Computer Woes

[lydamorehouse]

 The first thing I did Monday morning was invite my computer to drink an ENTIRE CUP of coffee. Not sure why I did that, but I literally just held the cup over the keyboard and FUMBLED it. I think we all know perfectly well that computers do no like coffee, nor really any copious amounts of liquids inside their electronic brains. 

I am crossing fingers right now? But after letting it dry out for a whole day, I do *think* I may have a working laptop again.

Coffee no longer gets to be even on the same surface as my laptop, however. 

Comments

[minnehaha]

Y-i-i-i-k-e-s!

K.

[lydamorehouse]

Yeah, I mean, there is a reason that I have "computer woes" as one of my tags, but sheesh....

[glaurung]

If it starts up again, yay. Do not trust it to continue to work. Make a backup as soon as you manage to get it running again, in case it decides to fail dramatically a few days later.

[lydamorehouse]

Hmm. Okay, oh boy. I will try to remember to do that. Thanks.

[glaurung]

Sorry, didn't meant to alarm you. Possible outcomes of watering electronics:

1. Nothing much. It keeps working for you for years to come.
2. It never comes back to life.
3. It comes back to life but suffers from frail health forever after, with any one of a variety of symptoms.
4. It comes back to life, but is secretly weakened and dies before its time.

#3 can easily transition to #4. #4 by itself is not the most likely thing, but it is possible.

The longer it lasts without issue, the less likely sudden unexpected death becomes, but doing backups religiously is an excellent idea.

Oh Noes!

[lsanderson]

This sounds no good, and another reason to drink only teeny tiny espresso coffee. Dr. Google claims coffee ain't good for circuits and recommends a lotta DIY drying out. Good luck.

Re: Oh Noes!

[lydamorehouse]

Thanks. I have now posted an update and the result seems to be that coffee was, in fact, NOT GOOD for my computer, but my computer is mostly/sometimes operational? Wish me luck.

[naomikritzer]

You genuinely have the most impressive computer woes of anyone I know. It's like you struck a bargain with a supernatural entity where you agreed to sacrifice a computer every few years in exchange for your writing gifts...

[lydamorehouse]

Thank you for assuming that my writing gifts were V6'W''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

[lydamorehouse]

"""""'''''''''''T'H'E'''''''''G'''R''''''''''E''''''M''L''I'N' '''''H'A'S'' ''T'''A''''K'E'N' ''O''V''ER'''''''''T''H'IS'' '''''I'S'''''''''''W'H'A'T'''''''I'T'''''''''L'''O''''''O''''K'S'''''''''LI''''K'E''''''''''''''H'E''L'L''O'' '''''''M''Y'' 'N'''M'E'''''''''''IS'' ''A''P''O''S'''T''R''O''P''H'''E''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

[kore]

Omg

[lydamorehouse]

I think I figured out what triggers it, so I might actually only be down an all-caps option. Which? Very livable. I could use less shouting in my life. :-)

[the_siobhan]

I did that once with a pint of beer. I had a big bag of rice I sacrificed to drying it out. Worked in the end.

I would recommend leaving it to dry for at least a full 24 hours. It doesn't take much residual moisture to let the smoke out.

[glaurung]

If it's at all possible, remove the battery asap while it's drying. If not possible, turn it off (not just asleep, fully off) while it's drying.

Bags of rice can do more harm than good if the closed bag traps moisture inside the gadget. Leave it in open air. Put a desk fan blowing on it, especially into any vents it may have, to encourage evaporation of dampness in the innards. A warm radiator or sunbeam might help dry it out, but only if it's going to be warmed steadily over several hours (brief warming risks having water evaporate and then condense somewhere else inside).

[lydamorehouse]

A pint of beer!

At least my computer takes its coffee black, so I have much less sugar content to deal with.

[sabotabby]

Wishing you luck and rice.

[lydamorehouse]

Thanks!

[carbonel]

Argh, coffee and keyboards. I lost my desktop keyboard that way a year or so ago. Less dire than an entire laptop, but it was a keyboard style I love that's not made anymore. Thankfully, a friend had one he's not using and was glad to give it to a good home.

[lydamorehouse]

Yeah, I am notoriously difficult on keyboards. I have not actually been using this laptop's keyboard for well over a year now, as for REASONS, I just lose keys. I don't know why, but within a year, I inevitibly lose the 'o' key.

[dreamshark]

so... what happened? Is it okay?

I don't know if it is true, but I remember reading that the real danger to electronics that get drinks spilled on them is not the liquid itself but the sugar. So pop is the worst thing you can spill on the keyboard, but unsweetened coffee might be okay? I can't remember what supposedly happened with diet pop.

[lydamorehouse]

As I note in a later update, my computer, thankfully, takes its coffee black. So, sugar is not the problem.
I also seem to have discovered what triggers Apostrophe's appearnace and should be able to avoid it, namely, NOT pressing all caps. I can stil use my shift key, obvously, but so long as I don't engage the all-caps*, things seem to be working? Fingers crossed!

*on my external keyboard. I have, as noted above, been using an external keyboard for years already.

[kore]

Sympathies from the land of I Did That Exact Same Thing. (Once my husband dropped his earbud onto a FULL cup of coffee, too....maybe the electronics do want coffee? Like cats want chocolate??)

[lydamorehouse]

Hah! I love that theory! That, in fact, my computer was like MMMMM, THIRSTY and that is why my hand just lost its grip on my cup for no other good reason!