[plug] Fluid damage to Laptop

[Arie Hol]

On 11 Sep 2006 at 8:51, Jonathan Young wrote:

> 
> Hi All
> 
> This week I am looking at a laptop which has been potentially damaged 
by
> fluid ingression.  In other words, a glass of red wine was spilt next 
to
> it and a fair amount managed to land on the keyboard, the upward facing
> left speaker and the remainder washed around the based of the laptop 

> So......
> 
> Is it worth pulling it apart to see what the insides look like and/or 
> to do further cleaning?

I would say YEs - better to be safe than sorry !!
 
> How long should it be left to dry before being powered back up for a
> test run ?

Don't leave it to dry - open it up and clean it.
 
> If it boots, what tests can be done before putting the hard drive 
> back in to ensure it won't short out and damage the drive for instance?

If you open it and clean it out properly - then I suppose normal usage 
would be the best indicator.
> 
> If it boots, what will it take before it can be trusted again - 
> can it be left switched on when no-one is home?
> 
> If it appears to have survived, what can some evaporated wine crystals
> or residue do to the insides of a laptop that might cause it to die
> prematurely in the coming months?

I would be very wary of capillary action - which might have taken the 
wine (in liquid from) into confined spaces where it could be held there 
by the capillary action (and then be difficult to "see" and remove) - 
then with time and heat the wine could either evaporate of crystallise - 
crystals tend to expand as then grow - so if they are in between two 
vulnerable components - it is anybody's what the outcome might be.

I like to drink wine - but I have idea about it's electronic properties 
while going from liquid to crystalline form - but I dread the thought.
 
> And lastly, what do pluggers think of people eating and drinking around
> their computers, especially laptops where the risk is more than just a 
$10
> replacement keyboard?
> 

I personally do not believe in eating, drinking or smoking in close 
proximity to any computer :

1 - It is a health risk - better to go for a walk 
2 - Keyboards tend to grow this funny furry stuff between the keys as 
crumbs and moisture accumulate.
3 - Spilling wine on a computer is a waste of a good drink.

> All suggestions, personal experiences and especially technical facts
> would be appreciated.  I'd really like to save this one, though the
> temptation is to hit the button now and see what happens...!

NO -  don't hit the BUTTON - anything but the BUTTON..........

:-) 




Regards Arie
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