Can My Laptop Be Saved After Being Submerged in Muddy Water?
Asked by
CuriousCat42
My laptop was completely submerged in muddy water after our house flooded. It's been about 13 hours since I found it, and I left it to dry, wiping it down multiple times and using a cool hair dryer on the back. My family said not to open it up but to let it dry naturally instead. Is there any hope for it, or should I just give up? I can't take it to a repair shop today because the roads are still flooded.
Answers
If the laptop was charged when it got submerged, there's not much hope. Corrosion can cause serious damage to the motherboard in no time if the battery was still connected. You really need to open it up to check for internal damage.
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You'll have to completely take apart the laptop to examine and clean all the parts. It might be fixable, but it's a complicated process, so only attempt this if you're comfortable with DIY repairs.
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It's likely ruined, especially since wiping it down isn't enough. You should disassemble it to clean properly. The water can corrode everything inside, and without taking it apart to check for damage, you might not save it. If you want to try to recover data, take out the solid state drive and clean it with rubbing alcohol. Just make sure to let it dry completely before attempting to use it again.
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It’s probably toast. The best course of action is to remove the battery immediately, then disassemble everything and clean it thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol. Let it dry out completely before testing it, if you even get that far.
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If your storage is an SSD, you might be able to recover some data, assuming you're lucky. But keep your expectations low—it might be too late for a full recovery.
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