Did you know that liquid spills are the root cause of about 60% of all laptop repairs? There are many different reasons that a laptop can suffer from water damage, from spilling a drink on the keyboard to dropping it into a pool.
Whatever the reason for your laptop’s current state, you’ll need to know what to do next to prevent further damage and restore it to normal use again. Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do after your computer suffers water damage.
Turn Off Your Computer
Start off with turning off your laptop and disconnecting it from any power sources. If done quickly, the laptop may be able to dry out over time and prevent serious water damage.
If you continue using it while wet or if there has been too much water introduced for it to dry on its own, you’ll likely need an external source such as a USB battery pack or a wall charger to power up and dry out the laptop.
Check for Obvious Damages
Check your laptop for any obvious signs of damage, such as a cracked screen or dents on the frame. If you see any visible laptop damage, it’s best to stop using the laptop immediately and make arrangements to have it repaired or replaced at a nearby laptop services store or with your manufacturer.
Take out all of the removable parts, such as any memory cards or DVDs that might be inside your computer. This will prevent them from suffering water damage and help reduce or avoid spreading it throughout your laptop. You may want to check out how to clean computer memory cards.
Once you start up your laptop after water damage has occurred, you are likely to experience some problems with its performance. A good way to test out your laptop is by using a USB battery pack or wall charger so that you can power it back on without it being plugged into an outlet.
Be Wary of Sugary Drinks
If you spilled soda or another sugary drink on your laptop, then you may see white powdery residue forming on some of its internal parts. The soda will corrode away the metal contacts within the laptop and make it impossible to charge or turn on without replacing them.
You may be able to get by with cleaning this corrosion off and drying everything out, but sometimes surges in electricity can cause them to short circuit. It’s best not to risk it and get your laptop repaired by a professional laptop service or replaced instead.
Take Your Laptop for Professional Repair
If you are not comfortable opening up your laptop yourself to clean it or check for damage, then you can take it into a computer repair shop to have them do the job for you. They’ll be able to properly identify any sources of electronic damage and provide advice on troubleshooting and repairing your laptop afterward. If you’re unable to save your laptop, then you may be able to file an insurance claim on it with most manufacturers’ warranty programs.
What To Do After Laptop Water Damage
Laptops computers are designed to withstand a certain amount of wear and tear due to their portability, but one thing they do not stand up well against is water damage. A good rule of thumb to follow is turning it off immediately and taking it to a computer repair shop.
Leaving the laptop powered on will allow electricity to further corrode any metal contacts inside, making them unusable later on. As soon as you can get your laptop repaired or replaced, you should do so to avoid any issues with it down the road.
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