It happens that water or other liquid gets on the computer keyboard, which can be spilled accidentally. This may damage the equipment. In order to avoid long and expensive repairs to a damaged desktop computer or laptop that refuses to turn on, you need to act carefully. In addition, it will be very useful for any computer user to know what to do if they spill water on their laptop.
Regular keyboard
If the user has flooded the keyboard and the keys of an ordinary external input device connected via Bluetooth, USB or PS\2 do not work, then this is a very serious problem. The most important rule to remember is that the device will not break if it is quickly de-energized. If there is wired power, you need to quickly unplug the plug from the system unit. If the device is wireless, then you need to remove the battery or built-in battery from it as quickly as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to repair it.
After removing traces of spilled liquid, there is a great desire to connect the device and test its functionality. There is no need to do this! Here you need to be a little patient. The longer it takes to dry, the less likely it is that the keyboard will break .
Assemble and test the laptop
Afterwards you need to assemble the equipment body. These steps are performed after thorough drying. It is recommended to first place the parts on the grill if it is not possible to use compressed air. In this case, circulation occurs around the elements.
Another option is to place the parts in a container filled with rice. But drying DELL XPS 15, LENOVO G5080 and other models is more effective in natural conditions without the use of other devices. The laptop is assembled and tested for functionality.
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Removing the keyboard for drying
Many users face some problems when removing their computer keyboard. However, on modern laptops, removing the input device is not very difficult, because it is fixed using ordinary plastic latches. Removal is carried out according to the following principle:
- Using a thin knife or screwdriver, pry the outermost latch from above.
- Be extremely careful when lifting the edge.
- Similarly, remove all fasteners that hold the laptop keyboard in place.
Spill of corrosive liquid
Such liquids include soda, tea, beer and other drinks that leave stickiness after drying. To fix your computer, you can use the following instructions:
- Turn off the power and dry the laptop.
- Often the liquid first gets on the keys, after which it gradually gets inside the case and damages the hardware parts. The sticky surface should be treated with an alcohol-based solution.
- If the device itself is filled with aggressive liquid, then you first need to turn it over and remove the keyboard. The dismantled input device can be washed with ordinary water.
Preventive measures
If liquid containing honey, sugar or similar substances is spilled on the keyboard, then additional actions are necessary. Water evaporates completely and without a trace, but, for example, coffee and tea in any case leave a sticky substance. And here ordinary drying will not help. If you don't clean your keyboard, the keys may become stuck or break completely. Therefore, cleaning in this case is mandatory.
To remove the sticky substance, you can use an alcohol solution after disassembling the device and disconnecting all its elements.
The keyboard can only be connected after drying. It should be noted that the external input device dries faster. If we talk about a laptop, then you need to dry not only the keys, but also all the existing boards.
What was spilled is an important point
It is important to consider what was spilled on the keyboard.
It is important to consider that not all liquids that end up on the surface of a laptop lead to damage. According to the parameters of potential danger, they are divided into the following groups:
- Aggressive.
- Weakly aggressive.
There is a simple principle: the more salts and sugar are present in the composition, the more aggressive it is. Therefore, the first category includes running water, tea without sugar and other similar drinks.
Slightly aggressive substances in small volumes and with short-term exposure do not pose a particular danger. If resuscitation is carried out in time, the motherboard and other important components of the device will remain in good working order. As for drinks containing sugar (coffee, tea, Coca-Cola, etc.), they often cause laptop failure. And kvass, salty mineral water or wine can “kill” a laptop computer in a few minutes.
The effectiveness of future repairs will depend on the amount of liquid that gets onto the working surfaces, its composition and the duration of contact.
The first actions of a laptop user when a non-aggressive liquid is spilled in an amount of up to 20-30 ml
What the user needs to do first
The algorithm for the first steps to care for a laptop comes down to the following actions:
- You need to immediately, without any pause or hesitation, disconnect the laptop from the power supply by removing the charging unit from the device connector. When such a problem occurs, you don’t need to think about how to properly disable the operating system or check unsaved files, much less turn to thematic forums for help. The first task is to save the equipment. Text documents and other files can be recovered in most cases, but repairing a laptop that has been exposed to water for a long time is much more difficult.
- Next, you should turn off the laptop if it did not turn off on its own after contact with water or the previous step. To do this, you need to remove the battery and connected peripheral devices (drives, mouse, keyboard). You should also remove the hard drive from the drive.
- After removing the back cover, you need to turn the laptop over with the keyboard down so that the water droplets drain off. The main thing is to avoid getting moisture on the display matrix. The remaining particles should be wiped off with a napkin or soft cloth. You should let the device stand in this state with the lid open for several hours. It is better to place it on a heated windowsill and wait for the case and keyboard to dry completely. The process may take 1-2 days.
Do not try to turn on a flooded device even if proper drying has been carried out
You cannot turn on the laptop.
It is strictly forbidden to start the laptop after the initial drying. According to statistics, 80% of users who encounter such a problem make a fatal mistake by connecting an “under-dried” or insufficiently tested electronic device to the power supply. This approach is extremely dangerous, since the remaining spilled liquid can cause a short circuit and damage the system. The main task is to eliminate unpleasant consequences and minimize risks.
If the laptop is not filled with a large amount of non-aggressive liquid, and all stages of resuscitation measures are completed successfully, most likely after drying it will continue to work as before. But even at this point there are pitfalls.
A common misconception: if the device starts up after drying and works correctly, then problems will no longer arise.
However, in practice, unpleasant incidents often occur. Upon visual inspection, there may be no traces of moisture on the keyboard and case, but this does not guarantee that liquid has not managed to penetrate inside. Prolonged contact with internal components will result in serious failure. The poured composition goes the following way: keys, joints between the case and the keyboard - the motherboard. When interacting with conductive parts, the destruction process starts within a few seconds.
Some laptop manufacturers provide a special protective film under the device case. If it is absent, corrosion processes will gradually affect metal elements.
The situation is aggravated by the following factors:
- Motherboard components quickly become saturated with liquid.
- The rate of corrosion progression increases as the board heats up.
- Corrosion processes occur faster when there is a potential difference between tracks located nearby.
To avoid disastrous consequences, you need to perform a series of diagnostic actions before drying, without turning on the laptop.
How to check if there is moisture under the keyboard
How to check for moisture under the keyboard
To determine if there is moisture under the keyboard, you will need to disassemble the device. The algorithm for dismantling the case differs for different laptop models. It is important to remove the keyboard slowly and carefully after removing the small latches using a straight screwdriver.
If there is no moisture under the housing, this is good news.
To clean sticky buttons of a dismantled part, you need to use regular hot water and a detergent without abrasive particles. It takes up to 24 hours for the keyboard to dry before reinstalling it on the laptop.
If no mistakes were made at this stage, the keys will work properly for several years.
If you find traces of moisture under the keyboard case and on the motherboard, you can proceed according to the following scenarios:
- Contact professionals from the service center for help.
- Try to eliminate the unpleasant situation with your own hands.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the algorithm of actions for self-reanimation of computer equipment.
After dismantling the case, diagnostics of the motherboard should be performed under a magnifying glass. Particular attention should be paid to blackening at solder points and plaque. If there are blackened areas, and you know how to work with a soldering station, you need to re-solder them.
For local lesions, you need to clean them with a soft toothbrush, alcohol and distilled liquid. Next, you should thoroughly dry the board. A soft eraser can be used to remove traces of oxidation on the contact elements.
Deformed and blackened areas need to be resoldered. If there is plaque on the entire surface, and local cleaning is impossible, you should try the option of global washing of the board. To do this, you need to remove all unaffected parts (coin-cell battery, chipset, Wi-Fi module, etc.), remove the remaining thermal paste and clean the interior from dust and other contaminants.
At the next stage, you need to briefly “soak” the board in a weak soap solution and carefully brush it with a toothbrush. Next, you need to rinse the part with clean hot water, heated to a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.
When washing, it is worth considering that the internal chips and textolite love to absorb liquid. They need to be washed for 4-5 minutes, applying a detergent without abrasive particles. It is allowed to use neutral baby soap. Soap and remove the board carefully, avoiding contact with the connectors.
After washing off the soap solution, you need to inspect the board for damage. Remaining stains should be washed again. Having completed a kind of “water bath”, you need to shake the treated board, wipe it with a lint-free cloth and dry it for 24 hours.
After the specified time has passed, it remains to make sure that there are no traces of spilled liquid and install the part in its original place. The contact pads are additionally cleaned with an eraser and treated with an alcohol-containing solution.
