If you just splashed water on your laptop, you may want to know what to do to get it fixed before it gets fully soaked in water. Luckily, it is possible to salvage your water-damaged laptop.
But there is one rule. You need to act FAST.
Yes, instead of letting your laptop continue soaking up the water, you need to act fast to prevent further soaking. The immediate action you should take is to disconnect the laptop from the power supply, switch off the laptop, and remove the battery.
Read on to see what to do after spilling water or coffee on your laptop.
How To Fix a Water Damaged Laptop (Quick Steps)
Step 1: Switch off your laptop
If you spilled water on the laptop and it is not already dead, switch it off.
Step 2: Unplug your charger and other devices
Unplug every external device from the laptop. This includes the charger, external hard disk, mouse, keyboard, or flash disk.
Step 3: Remove the laptop battery.
If your laptop has a removable battery, detach it from the laptop immediately. If your laptop has an internal battery, you may need to unscrew the back casing to access the battery.
Step 4: Dry off water
Use an absorbing material to dry off the water from the laptop. Also, turn the laptop upside down to drain as much water as possible.
Step 5: Remove hard disk
If you can access the hard disk, and any other laptop part, detach them from the laptop. However, if you do not know how to remove the parts and do not have the required tools, do not attempt guesswork.
Step 6: Contact your insurance/manufacturer
After performing the five steps, you have done first aid on the laptop. If your laptop warranty is still valid or has insurance, this will relieve you of the repair charges.
However, if you don’t have a warranty or laptop insurance, consider taking the laptop to a competent computer technician in your city. The cost of repair can range anywhere from $50 to $500 or more, depending on the extent of repairs.
If the repair cost exceeds the value of your laptop, consider buying a new laptop.
Things Not To Do To a Water-Damaged Laptop
When your laptop is water damaged, it is fragile and you must be cautious when handling it. This is what you must avoid when handling a water-damaged laptop.
Do not take your laptop apart if you are not sure how to do it or use inappropriate tools to take it apart.
Avoid using a hairdryer to dry out water from the laptop. Using a hairdryer will cause heat damage to the already fragile laptop parts.
Do not soak your laptop in rice. It is common for people to soak the water-damaged smartphone in rice in an attempt to dry it. However, this could cause harm to your laptop as the rice could get trapped in between the laptop parts and cause damage to the laptop touchpad and keyboard.
How To Protect Your Laptop Against Water Damage
When your laptop recovers from water damage, it is essential to ensure that this situation does not happen again. These are the tips to protect your laptop from water damage:
- Keep your glass of water a safe distance from the laptop
- Get a laptop stand to protect the laptop against coffee, water, or any other liquid spills
- Invest in a laptop key cover. In many cases. Liquid spills on the keyboard and penetrates the other laptop parts.
- If you carry your laptop with you to work, pack the laptop separately from water or any liquid.
Can You Recover Files From a Water-Damaged Laptop?
A water-damaged laptop takes time to get back on. The best way to recover data from a water-damaged laptop is to wait for the laptop to dry up completely before booting it up again. Alternatively, if you have taken the hard drive apart, you can try to connect it to another laptop to access the data.
FAQs
How long does it take for a laptop to dry when water spills on it?
Give the laptop at least 48 hours. This will ensure that the water is dry even in the inaccessible laptop parts.
Can water erase data on the hard drive?
A water spill cannot erase the data on a hard drive. However, it risks damage to the hard drive, making it hard to recover data without professional intervention.
Do you need to get your laptop cleaned after spilling water on it?
Unlike coffee, water does not leave any residue if spilled on the laptop once it’s dry. When the water evaporates, it is important to get the laptop checked, but cleaning is not essential.
Conclusion
The most important part of saving a water-damaged laptop is what you do immediately after the incident. Unplugging external devices, removing the laptop battery, drying the visible water, and leaving the laptop turned upside down can help salvage your laptop.
While much can be done to fix a water-damaged laptop, it is better to take more caution to prevent a similar situation from happening. Investing in accessories such as a laptop stand or a keyboard cover play a key role in preventing damage from spillage of liquids on the laptop.
