how to repair water damaged laptop

[Solution] How to Fix a Water Spilled Laptop

1. If you've spilled water on your laptop, act fast and you might be able to fix it.
2. In case of wet-laptop emergency. Step 1: Remove all components that are easily detachable.
3. Break it down. While laptops of years gone by made the process of opening them up ...
4. If your laptop cannot be taken apart. What ...

Full Answer

How to tell if your computer has water damage?

How to Detect if a Computer Has Water Damage

• Visual Inspection. One of the most efficient ways to determine if your computer has liquid damage is to visually inspect it.
• Corrosion. Computers contain different types of metal, including copper. ...
• Diagnosing Components. ...
• Drying Process. ...

How to save your laptop from water damage?

Water Damaged Laptop

1. Turn the Computer Off. Turning the computer off limits the likelihood of circuit damage, and can help prevent your computer from shorting out.
2. Unplug Any Accessories. If you have a mouse, keyboard, or external hard drive connected to the computer, remove it immediately.
3. Invert the Affected Area. ...
4. Sop up Extra Liquid. ...

More items...

What to do after spilling water on laptop?

What Should You Do First When Liquid Gets on Your Laptop Touchpad?

• Turn Your Laptop Off. Immediately turn off and unplug the laptop. ...
• Let Your Laptop Dry. If you just spilled water, then your main concern is to let the laptop dry. ...
• If the Spill Wasn’t Water. If you spilled something that might leave a residue as it dries, then you have to take more action. ...
• Test Your Laptop. ...

Can a drop of water damage a laptop?

Spilling it anywhere besides the keyboard is harmless and having one drop get through the keuboard, pan and onto the motherboard is very unlikely. Even then, pure water is a poor conductor and one drop, minus the lost in travel volume is a tiny amount. A laptop can often survive (After drying) a full glass of pure water spilled on the keyboard.

Can water damaged laptop Be Fixed?

We often get asked 'Can laptop be fixed after water damage? ' Yes as long as you turn if off, remove the battery and keep it in a bag of rice for a day or two, most laptops can be fixed.

Can water damage ruin a laptop?

Still, water can definitely damage or rust up the circuitry and connective points on your laptop. Sugary drinks and corrosive liquids on the other hand though, are much trickier to handle. These not only ruin electronics, they also leave behind sugary residue that can stick up and ruin your keyboard.

How much does it cost to repair a water damaged laptop?

Laptop Water Damage Repair Cost Spilled water on laptop repair costs range from $99 to 250+. Liquid damage cleaning fees all depend on the extent of the damage. A laptop without much corrosion might be quoted $99, whereas a machine thoroughly corroded could be $250 or more.

Does putting laptop in rice work?

The rice will help to draw out the moisture and absorb it, making it safe to try turning the laptop back on again. This is not a fast process though, so we recommend leaving the device in the sealed bag for a good couple of days.

Can I use a hair dryer to dry my laptop?

A hair dryer (blow dryer) is designed specifically to blow air and dry things out, so logically it would seem like it's a good choice to quickly dry out your laptop after a spill. Blow dryers work fine on hair, which is what they are designed for. But your hair isn't made of plastic like your laptop keyboard is.

How long does it take for a laptop to dry?

– Let it air dry for at least 24 hours—the longer the better. You need to be sure that your computer is completely dry before turning it on again, as any moisture left inside could cause a short circuit and more damage.

Can a computer that got wet Be Fixed?

Soak and Drain Let it sit like that until you're confident most of the liquid inside has drained. If it was plain water that spilled, let the laptop sit open overnight to allow any leftover droplets inside the machine to dry. Do not attempt to power it on until you're certain the machine is completely dry.

How do I fix my water damaged HP laptop?

0:562:25How to Save Laptop from Liquid Damage HP Dell Lenovo Apple ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLeave the laptop in a warm room next to a window or in another dry location for at least three hoursMoreLeave the laptop in a warm room next to a window or in another dry location for at least three hours use a blow dryer.

How much does it cost to service a laptop?

Average Computer Repair CostsCost CategoryCost per HourAverage$60High$90Low$45Apr 28, 2021

How much does it cost to fix a fried laptop?

The average cost to fix a laptop is approximately $250. Common laptop repairs and problems include: Broken screens. Dead battery.

How to fix a water damaged laptop?

Some steps to repair your water damaged laptop: The first step to rescue such a situation is to shut down the laptop and remove all power sources attached to your device. Don’t waste your time while doing the official process of shutting down the laptop, just press the power button and shut it down. Remove the battery and any other external ...

What to do if water spills on laptop?

If water gets spilled over your laptop, first you need to make sure that you stay contained and don’t panic. The possibility is that you can fix the laptop with simple damage prevention steps. There may be some effects of water on your laptop that might not be fixed at home. You may need some experts to help to figure it out, ...

How to remove a laptop from a laptop?

If your laptop doesn’t allow you to detach its internal components: 1 Even if your laptop can’t be detached, you can pat dry the external surface and turn your laptop upside down. 2 Soak up the moisture as much as possible. 3 Clean up the keyboard as far as you can. 4 Check whether there is any warranty that is still applicable on your laptop, as most of the un-detachable laptops have a warranty for its internal components. 5 Don’t try to open it forcefully, became if you detach such devices, the author may not accept or take responsibility for the possible damage.

How long does it take for a laptop to dry?

This whole process is, and it will take 24 hours minimum. Don’t rush to turn on the device in a hurry, take your time, and let the laptop get properly dried. After you get satisfied that your device is free from moisture, then turn on the shore and check overall functioning from hardware to software.

Why do you need to cover your keyboard?

To prevent such situations in the future, you can apply transparent silicon or plastic keyboard cover on your laptop to keep your device protected from external threats such as water or dust. However, you must not cover the ventilation holes as they may heat up the internal hardware that will cause serious errors.

What to do if you don't find detaching the internal components easy?

If you don’t find detaching the internal components easy or if you get confused even after following the manual, then the best option is to go to a professional to repair your device rather then doing it yourself.

Why remove battery from laptop?

It is suggested to remove the battery in order to avoid any possible short circuit in your laptop.

What to do if you spilled liquid on your laptop?

If you’ve just spilled a liquid on your best laptop, time is of the essence. You absolutely must turn your computer off immediately and unplug it. If you have a removable battery, remove it immediately. Press that Power button until your machine shuts down. Do that now!

How to dry a wet laptop?

In case of a wet laptop emergency. Step 1: Remove all easily detachable components. Unplug your mouse and any cables, and remove any flash drives and DVDs. Leave your laptop bare. Step 2: Dry the outside of your machine.

How to get liquid out of laptop keyboard?

Between the time that liquid spilled on your laptop keyboard and the time that you take it to the store, here’s what you can do: Hold your machine upside down and use a towel to wipe dry any visible wetness. Then, lay it down on a dry surface , and give your laptop as much ventilation as possible — it may not help much, ...

What is a ruggedized laptop?

For the folks who work in a workspace where laptop spills and moisture are commonplace, consider a ruggedized laptop. It can be tough to avoid spills completely, and this device comes with a sealed keyboard and added features to protect against that. Check out Dell’s Latitude Rugged Extreme Laptop for an example.

How to protect laptop from spills?

To protect your laptop from possible spills in the future, we suggest buying a keyboard cover ( like this one from KeyCover) for your device. Or take things a step further and get a full shell for the top and bottom exteriors of your laptop. One more layer of protection is to carry your device around in a great laptop bag. Always be sure that your cover doesn’t block any ventilation holes on your laptop. If it does, use scissors to cut the cover’s skin to leave the ventilation space open.

How to remove battery from laptop?

Battery removal is typically accomplished by pressing a switch or button on the underside of your computer. Step 2: If you’re concerned about liquid leaking through to the entire system — to components like your memory and storage drive — you can remove those, too.

Can you take apart a laptop?

While opening up and removing components from earlier laptops was easy, that’s not the case with modern-day laptops. We don’t recommend trying to take anything apart unless you have an older laptop model that’s not mainly glued together. That said, here are some steps you can attempt if your laptop allows it.

What happens if your laptop gets shorted?

If your laptop gets a short circuit, and you are in contact with it, and possibly have a spillage on you, you are also at risk!

Can you leave your laptop in the sun?

One common mistake people make is leaving their laptops to dry in the sunlight. Don’t do that, because you never know how sunlight might affect different parts of the laptop. Instead, simply have it airdry, where there are no risks.

What to do if you spill something on your laptop?

If you do spill something on your laptop, the main thing to do is not to panic. Unplug your laptop, pull out your battery, and flip the laptop over so that the liquid drips OUT of your water-damaged laptop and not into it where it can damage internal electrical components.

How to Find Out if You Got Water Damage?

As much as we warn people not to bring liquids near their devices, it’s inevitable that liquid damage still happens. In fact, spilling a glass of water on your laptop while working is the least of what we see. Just some examples from the last couple of months:

What to do if you spill water on your phone?

So what do you do if you get water on your electronics? First, disconnect the power, and remove the battery. Cutting off the flow of electricity will prevent the worst possible damage, burned out circuits and components. Then, turn your device upside down and let it drain on to some paper towels. Once most of the water is out, you can either open it up and dry off what remains with paper towels and a hair dryer (set to low heat!), or if it’s a cell phone or PDA you can put the device into a small tupperware container and cover it with rice. The rice will remove moisture from the device and get it dried out in no time. Note: even if you find a large enough box and have a LOT of rice, we don’t recommend putting your laptop in it. It’s just not a good idea.

How to speed up drying process?

If you have a blow-dryer available, you can speed up the drying process by setting it to the lowest heat setting and blowing it on the device indirectly.

Where is LaptopMD+ located?

When you have an emergency, time is of the essence. LaptopMD+ offers emergency repair service at our Midtown New York offices between 7th and 8th avenues, across from Penn Station – conveniently located near the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 trains at Penn Station and the N, R, Q, B, D, F, and M trains at Herald Square.

Can water damage a computer?

Computers and water just don’t mix. As computers and laptops get more technically advanced, water has the potential to do more catastrophic damage than ever before. If you spilled water on your computer (or any other liquid, for that matter), don’t panic. There are a few home remedies that you can try to help minimize the damage before we can help fix it.

Can we fix water damage on a laptop?

We can fix water damage on Macbooks, Lenovos, Chomebooks, Dell laptops, Thinkpads, and many others. Call us today!

Kill the Power of Your Laptop

The most important thing you should do when you spill water on a laptop is turn it off. Do this immediately. You can hold the power button until the laptop is off.

Dry the Laptop Out

If you shut off the computer, you can save the computer, but there’s a very important thing to remember. The water will stay in there for a while. If you turn the computer back on before it is completely dry, then you can still create shorts and destroy the laptop.

Try to Turn Your Laptop on After it Dries

Only when you are confident that the computer is dry should you try to turn it on. You should also only do this if water is what was spilled. If there was stuff dissolved in the water, like salt or sugar, then the computer needs to be professionally cleaned.

Replace As Needed

At this point, you should have a total estimate of what it will take to fix the laptop. You can tally the price, and then you can decide if it’s worth fixing the laptop or not. This is the simplest part of the process. If the sum of components is more expensive than a replacement, you know what to do.

Preserve Data

Whether you are going to replace or repair the laptop, you will want to backup your data before doing any work. A lot of component replacements require you to erase and reinstall the operating system as part of the process. That runs a high risk of destroying personal data along the way.

Get Professional Help to Fix Your Laptop

As mentioned before, a repair shop can handle this whole process. If you tried the DIY route and couldn’t fix the computer, that’s ok. Water damage can be hard to trace. You can consider a professional diagnosis at this point.

How to get water out of keyboard?

In the case of a desktop computer, unplug the keyboard from the CPU. Turn the keyboard upside down and shake the water loose. Unplug the screws at the bottom and blow-dry. Keep it out under the sun for some time without allowing it to get excessively hot.

Can a computer be damaged by water?

A computer that has water damage will likely not be in proper working condition. Even after the computer is dried out, there is no guarantee that the hard drive, battery, RAM, and other parts will function as intended. However, before writing off the water-damaged computer or taking it to a costly repairman, try the following steps to fix it.

How to get water out of laptop?

This way, it can quickly dry out, and you’re making room for water to go out from the laptop. Place the laptop upside down and dry periodically with a fan . The water can enter the laptop either from the keyboard or the speakers. And it can only come out from there.

Why is it dangerous to spill water on a laptop?

Because of the sugar, they stick to parts of the laptop making it hard to manage the spill. So, as long as you spilled only water, there’ hope. There’s one other thing you should be concerned about. Water spills on laptops are dangerous only if they cause a short circuit, i.e. mess with the motherboard circuit.

How to get sound on laptop to work after water spill?

There’s not much to do here but wait for the speakers to dry out. Many laptop speakers have started working later after a water spill. Place the laptop upside down to help the process. You can also use a fan.

Can you fix a laptop speaker after a water spill?

You can fix laptop speakers after a water spill provided that the amplifier chip isn’t damaged. There’s no way to fix water damaged laptop speakers without taking it apart. All you have to do is wait for the speakers to dry out if there’s water blocking the sound.

Can you judge if you spill water on your laptop?

No one can judge you if you spill water on your laptop. It happens all the time, that’s how most laptops get damaged. Someone will judge you though if you reacted poorly after the spill. The laptop will survive just fine if you react efficiently and quickly. In fact, your speakers will be fine after some time too.

Can a laptop battery get damaged?

It doesn’t matter that the laptop isn’t drawing power, the battery can still get damaged. Water is bad for the battery cells. Exposure to water can significantly weaken the battery or ruin it altogether. So, the smartest thing to do is take out the battery.

Does water block sound from speakers?

Is Water Blocking Sound From The Speakers. Now, the other option is that your sound chip is fine but water is blocking the speakers. This means that the speakers still aren’t dry. In this case, you’ll be able to hear some sounds coming from the speakers. At the least, you can hear the sound but it’s muffled.