spilled water on lap top- help

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spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 6:48:28 AM

pahunkboy

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Last night as I was putting down a full cup of water, it spilled, all of it. Much of it dampened the arm of the cHair....but it went into the keys/keyboard of a IBM thinkpad T23. Right now I am on the other T23 that I own.

I tried using a blow dryer on it..

any ideas???????????????????

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 6:49:50 AM

cjan

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microwave ?

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 7:11:52 AM

CalifChick

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Oh god no. CJ, down boy!

I'm guessing you don't want to take it to a shop.

Turn it over onto a towel, and let it sit until it dries, give it a couple of days, depending on how much water went into it. I'm not familiar with how the case on that one comes off; if you can open the case without damaging it, do that so it can dry better.

After that, shake it over a paper towel to see if any more water appears. Don't turn it back on until you're positive it's dry.

Cali

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 7:33:19 AM

DesertRat

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Been there big time...32 ounces worth!

I took out the battery, hard drive, and memory cards, opened the CD drive, and set it in a window, supported by some books, so air could circulate around it. Let it sit for 24 hours. Put it back together, and it actually worked...for almost two weeks. Then it died. Had a tech look at it and he told me I needed a new computer because the mother board was fried. Went to Dell's service and repair website and saw that one of the services they perform is motherboard replacement. Called them, they sent me a box, packed it up, called UPS for a pickup, two weeks later I had it back, good as new. It cost 400 bucks but it was worth it!

So all might not be lost.

Bob

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 8:35:27 AM

DomMeinCT

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http://www.switched.com/2007/08/21/how-to-rescue-a-wet-laptop/

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 8:35:57 AM

Termyn8or

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What are those things worth Hunk ? The Rat is right, when you just dry them out they will fail. The only way to do it right is quite involved. It's more than taking the perhipherals out, the motherboard must be removed from the case and cleaned thoroughly first with water, then dowsed with alcohol. This after removing all shields, and once done you take it out and swing it like a shot-put you're about to throw, just don't let go. Then comes the hair dryer for a time until everything is nice and warm, and I mean everything. Then it dries, outside the case as the case and everything else is inspected.

The unit must be worth at least five to seven hundred dollars to be worth doing, bacause the bill would probably be about half that. Not doing it right begets you a machine prone to failure in the coming months or even weeks.

If it's a cheaper laptop there are other options. If the HD is OK it can be put into another one. You might even find a used one with a bad HD for example.

T

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 8:44:19 AM

bipolarber

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Well, if you don't switch it on, all you have to do is wait.... let the water evaporate over... say... three or four days, and then check to see if you have any actual damage. You might need to have it cleaned... AT LEAST IT WAS JUST WATER, and not something like soda, which would have left a syrupy film.

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 10:26:52 AM

Lynnxz

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I spilled straight vodka all over a laptop, but blew it all out quickly with an airhose- the only downside was a black box that has appeared in the desktop, and the downkey doesn't work sometimes.

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 11:51:35 AM

popeye1250

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Easy, just turn it upside down and let the water drain out and leave it like that for 3 or 4 days!
I had an electric fan that was filthy dirty one time.
I just put it in the bathtub and cleaned it off and let it set for a week or two and plugged it in and it worked fine.
Water and electrical appliances *do* mix just don't plug them in until they're fully dry.

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 12:14:51 PM

NeedToUseYou

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Well, you have until the water gets to circuits to save the thing(unplug it), so it may be to late. First thing is to unplug it, second is to pull the battery, don't even shut it down, just pull the battery. Turn it upside down, wipe off water, and vacuum out as much water as possible.

Sit in front of a fan for a couple of days. Water is the best liquid to spill in a computer because it doesn't leave any residue.

I've had the side of a computer off before, with a 32 ounce soda next to it, and bumped it straight in the thing. Pulled the plug in less than a second of the event, cleaned it out, and let it dry for a couple of days and it worked. This was directly on the motherboard, speed is important in such situations.

< Message edited by NeedToUseYou -- 9/25/2008 12:15:38 PM >

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RE: spilled water on lap top- help - 9/25/2008 12:16:37 PM

FRSguy

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If it was just water and was not running or at least was powered down right after the spill before the water got to the circuits then all you have to do is dry it out and it will be fine... as long as whatever you spilled does not contain sugar.

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