RESCUING A WET LAPTOP

It is unfortunately common for liquid to be spilled on laptops. Rescuing such a laptop is a dicey proposition. Success depends on a number of factors, such as the type and quantity of liquid spilled, the steps taken after the spill, and how fast those steps were taken. The proper steps to take are immediately disconnecting the power, removing the battery, and turning the machine over. Never try to power on the machine until it has been serviced—doing so will almost guarantee that the computer will be ruined.

To rescue the laptop, disassemble it. There are some instructions for doing this in Chapter 9, but because there is such variation in laptops, you’ll probably want to consult the manufacturer’s Web page for instructions. You’ll find that some manufacturers provide better instructions than others do. IBM and Dell tend to provide detailed disassembly/reassembly instructions. Soak up any remaining liquid with an absorbent material such as paper towels, hold the computer at an angle, and spray liberally with an electronic contact cleaner that is safe for plastics, such as Blow Off Contact Cleaner (blowoff.com). Spray every nook and cranny in the machine except inside disk drives. Allow the unit to dry, and then reassemble. Then, reconnect power and attempt to boot. If it doesn’t work, it is probably wise to give up, although you should try to connect the hard drive to another machine to back up the data (see Chapter 6, “Magnetic Disk Drives,” for more information).