How to Fix Water Damage to a Laptop That Turns on, but the Screen Doesn't Work

Whether you spilled a liquid on your laptop or it was left in an area of your home that suffered water damage, a water damaged laptop will usually experience a variety of problems. It's not uncommon for the water to seep into the device's chips, circuits and wires, thereby causing aspects of the computer to malfunction. Commonly, such malfunctions are related to the screen not turning on or operating effectively, even when the rest of the machine is seemingly working fine. There are a few routes you can take to fix this issue.

If your laptop screen isn't turning on, there's a good chance that water is still inside of it. The first step you should take is attempting to dry the machine yourself. Turn the laptop upside down and see if any water drains out of the machine. You might also consider using a blow dryer on various parts of the screen to see if you can dry any of the excess moisture, which is likely the culprit of a malfunctioning screen.

If you've attempted to dry your laptop without disassembling it and it's still not working, the next step is to remove the screen. On most PCs, this can often be done with a few basic hand tools, although the steps vary by model. After you remove the screen, separate it from the circuit board and look for any excess water inside the circuit board. If there is no water, the water may have dried and rusted some of the inner workings. Use a soft cloth and do your best to clean the circuits or even any stains that may be left on the screen itself. Reassemble the computer and see if the screen powers back up correctly.

If your screen still isn't working after attempts to dry it and you don't have any type of spill replacement warranty on your laptop, you're not out of options just yet. Many laptop manufacturers sell replacement laptop screens that can be installed. If a replacement screen is unavailable, one way to salvage your computer is to attach your laptop to an external screen. If your laptop still turns on and it's just your screen that is faulty, purchasing an external panel and connecting it to your laptop via a USB cable can still ensure its use.

One other route you can take to remedy the situation is to hire a contents restoration company to salvage the piece. Specifically, contents restoration companies use a variety of specialty drying technologies to dry items after homeowners experience water damage. The technology is able to salvage things like books, board games, furniture and electronics such as DVD players and computers. However, water damaged items must be attended to within 24 hours of initial damage for the best success rates.