Water under screen

NEVER set a computer out in the sun to dry, or use heated air from a blow dryer on it. There's a high risk of overheating electronic components either way: they can get much hotter than they do in normal operation. Strip off as much of the case that's holding the moisture in as is reasonably possible, then set up a household fan blowing room-temperature air over it to dry it. If moisture is inside the display assembly, it will have a hard time evaporating out as long as the back panel is in place — removing the panel will speed drying a great deal.

It should dry out on its own. BUT I RECOMMEND YOU LEAVE IT UNPOWERED SINCE ANYTHING WITH WATER AND ELECTRICITY IS VERY DANGEROUS.

You can do more damage to your PowerBook if it shorts out, but god forbid, you get hurt yourself from electrocution or something. Please be careful!

(Power also includes the battery).

I recommend disconnecting all power supplies--print out this page so you can refer to it while it's OFF--and then maybe just letting it dry out like outside in the sun (keep an eye on it) or even a blow dryer.

If you wanted to and knew how, you can pop off the LCD casing (just the backing, the metal part behind the LCD screen) to help air it out.

Directions for doing that are here:
[http://www.david-reitter.com/software/powerbook-repair/index.html]

**read the part about just taking off the LCD casing... it's fairly easy and works on 12-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch PowerBooks-- if you need help, let me know, as in a visual (though you can do that on iFixIt.com)

Thanks EWW. 🙂

I think that's what I meant. Not "blow dryer" but fan. (What was I thinking?). Though the idea for blow dryer was not the heat, but the fast air (kind of like a car wash) to blow the water droplets out of the way before it causes damage or sinks in.

Even the sun part too. Leave it outside to air dry (that's why I said to keep an eye on it) like on the patio table, but not in direct sunlight and unattended. Especially with those aluminum parts.

But of course, the water thing. Power down immediately and disconnect the battery.

Too bad this isn't a MacBook Air. Ha ha ha.

Message was edited by: Pismo 900

Taking off the top case might be a good idea too, since we don't know if it got into the main unit. Just because it turned on doesn't mean there isn't water and/or water damage inside.

Even more reason to leave it off until it's DRY for sure.

I am not a technician, so take this FWIW and at your own risk:

I, too, spilled water on my MacBook last night. (Doubly frustrating as it was new, a replacement for my old MBPro).

I found this advice on a developer's blog:

http://cognitivemileage.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/splotches-under-macbook-screen- from-water-spill/

Now I realize this is counter to all of the advice to keep everything shut down and unplugged while drying -- But it worked for me.

Hey, that's great! I guess we can say...

"That's all water under the bridge now."

😉

P.S. But I do advise, just in case (of course, you'd know more than us since you have the unit in front of you), to remove the top case and check the inside of the computer. "Pockets" in the machine that may have collected water. Or, just let it dry out for a few more days. Wouldn't hurt. (Better than a water-shorted machine).