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How to rescue a laptop if water gets on the keyboard
Even if it does not turn on, the technique can be saved – but you will have to act quickly.
The liquid and the laptop are not friends with each other. An awkwardly inverted cup of tea may well put you at the prospect of buying a new gadget: the liquid will easily cause short circuits or corrosion of parts. If you spill water on your laptop and it stops turning on, you need to urgently save it.
If they spilled water
1. Power off the laptop and remove the battery
Unplug the power cord quickly and remove the battery to secure the motherboard. No need to waste precious seconds shutting down Windows! It could cost the life of the laptop. Do not try to turn it on to check if it works – this is one of the most important fatal errors.
2. Disconnect related devices
All USB devices must be removed – the faster the better.
3. Wipe down the computer case
Turn the laptop over first – this is the most important thing. Modern computers are usually waterproof, if there is a little liquid, then it is unlikely to get past the keyboard. But if the laptop is already “old”, then everything can be more complicated. Wipe the body with paper towels or napkins and leave it upside down to dry.
And if it’s tea?
Water is not the worst thing. Tea, coffee, milk, soda or juice will do much more harm to your laptop. Drinks are very dangerous because they contain acids and sugars. For example, tea contains tannin. Juices contain citric and fruit acids. Soda contains orthophosphoric acid. Because of them, over time, laptop boards will begin to deteriorate under the influence of chemistry. If there was sugar in the drink, it will remain on the keys, and they will begin to stick.
Therefore, the laptop will have to be washed. And do not worry: after thorough drying, the laptop will work as good as new, if there is no short circuit and nothing burned out. It is better, of course, to entrust this to a professional at the service center. Although there, guarantees for flooded equipment are usually not given. But you can try to restore the laptop on your own.
1. Disassemble laptop and keyboard
Disassembling a gadget is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. The fact is that the bolts can be hidden under the peel-off legs that hold onto the latches. A guide on disassembling your model will help you to quickly cope with this task. A detailed video can be found on YouTube. The main task is to disassemble the laptop into small parts in order to understand where the liquid managed to get into. You also need to disconnect the battery on the motherboard that powers it. Then look under the keyboard pad. If the surface is dry, then nothing needs to be done – just wait a while for the inside of the laptop to dry properly.
2. Clean and rinse
If you notice any plaque or sticky areas on the motherboard, it must be removed with a toothbrush. Then wipe gently with alcohol and distilled water.
3. Dry
Experts do not recommend drying the parts with a hairdryer. Firstly, the hot air jet can overheat some elements. Secondly, moisture can move to a hard-to-reach place. Therefore, place the parts on a clean, flat surface out of direct sunlight. Or put them in a bowl of rice – it draws out moisture well. Place the case and board on some sort of grill so that the air can circulate well.
4. Collect and check
After two days, assemble the laptop and plug it in. Check if the keyboard works in a text file. Also go to “My Computer” and see what is displayed in the window. Pay attention to the color scheme of the display. If there are even the slightest changes in something, you still have to contact the service center.