as a Sytem on a Chip. It's a bga, soldered onto the main board, so you need a hot air rework station to remove and install it, and you need to know how to properly reball it. Definitely NOT for the untrained.

Yeah no if I get it back I am not going to do any kind of soldering myself. Thanks so much for all the info! I will ask the repair people what parts are exactly broken if they can’t fix it
 
R.I.P.

Next time put the device (battery unplugged!) in jar with rice and let it be for 3 weeks.
Maybe wash it with 99,9% destilled water (and maybe a solution with 99,9% isoprop) to clean it from minerals which may cause short circuit.

Then you can test the device and it will work most of the time.

SInce it was already on, damage is done and it is unfixable
 
If I’m screwed I got one of my friends to help me out and Gen me some of my lost mons n such. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that but I’m glad that I won’t lose everything.

From now on I’m deffo keeping it off rather than in sleep mode lol.
 
If I’m screwed I got one of my friends to help me out and Gen me some of my lost mons n such. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that but I’m glad that I won’t lose everything.

From now on I’m deffo keeping it off rather than in sleep mode lol.

You should keep it away from water.
 
You should keep it away from water.

The way it got in contact with water is a long story… but I usually never put my switch somewhere where any significant quantity of water can touch it lol.
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Thank you guys for all your help and tips!
 
Last edited by Ape_Person,
My switch got pretty badly water damaged and is no longer able to boot. While it’s in a repair shop right now I’m not sure if they’ll be able to fix it. Provided it’s still intact is there anyway to access save data in the internal memory and transfer it into a state where it could he usuable?

I don’t have specifics to the extent of the water damage quite yet and am inexperienced with electronics in general, I am just wondering if there is any option available if the motherboard can’t boot.

I just wanted to leave an update even though it probably won’t be seen. They managed to repair my switch! I appreciate all the advice you guys gave me even if it was a bit of a grim picture. Thank you all so much!
 

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