So you’ve spilled something on your laptop? STOP reading right now and turn that computer off! Now! (By computer I mean any computing device - laptop, phone, tablet, desktop etc)
If your computer gets wet, time is of the essence. You must turn it off, unplug it, and remove the battery at ONCE. Every second counts. Don't bother to take the proper steps to turn it off, either - hold down the power or even rip the battery out. Next is the tricky part. Do not be tempted to turn it on. I say again DO NOT turn it on. Not until the full cleaning process is done. I have seen many laptops or phones that could have been saved except the user was dying to know if the laptop or phone was dead or not - so they solved the problem by turning it on and killing it. :(
Once it's off, do this...
1. Remove all components that are easily detachable – Unplug your battery, mouse dongle, and any cables, and remove any flash drives and DVDs.
2. Dry the outside of your machine – Immediately open your laptop or phone as far as it goes, hold it upside down, and wipe dry any wet surfaces that you see with a towel or another lint-free absorbent fabric. The type of liquid matters: water is the least corrosive, while sugary and alcoholic liquids are the most harmful. Either way, the goal is to mitigate their effects as much as possible by drying the computer immediately.
At this point, there are two ways to go. DIY or a professional repair. On the one hand, you can take it to a computer repair shop; on the other hand, you can try to fix it yourself. If you want to take the DIY approach, act at once and improve your chances of salvaging your laptop from the accident and follow the remaining steps.
Be aware if you choose DIY you take on all the risk involved. Computer Help NZ doesn't accept any responsibility for damage caused to your machine from taking it apart.
- Strip it down – This is tricky but vital. If you haven’t already, remove your battery. Next, if it's a laptop, remove all the screws (pay attention to where they came from) and take everything out you can. This will include the hard drives, DVD drive, memory modules. To really do this job properly you should remove the motherboard too.
If it's a phone there's not many things you can remove easily but certainly the battery and SIM card. - Dry it off – Examine each component you’ve removed to check for any sign of wetness or corrosion. Any wet parts should be dried, but if the liquid is anything other than water, you’ll want to wipe it off (you can use a cotton swab) with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol – this will dissolve gunk without causing damage and evaporate without leaving residue. If you see corrosion, grab a toothbrush, dip it in the alcohol, dry off the excess liquid, and begin cleaning off the signs of corrosion. For the screen, make a mixture of 50 percent isopropyl alcohol and 50 percent distilled water and use the softest cloth you can find.
- Once you’re done, you’ll want to leave it all alone to air-dry for two to three days in a warm, dry area. Remember that a fan will hasten the drying process. Do not use a hair dryer, as this could cause static problems. You can put the laptop, tablet or phone in a bag of rice but a warm area with a good flow or air is generally more effective.
- Put it back together – Once you’ve picked your machine apart, dried all the components, and given them time to dry, put all the components back and screw in the screws.
- Pray! Put in a quick prayer and then turn your device on. Hope like crazy it works.
If this is all too much, or you would just rather we fixed your laptop or phone etc for you, please call...
Computer Help NZ
0800349669
0800 FIXNOW
https://www.chnz.co.nz/tablet-repair