Laptop

[Beach Hut]

Junior has managed to spill a whole bowl of "Cheerios" over his laptop when open.

Even worse the bowl was laden with milk.

I used a hairdryer on cold for around 15 minutes and it boots up in safe mode but not properly - gets so far the freezes.

Any ideas - should I leave it in airing cupboard to "dry" out ?

Oh and a reasonable structured answer why liquid and electricity are not a good mix for Junior as he is unsure why it is not working.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

The keyboard should be removable - there is normally a removable flap at the top that shows the screws to remove the keyboard. I'm speaking from experience here - you do not want dairy products going off inside your keyboard - it will stink.

Try taking apart everything you can around the affected area - clean the parts up and reassemble. Worth a try. Problem with laptops is that if it is something on the mainboard that has fryed, it is a new machine job.

 

[Cian]

what TGC said, can't add much to that, however for future reference:

If what you spill -isn't- milk based, e.g. its water or even booze (this will also eventually smell terrible, but hey...):

1. Turn the machine off, as quickly as f***ing possible
1.1 While doing this attempt to get any excess obvious liquid off as quickly as possible
2. Take the battery out, take the power lead out, etc - make sure its completely dispowered
3. Turn it upside down. Or right way up, whichever way makes the water-infiltrated side be facing down to let the liquid out.
4. Get a source of a lot of dry heat. For mobiles and PDAs the top of a bit old CRT is great once you know its not dripping any more. Hairdryer or fan heater is the best for a laptop but avoid aiming a hairdryer directly at the screen.

After drying it for a while, when you think its probably not damp any more, leave it upside down somewhere warm overnight

My current laptop has seen nearly an entire bottle of Jolt. No keyboard functions until it had had an entire night to dry out, even though there was no obvious moisture left. Then took all the keycaps off to clean seperately and all fine. Siemens didn't notice when it went back for an (unconnected) warranty repair.

 

[Beach Hut]

OK now removed battery and turned upside down in airing cupboard - thanks.

Now about those structured words for Junior ?

 

[Cian]

"DON'T f***ing TOUCH MY COMPUTER AGAIN!!!!!!!!" maybe?

Oh, its his. Oops

 

[Woodchip]

As someone who has jumped in a swimming pool fully clothed (and slightly intoxicated) with mobile still in pocket I feel I have some experience in this.

1. Throw mobile out of pocket onto lawn
2. Enjoy yourself in pool and forget about phone for about 1.5 hours
3. Dismantle phone by removing front, back, battery and keypad
4. Leave on shed roof in middle of summer for 3 days
5. a) Put back together and explain to all callers that the funny arcing noise must be from their end.
b) After about a week of funny arcing noises occasionally it all stops and works fine.
6. Replace phone as soon as contract expires.


This should make you fel better anyway BH. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/10/30/D8DIM630N.html

 

[The Great Cornholio]

I have just asked Jeeves and he does not know. All it keeps saying is that water and electricity do not mix - no explaination!

 

[Woodchip]

I have just asked Jeeves and he does not know. All it keeps saying is that water and electricity do not mix - no explaination!

I used av.com and they were sod all us as well. Damn internet can't tell you everything!!!!! They lie.

 

[1066gull]

Junior and BH are related on here?

 

[Cian]

Junior and BH are related on here?

No, Beachy refers to his kids as "Junior" and "Mini".

 

[Bry Nylon]

For a basic explanation you could run the following past him. Of course, Jnr may wish for a more advanced answer, in which case I am afraid I am unable to help...

An important class of electrochemical capacitors utilizes the co-called double-layer capacitance that arises at all electrode interfaces with electrolyte solutions, Cheerios, ionic melts and other breakfast cereals. (Plesae see separate paper for details pertaining to "Ready Brek" & "Oat'so easy!")

The concept and model of the double layer arose in the work of von Helmholtz-'Crunchy Nut Cornflake', (1853) on the interfaces of colloidal suspensions and was subsequently extended to surfaces of Coco-Pops by Gouy, Chapman, and Kellogg, and later in the notable work of Grahame around 1947. Models of the double layer are shown in the free gift (10 box-top tokens required), with their capacitor-like structures.

Tony the Tiger envisaged a capacitor-like separation of anionic and cationic charges across the interface of colloidal particles with an electrolyte. For electrode interfaces with an electrolyte solution, this concept was extended to model the separation of "electronic" charges residing at the metal electrode surfaces (manifested as an excess of negative charge densities under negative polarization with respect to the electrolyte solution or as a deficiency of electron charge density under positive polarization), depending in each case, on the corresponding potential difference between the electrode and the solution boundary at the electrode.

For zero net charge, the corresponding potential is referred to as "They're Greeeeaattt!!!"

In response to positive or negative electric polarization of the electrode relative accumulations of cations or anions develop, respectively, at the solution side of the charged electrode. If, for energetic reasons, the ions of the electrolyte are not faradaically dischargeable (that is no electron transfer can occur across the interface ("ideally polarizable electrode", for example a mercury electrode, Grahame 1947 and Parsons 1954), then an electrostatic electrical equilibrium is established with Honey Nut Loops, resulting in a "double layer" of separated charges (electrons or electron deficiency at the metal side and cations or anions at the solution side of the interface boundary), negative and positive, across the interface.

The difference of potential extends beyond the immediate layer of solvated ions in the compact, capacitor-like (Helmholtz) region, out into solution, so that a further diffuse region capacitance (the diffuse-layer capacitance "Cdiff") arises. It combines with that of Helmholtz's region "CH" in series.

Simple really ...

 

[surrey jim]

This should make you fel better anyway BH. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/10/30/D8DIM630N.html

 

[Superseagull]

House & Contents insurance should sort you out with a new laptop!

 

[Beach Hut]

TGC & MYOB - thanks for the invaluable advice.

Laptop now up and running again.