Sometimes it’s very difficult to repair computer water damage, and there are some situations where the damage may be bad enough to justify the purchase of an entirely new system. In cases where computer water damage can be fixed, the first step is generally to remove all the water that may have accumulated inside the system. After that, most experts recommend using some method to clean the contacts on all the internal electronics to make sure there is no corrosion or water on them. During this entire process, it is generally important not to plug the computer into an outlet, because any electricity might destroy important components.
Water itself doesn’t actually harm the hardware in a computer. The thing that often does the damage is electricity and the way it responds to water. Electrical components will not generally work if water is present, and circuits are often destroyed if electrical current runs through them while they’re wet. Another problem is the corrosive effects that can happen because of the long-term presence of water. If metal circuits rust, they may never work properly again.
In general, computer water damage is more serious when it happens to laptops. This is because there is often a lot more room inside a desktop computer, and this can make it easier to get everything dry. If you have a laptop that gets wet, it can be much harder to disassemble the system and find all the water. The components in a laptop are also smaller and somewhat more delicate, which contributes to the difficulty in keeping them running after something like water damage.
The hard disk drive inside a computer is generally one of the most difficult components to deal with after water damage, and it is often one of the most important. The hard drive is where all the data is stored on a computer, so if it gets damaged, users will generally lose important files. If you suspect that your hard drive may have gotten wet and you have very important data stored on it, you may be better off contacting a professional.
With any kind of computer, if electricity runs through the system while water is present, there is a chance that major pieces of hardware will be completely destroyed. If enough pieces of hardware are destroyed, it may be necessary to buy an entirely new system. Some hardware components are fairly easy to replace, like video cards, for example, but others like motherboards can be more difficult, and sometimes the purchase of an entirely new system may be a better option. This is often especially true if computer water damage happens to an older system that's already in need of replacement for other reasons.
