Dos-Boot Computer Services Blog

Just writing a quick note to let everyone know that we will be closed from Wednesday, December 24th through Thursday, January 1st.  We will reopen at 10am on Friday, January 2nd.

Happy Holidays from Dos-Boot!

Laptops don’t like getting wet – liquid spills can be devastating to the components of a computer.  We see systems in our shop all the time that need replacement motherboards, RAM, and other components installed because someone’s glass of grape juice found its way to them.  Obviously you should be careful to keep liquids away from your system, but here are a few tips to remember in the event of a spill.

1) Immediately shut the system down and remove the battery and power adapter.  Liquid spills cause so much damage because they cause components to short out.  No power = less risk of a short.

2) Sop up any liquid that you can see from the keyboard and case.  Make sure to wipe down the LCD panel with a dry cloth to prevent anything from getting inside.  An LCD panel that’s gotten liquid inside between the layers of plastic is most likely going to need replacing.

3) Remove any USB cables, peripherals or modular drives that are plugged into the system to prevent them from becoming damaged and just generally get them out of the way.

4) If you wish to have a professional look at your computer, bring it in to a shop right away.  The sooner you bring it in, the greater the chance that a professional can get any liquid cleaned up from the inside and save you some serious cash in replacement parts.

5) If you don’t want to take it into a shop, at least let the system sit to dry for 24-48 hours before powering it back on.  This will minimize the chance of sending power through a wet circuit and shorting it out.  As a rule, however, any sugary drink like soda or sweetened coffee presents a lot bigger threat because of the sticky film that it leaves behind when it dries.  For these kinds of liquids, you should definitely let a professional try to clean it up for you.

6) If you notice any strange behavior when you power the system on, immediately power the system off and get it in for inspection and repair as soon as possible.

Spills aren’t pretty, but hopefully these steps can save you the time and money of replacing damaged parts.