Liquid damage on your laptop can be very distressing, as it causes inconveniences and potential data loss. While accidents can happen at any given moment, there are various mistakes that can worsen your laptop’s condition if not handled properly.
Liquid damage can cause short-circuiting and damage to internal components, leading to data loss, hardware issues, and even complete failure of the device.
Fortunately ,it is possible to repair a laptop affected by spilled water or other liquids with careful actions. The steps you take immediately after the spill will determine the future of your laptop. Knowing what to avoid doing right after spilling liquids on your laptop can help save the device and reduce the risk of data loss.
Here are common mistakes people make when handling liquid damaged laptops:
1. Not Disconnecting Power
Failing to unplug the laptop or remove the battery (if possible) can increase the risk of electrical damage and short circuiting.
Switch off your laptop’s power source and if it is connected to an outlet, remove it. Water can cause further damage when in contact with electricity, including a fire.
Additionally , remove the peripheral devices including the mouse ,keyboard and storage devices to prevent firther damage.
2. Using Heat
Using a hair dryer, oven, space heater, or any other heat-producing appliance to dry the device will cause further damage to the internal components.
It is advisable to wrap the laptop in a towel for drying so as to eliminate excess liquid to dry it faster. Wipe away any visible any moisture from the outside of your laptop and let your device dry in an well-ventilated place. Wait for at least 48 hours until you check your laptop again. Let it rest in a dry and ventilated room.
3. Using Your Laptop Prematurely
Opening your laptop when you are not 100 per cent sure that it is safe to do so may cause more harm to your device. Do not turn on your laptop until it has had at least 48 hours to air out and all traces of moisture have been removed from inside the device.
4. Touching Internal Components
Do not touch any of the internal components with your hands. This can cause further damage to the laptop. You can disassemble the device’s larger components like the screen and keyboard to air them out but only if you are confident in your ability to do so safely.
5. Ignoring Professional Help
Ignoring professional help for a liquid-damaged laptop can lead to incomplete drying, hidden damage, corrosion, voided warranties, data loss, and improper cleaning, ultimately risking further and potentially irreversible damage to the device.
Soliciting the services of a data recovery professional is advised as he/she has all tools and a clean room to perform a recovery service that guarantees your data back.
By following these steps, you should be able to fix spilled water on laptops and recover your data.
All in all, when handling a liquid-damaged laptop it is best to be quick to avoid long-term damage. The best way however to avoid data loss due to liquid damage is to back up your data regularly. This will ensure that in the event you do spill water on your laptop again, you can easily restore all of your files from a backup.
