March 29, 2024, 03:10:47 am

Laptop problems

Started by fcgamer, November 09, 2016, 04:44:03 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

fcgamer

Yesterday I was sleeping and holding a glass of water, my brother woke me startled me and I spilled it on my laptop (which was powered on, plugged in).  Now it won't work.

Do you guys think it is dead, or I can repair it?  Advice?
Family Bits - Check Progress Below!

https://famicomfamilybits.wordpress.com

UglyJoe

Did the laptop shut off as soon as the water was spilled on it?

fcgamer

I don't know.  I think it was in sleep mode/shut down or whatever it was, as I had been sleeping and not been actively using it.
Family Bits - Check Progress Below!

https://famicomfamilybits.wordpress.com

chowder

Disconnect the battery and disassemble it as much as you can, ideally completely.  Leave the parts to dry out for a couple of days (if you can put them in the air flow from a fan that'd help) and then reassemble it again.

Unless something's shorted and blown up, water spills aren't usually that bad.  Good luck!

jpx72

Good practice  is to bury your wet electronics in silicagel or ordinary rice for a couple of days (5 is ok).
And not trying to turn it on during that time.

fcgamer

I am using my brother's laptop right now, and sitting at a 7-11 across from my apartment to use their free Wi-Fi.  For some reason, I can't connect his laptop to my Wi-Fi, maybe I am remembering the server password wrong or something like that. 

I opened my laptop up this afternoon and took the battery out, used a light hair dryer to dry things out, etc.  But it didn't really seem wet at all inside.  I did notice what looked to be some corrosion on a portion of the board, seriously, could something like that happen in less than 24 hours?

I have the bad feeling that the thing is jacked.  Tomorrow or Saturday I will take my computer to the dumpy Asus repair center near my apartment, tell them what happened, and inquire for advice.  If it is a motherboard problem and will be really expensive to fix, might as well get a new computer.  If there is a large chance that it is something more minor, then I will take my chances there too.
Family Bits - Check Progress Below!

https://famicomfamilybits.wordpress.com

P

No way that it could have corroded over 24 hours. Probably no components in your computer take any damage from water (unless it has paper capacitors), only the metal parts oxide faster due to the minerals in the water but that's something that takes a long time before it shows. If it was damaged from the water, it could only be that something has shorted if it was powered on, not because of corrosion. The corroded parts must have been from long ago.

Like everyone said, burry it in rice or dehumifier bags, you can put it in a bag full of rice or dehumifier bags and let it suck up all the moisture for a few days before you try turning it on again. It might not seem wet but it could still be water in tight places that is hard to see.

fcgamer

If I put the computer in a bag of rice (I will try rice since it is cheap and plentiful here), I should first open the computer up or just leave it closed and in the case when I do this?  For the next two weeks my brother is visiting, so  it is not imperative that I have my computer fixed, as I can use his for the meantime.  So if I can try some technique like this even if it doesn't work, it is still worth a try to me, before sending it off to the service center for a few weeks.
Family Bits - Check Progress Below!

https://famicomfamilybits.wordpress.com

GreenKoopa

I spent a few years in the mobile/cell phone industry (a while ago now).  We had a heap of customers who dropped their phones in water.  The advice was for them to pull apart their phones and let them air dry. Sometimes it gave them extra life, from a few minutes to get off some contacts numbers, sometimes an extra year of normal use.

Once you get a device wet, you are on borrowed time and it will die eventually.   There are some companies which offer a cleaning service to remove the corrosion.  They will remove the corridor powder and give the pcb a clean, but the corrosion is still there and can never be removed.  Using the device accelerates the corrosion due to the current flow and speeds up the corrosion process.

Unlike a mobile/cell phone, a laptop can be pulled apart into individual components. I guess the main priority is to save your data, which you can still do if your mobo is gone. My advice would be, once dry, assume your have 5 minutes only to copy essential stuff. Then, keep copying until you are finished/whatever the laptop allows.

For the laptop itself, repair vs buy new. I would go new, as you dont know what parts are truly corroded.

Good luck.

famifan

that's why i got dust-proof water-resistant weatherproof laptop especially to avoid these kind of problems. it's huge and heavy and tough. it'll be fine unless it's fully immersed under the water. (i already tried to literally take a shower with it. all went fine with no flaws)

apart from that, i'm a huge fan of water-resistant devices and gadgets. that means even my cellphone is truly waterproof too.

hope you'll find another laptop and all your data will be safe.