laptop & coffee

vaio

I've got the worse ever dose of flu which resulted in me fainting last night.

Sadly I was just taking a mouthful of coffee when this happened and the rest of the cup ended up over my laptop. OH closed the lid (which shuts it down) and once the paramedics had gone I tried to restart it but got no joy. It was then I noticed coffee dripping out of various covers on the underneath.

Still feeling crap I popped the battery and left it. FF to lunchtime today and without much hope I put the battery back in and pressed go and yippee it started and seems to be working normally.

apart from getting all my stuff off the HD (which is happening as I type this) does anyone have any suggestions for improving the likelihood of it continuing to work long term?

free4440273

Hope you feel better soon/

JasX

Best bet is assuming you spilt on top is get it upside down, rip out the battery and power cable as fast as you can and leave if for an EXTENDED period in the airing cupboard to thoroughly dry out (we're talkign better part of a week, possibly longer if it got a good soaking).

I've had quite good survival rates with tea spills.

If you take sugar in your coffee chances of success reduce greatly I'm afraid.

best you can do now I'd suggest would be dry it open and upside down for as long as you can and DON'T try to turn it on until its throughly dry (putting power on wet circuit board rails is what will do the terminal damage to it) if this doesn't happen till its completly dry thats your best bet for it comming back.

EDIT -on re read seems you've done the right thing and is looking promising, i'd leave it a little longer just to be sure its completly dry. Other than that no reason why it shouldn't be still going strong in a good few years time... just be sure to keep everything regularly backed up from now on

vaio

it was milky coffee with two sugars

I did think about rinsing it through with clean water but am in "not tempting fate" mode now especially as it seems to be working normally

Mista_C

I would add to JasX's post by saying that the sugar will likely cause sticky keys. You might want to consider giving the keyboard a thorough clean out or replacing it altogether depending on how well the laptop survives the spillage.

Some more recent laptops (and keyboards) have spill trays. Basically the liquid runs into the keyboard then is channelled through to openings on the underside of the laptop. Have a look on the base and see if there is a 'drip' picture near any holes. You might be lucky, just don't turn it over completely else you risk any liquid feeding back through.

vaio

laptop is 6, 7 maybe 8 years old, no "drip" pictures on the underneath so I guess too old to have a spill try

The coffee was coming out through the ventilation slots on the underneath

diable

Pack it in rice to draw out the moisture, as mentioned sugar won't help nor liquids as it will eventually eat through the innards. If it does continue to work it will be more down to luck and the fact that its an old laptop.

HappyMJ

vaio wrote: »

laptop is 6, 7 maybe 8 years old, no "drip" pictures on the underneath so I guess too old to have a spill try

The coffee was coming out through the ventilation slots on the underneath

That's a good life for a laptop. Which model is it? The drip pictures on mine look like an oil droplet.

vaio

VGN-A197VP

It's not missed a beat since I got it and the 1920 x 1200 screen is a delight to work with.

diable

vaio wrote: »

VGN-A197VP

It's not missed a beat since I got it and the 1920 x 1200 screen is a delight to work with.

Maybe the coffee keeps it ticking over...... ;o))))))

spud17

You'll have a job getting it to 'sleep'. :rotfl: