How to Fix a Soaked Laptop

Whether it was an errant cup of coffee or an unfortunate water cooler incident, a wet laptop is a serious problem. Although liquids can spell the end for a piece of electronic equipment, there is hope as long as you act quickly. There's no guarantee that your laptop will ever power up again, but take heart knowing that many laptop owners have brought their resilient machines back to life, even after a good soaking.

Instructions

1. Unplug your laptop and remove the battery. Liquids don't harm a laptop as much as electricity running through the liquids. If your laptop is turned off when it gets wet, do not turn it on. If the laptop was running when it got wet, switch it off immediately.

2. Blot the laptop dry with a clean towel. Do not rub the towel against the monitor, as some fabrics can scratch the surface.

3. Turn the laptop upside down. Give it a few gentle shakes and place it on a soft, absorbent surface to drain liquid from between the keys. After a minute or two, turn the keyboard on the side that has air vents. Give the laptop another shake to coax liquid from the vents.

4. Set the laptop in a warm, dry environment. A place near a room heater is ideal if you place it at least three feet away from the heat source. Do not attempt to dry out the laptop by putting it in an oven or applying direct heat with a hair dryer. Heat can damage the electronic circuitry. If you are comfortable working with computer hardware, disassemble the laptop to let the internal components dry out individually. Allow the laptop dry for at least 24 hours.

5. Reassemble the laptop, if necessary, and replace the battery. Turn the laptop on to see if it is functional.