It happens to the best of us. No matter how rigid we may be in following safety handling of our computers, there are times that we do bend the rules. Who hasn’t tried having a beverage beside the desktop while working on a paper or checking out the latest of people’s lives at Facebook?
Well, it all works fine if nothing bad happens but what if you accidentally spill liquid on your desktop? How do you go about the computer repairs? Before you panic and scream at the potential forever disappearance of all your files, try salvaging what you could with these first aid steps:
1. Turn the Power Connection Off.
If your desktop is connected to a power outlet, unplug it immediately. If you’re using a laptop, remove the battery from its casing at the bottom. Note that you need to release the tab which comes along the battery pack as per manual instructions. This will protect you from getting a shock as you work on a laptop that’s damaged with liquid.
2. Open the Computer.
If your computer is a desktop, take out the screw of the cover protecting the CPU. If it’s a laptop, all screws underneath it must be removed then take out the 2 screws that connect the screen of the laptop.
3. Save the Hard Drive First.
Open Hard Drive
The hard drive must be removed from the computer. To avoid problems on how to put it back, make a record of how it was removed preferably through photos or video of your mobile phone. Check if there’s any liquid or moisture in the drive. With a soft cloth, press down on the liquid or moisture for absorption. Make sure not to make wiping motions with the cloth in an effort to mop the liquid because this would only spread it around; hence, making the problem worse. After, use a blow dryer or cool fan to dry out any remaining moisture.
4. Dry Out the Keyboard.
For the desktop, unplug the keyboard from your CPU, turn it upside down and shake off the liquid. For the laptop, unscrew the bottom and inspect the keyboard because there are some which are designed to protect its internals from liquids. Pour out any liquid content in the enclosure of the keyboard. For both models, blow dry the keyboard after shaking off and place under sunlight for a couple of hours.
5. Attend to the other Components.
Disconnect and take out the rest of your desktop or laptop’s components including the motherboard within it. Again, to avoid problems on putting it back together, have some snapshots or a video of how the components are taken out so that this will serve as your guide on how to put it back together in one piece.
Motherboard
6. Dry Everything Out.
Dry each component with the use of a soft cloth to absorb liquid or moisture then blow dry or use a fan for dehumidification. Have the components sit overnight for natural drying in the air. After drying, take note that there may be the presence of calcium deposits on the components brought about by the dried liquid. Clean these components out with a solution having 90% alcohol.
7. Reinstall the Parts.
Give it a few days of drying then reinstall your desktop or laptop. With your photos or video as your point of reference, put all components back in reverse order of removal. For desktops, reconnect the keyboard to your CPU and for laptops, put in the battery pack for power to restore.
If there was no serious or permanent damage caused by the liquid spillage, your computer would be back to working order. However, if its power doesn’t come, that’s when we, at Compushooter, enter the picture to handle computer repairs that’s more complicated in nature. Stress no more and let us be the one to handle the task of reviving your computer and the data recovery that comes with it.
Jot down the number to call so you won’t forget: 480-464-0202!
