TechTips
First-aid could salvage your hardware
Whenever there is an accident, you always resort to preliminary first-aid before calling on the doctor. This is the rule of thumb. But what do you do when your computer, iPod, cellphone or digital camera suffers an accident? Even in such circumstances, first-aid always goes a long way. Spilt coffee on your laptop? Accidentally dropped your cellphone in water? Reacting quickly could save your hardware and data. Clean a spill on your Desktop PC keyboard
Unplug the keyboard. If you spilled water, turn the keyboard over and let it drain and dry out for at least 24 hours. If you spilled something sticky, try prying the small key caps off of the keyboard with a flathead screwdriver to get better access to the mess. Don't remove the spacebar, the Enter key or other large key caps. (Take a picture of the keyboard layout, or make a quick sketch of it, before you remove any keys so you can put them back where you found them). Gently clean the keyboard with a wet cotton swab. Use either hot water or rubbing alcohol to get rid of the sticky residue. Gently clean the keyboard with a wet cotton swab. Use either hot water or rubbing alcohol to get rid of the sticky residue. Let everything dry for at least 24 hours before plugging the keyboard back in. Clean a spill on your laptop
When liquids meet electronics, you can't waste time. Conductive liquids, like salt water cause most of the initial damage. Immediately unplug the laptop from its power cord, and pull out the battery. Don't bother closing programs or saving data. Working quickly, remove all cables and attachments, plus any swappable optical drive or PC card. Tilt the laptop to get most of the liquid out the same way it came in, but be careful as you turn the machine over. Keep liquid away from the LCD. If liquid is on the surface, however, dab the outside with a clean towel. Depending on your available tools and disassembly skills, remove more parts. Unscrew the outer case, and remove the plastic shell to expose the internal circuits. You can disassemble parts even further, separating individual components to help them dry. Do as much of this as you are comfortable with. If advanced disassembly unnerves you, consider taking the laptop to a good local repair shop at this stage. But even without further assistance, your first aid may save your system. If you do disassemble the PC , consider cleaning the affected parts with electronics circuit clean. If all you spilled was a little water, this step is likely more trouble than it's worth. Other drinks are more conductive and corrosive. However, if you've spilled a lot of liquid--more than a quarter of a cup--dab the parts with a fresh towel full of circuit cleaner. Work with rubber gloves in a ventilated area. Swab, and spray compressed air
Now wait for your system to dry. Leave the laptop disassembled or open and upside-down for a couple of days. Wait even longer if you can. Patience is virtue in these cases, so avoid using a hair dryer to speed up the process. Excessive heat can cause more damage. Instead, leave the laptop in a warm room, next to a windowsill or in another dry location. Reassemble the laptop and turn it back on. If the keys are sticky, turn the system off; disassemble the keyboard for fine cleaning with electronics cleaner. If the laptop won't turn on, your hard drive may still work. Remove the drive, put it in another case or hook it to an adapter, and connect it to a different PC. Recover a submerged cellphone
During the rainy season, dropping your cellphone or iPod ino a puddle of water or getting it wet in the rain is a very common occurence. In such cases, act immediately. Turn your gadget off and remove the battery or media card if any. Then your goal will be to remove as much visible moisture possible. You can use a paper towel or a dry cloth to wipe or soak out any visible moisture. Heat is often effective in removing any extra moisture. You can try leaving it in your front pocket for the day. Another option is to submerge it in 99% alchohol. the aclchohol will bind to the water and the evaporate. But do be careful. Alchohol could damage some plastics. If you are comfortable with the idea of doing it yourself, you can open up the device with caution. This would be the best way to ensure that there is no hidden moisture. You will definintely need to open it if you've spilt something sticky like a fizzy drink or coffee. You could check your hardware instructions to see how you can dismantle your hardware safely. You can apply 99% isopropyl alchohol using a cotton bud to clean the sides effectively from any visible depositions. Finally let it dry completely overnight to ensure that all the moisture has evaporated. You can submerge the phone in a bowl or plastic bag full of uncooked rice; seal the bowl airtight with plastic wrap. The rice will absorb moisture and help the evaporation process; just keep it out of direct sunlight to avoid condensation. Leave the phone sealed up for a couple of days. Remove the phone from the bowl or bag and, using a can of compressed air, gently spray off any rice dust. (Push the button in a series of quick blasts, instead of holding it down.) Reassemble the phone, switch it on and see if your efforts were worth the trouble. But in the end, prevention is always better than cure. It's a better idea to avoid getting yourself into such a soup (pun intended)in the first place. A few obvious modes of caution may be to avoid using your cellphone in the rain, and shelter it from the rain by using a plastic cover. Plastic covers seem to have gone out of fashion now, but for the monsoon weather, it is a much better replacement to the new fashionable cloth mobile holders. Ensure that you don't keep your phones and laptops near any place that is susceptible to spills of any sort. Finally, never put your phone in your breast pocket; bending from the waist will cause the phone to drop, who knows where? References: pcworld.com, online-tech-tips.com
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