ER Computer Repair Service

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What do you do if you spill liquid on your laptop?

A lot of computer users no doubt eat and drink while they are using their laptops, and spills do happen, regardless of our attempts otherwise. What's the best thing to do when there's a spill on your laptop? Keep calm and carry on:

Steps:

• Shut it off! Immediately remove the battery, the A/C adapter, and unplug the device after the spill. The biggest danger at first is the device shorting out. The electrolytic activity of combining electricity and liquids will begin as soon as the liquid contacts the powered circuits so removing the power and battery immediately is essential.
• With the lid open, turn the computer upside down. This prevents the liquid from getting too far into the computer. While the computer is upside down, remove the battery and set it aside.
• Disconnect and remove any and all external devices.
• Wipe up the liquid. All joking aside: use toilet paper. Ounce for ounce, it's the most absorbent material you're likely to have handy. It's also thin, so it can reach down into crevices in and around your keyboard to soak up the liquid. This is especially important for sugary drinks like colas and juice: Sugars are sticky, and if they dry, you'll have a bigger problem. Next: If you're prepared, you can take your computer apart to clean up any liquid inside.
• Opening up a laptop can expose the user to high voltage and potentially life threatening situations, and the combination of liquid with power can cause fires and other damage. "ER Computers Birmingham" does not warrant the information contained here, and any action you take should be considered done on your own behalf. If you are not 100% sure of the actions to take and the actions to avoid, please contact us for professional assistance.
• Disassemble and clean the computer. You'll most likely want to remove the top case, the part of the computer that includes the keyboard and trackpad. In many some cases, you'll have to start at the bottom of the computer and remove many, many screws, ribbons and parts. Using a notebook and an empty ice cube tray to keep track of the many different sizes of screws is a good way to make your life easier when it comes time to putting the computer back together. With your computer apart, try and find where the liquid has seeped to, and sop it up as best you can. Any liquid you spill is going to have the ability to conduct electricity due to metals, sugars, and salts within. Colas, especially, are very acidic, and can corrode sensitive electronic parts. Even if you drink nothing but food-grade de-ionized water, material on the surface of your computer can be carried by the liquid inside your computer, meaning possible conductivity. Of course, unwanted conductivity is bad for your computer. If what you spilled was oily or sticky, you can use dilute isopropyl alcohol (IPA, or rubbing alcohol) to try and clean areas with the oil on it. Dip a lint-free cloth in a small amount of alcohol and use the tip of your finger to gently clean areas inside the computer.
• Let everything dry. You can use a desk lamp and incandescent bulb to gently warm and dry the disassembled computer. Remember, make sure to clean up anything that will become sticky before you dry the computer. You'll want to make sure everything is completely dry before trying to turn on your computer. No matter how great the compulsion, you should wait at least a day before trying to boot your laptop again.
  
• Test it out. The keyboard and trackpad will probably be most affected by a spill. Try all the keys and all the functions of the trackpad (like scrolling and tapping). If something isn't working right, there are two possibilities: Either it's not completely dry, or its permanently damaged. Give it another day to dry out, and if it isn't working, chances are it needs to be replaced. If nothing works, you can still take the hard disk out of the computer, put it in an enclosure and connect it to another PC or Mac. That way, you'll have access to your critical files if you need them.

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