Spillages on computers

Question

Hi  I really need help i spilt orange squash over my laptop and dried it with a towel and hair dryer however, now it wont turn on. Any suggestions on what i should do? and does ne1 know if my harddrive will be able to be recovered? Liz x

simpswr · Answer

Keep it upside down as much as possible with the lid open . . The hard drive will likely survive . . you can pull it out, pat it dry and salvage data from a working pc.  The quicker you get the rest of it cleaned up the better you will be . . you can look for a guide to disassembly and take the keyboard out and hold it under the water faucet long enough to flush the juice, then pat it dry and let it sit for a day or so to dry out . . or dry with a hair dryer on low heat.   The damage will likely be to the motherboard and that is not easy to fix yourself . .

Flooby · Answer

@simpswr wrote:

...take the keyboard out and hold it under the water faucet long enough to flush the juice.

Not only is this unlikely to work, but water isn't the best thing to be "flushing" PC parts with. The keyboard is the least of your worries, and is one of the cheapest things to replace (and it will probably be necessary to do so in this instance). There are several much better alternatives to water, such as electrical contact spray cleaner. Some of these are specifically developed for use on sensitive electronic gear like PCs.

You need to get the hard drive out and away from the sodden chassis ASAP, as that's where your data is. Your User Guide should have instructions on how to remove the drive, and depending on the system model, it may be completely unaffected by the spill. Once it's out, let it air dry.

I'd recommend taking the system to a qualified technician for inspection and repair. Since you haven't identified the make or model, we have no way of knowing whether you might have repair options available via Dell (including repair under Complete Care, if you purchased that with the system).

rickmktg · Answer

@simpswr wrote: ' . . Not only is this unlikely to work . . '   Guess I did something wrong . . it has worked for me on three different spills on laptops . . Two coffee and one Coke.  All three are working to this date   While I haven't done it on a laptop, I've washed desktop keyboards before that were gunked up, and they worked fine after.

Flooby · Answer

You got lucky.  :-)

simpswr · Answer

' . . Not only is this unlikely to work . . '   Guess I did something wrong . . it has worked for me on three different spills on laptops . . Two coffee and one Coke.  All three are working to this date

simpswr · Answer

I do that a lot it seems . . I agree water is not the best thing to use, but speed seems more critical than media when the keyboard is full of sugary substance . . on two of them, the keyboard seemed to catch most of the fluid . . very little on the chassis below . . I was able to clean with a moist cloth . . on the third, had to go deeper, but in the end got it all.

Flooby · Answer

There's a big difference between a notebook keyboard and a desktop version, but you'll notice that Dell (as well as just about every other PC manufacturer on the planet) doesn't even waste time trying to repair or recycle them. (Which, unlike stuff like power supplies, is why they don't make you send the old one back when they replace it under warranty.) A while back, I think Fred Langa or someone like that had an article about disassembling desktop keyboards and running them through an automatic dishwasher to clean all the goo out of them, but since they come apart much easier than notebook versions, and since they're never in as close proximity to delicate circuits as those on notebooks, there's probably less chance of your Maytag (or tap water) ruining the PC as frequently as occurs on a notebook system following a good dunking.

In any event, for every notebook keyboard that's been resurrected via a home bath, there are probably 5 that haven't survived. Given the fact that a replacement keyboard for, say a Lat C600, is only $29 from Dell Spare Parts, I'll wait a day and cram a nice new dry (and clean) one right on top of the system board any day.

fiery_angelwing · Answer

Hey guys thanks for the help im leaving it to dry for 24 hours then im goin to give it another go. IF it wont turn on ill buy a new one and try and recover my harddrive!! Little tip - drink away fromur computer - its not worth it!

Cheers

Liz

Windows General

Spillages on computers

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