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My new  HP  laptop is only 18 months old  but the motherboard has been damaged by damp. The screen went blue and I could not start. I charged the battery but now the screen is dark and there is no keyboard response.  A local computer shop, Iconic Computers Lewes Sussex, will clean it but they can not guarantee a result for 120 quid. I do have the model number but the repair shop are having trouble buying new parts for Hewlett  Packard repairs. It came through Argos who are no help. So I am taking over my wife's old MacBook.

Is there any way to recover all the saved info on my HP and transfer it to the Mac ?  I am not very good at computer work but my grandson will soon be ahead of me. It would be best to do this myself in case it all goes wrong. If anyone has any advice please let me know.

Thanks Richard & B

 

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Pete is right that the hard drive ought to be recoverable.  A dock will work OK but with a cheap cable like this you can connect it direct to the Macbook and read it as an external drive to copy the files (a Mac doesn't need any special software or drivers to do that):  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Converter-Cable-Docking-Station/dp/B07NHXQKDW/ref=sr_1_5?crid=18QAUM7K78TR3&keywords=ssd+docking+cable&qid=1641583037&sprefix=ssd+docking+cable%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-5

As for the computer, it depends on how damp it got and whether it was just water  - but you could try drying the thing out thoroughly before doing anything drastic. Put it in an a warm airing cupboard for a couple of weeks with the battery out while you play with the hard drive. Plain water itself does not necessarily damage electronics permanently but will cause low resistances between tracks and components, which can stop it working until completely dry. 

If it was some liquid that dries with a residue, that won't work though. 

 

Unfortunately, charging the battery may not have helped as having the computer powered while damp could lead to component damage through current leakage. 

 

 

Edited by RobH
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2 hours ago, RobH said:

Pete is right that the hard drive ought to be recoverable.  A dock will work OK but with a cheap cable like this you can connect it direct to the Macbook and read it as an external drive to copy the files (a Mac doesn't need any special software or drivers to do that):  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Converter-Cable-Docking-Station/dp/B07NHXQKDW/ref=sr_1_5?crid=18QAUM7K78TR3&keywords=ssd+docking+cable&qid=1641583037&sprefix=ssd+docking+cable%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-5

As for the computer, it depends on how damp it got and whether it was just water  - but you could try drying the thing out thoroughly before doing anything drastic. Put it in an a warm airing cupboard for a couple of weeks with the battery out while you play with the hard drive. Plain water itself does not necessarily damage electronics permanently but will cause low resistances between tracks and components, which can stop it working until completely dry. 

If it was some liquid that dries with a residue, that won't work though. 

 

Unfortunately, charging the battery may not have helped as having the computer powered while damp could lead to component damage through current leakage. 

 

 

Agreed, a direct connection might work if the Macbook is a fairly recent one.

I managed to recover (temporarily) my daughter's laptop after her offspring tipped a can of Coke into it by rinsing it out with water followed by isopropyl alcohol, but it didn't work for long.

Pete

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Spilling a drink onto a laptop is a problem experienced by many, including me, with a full glass of red wine.  Fortunately, most of which was recovered after a quick switch off by emptying the computer up over a bowl - Well it was a good wine!

Essentially, the laptop also survived OK  after drying out in the airing cupboard for about 5 days.  The sole after effect was an occasional lack of response when using the 'C' key - a problem that cleared itself after another 3-4 weeks.

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11 minutes ago, Alfrom said:

Spilling a drink onto a laptop is a problem experienced by many, including me, with a full glass of red wine.  Fortunately, most of which was recovered after a quick switch off by emptying the computer up over a bowl - Well it was a good wine!

Essentially, the laptop also survived OK  after drying out in the airing cupboard for about 5 days.  The sole after effect was an occasional lack of response when using the 'C' key - a problem that cleared itself after another 3-4 weeks.

Does it ‘hick’ every time you press return! :lol:

Kevin

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Richard

There's a chap I used a few years ago to recover all my data onto a new drive after I'd dropped the laptop, and it wouldn't boot up - blue screen etc similar to yours it seems.

He isn't too far from you - just North of Pulborough. His name is Ian Clark - https://www.hateit.co.uk/

Edited by Rod1883
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In a similar vein i once flooded the stereo in my TR6 with engine oil!

The sealing washer of the oil pressure pipe to the guage fell off when i refitted the dash and i didnt notice, went for a test drive and oil came out of the front of the stereo !!

furtunately the engine did not suffer, but the carpets did!

i flushed the stereo out with brake cleaner and it has worked perfectly ever since, 8 years!

steve

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On a business trip to Bangalore, India we had a day off so we decided to take a trip to visit Mysore by bus. Just before getting on the bus, I took a No.2 pitstop and having finished, I turned to flush the not too clean toilet and dropped the company's Blackberry down the loo. I quickly grabbed it before it disappeared and washed it under the tap with soap. As the old Blackberry phones came apart, I stripped it as much as possible and washed everything in soap and water. Got on the bus and laid the parts out on the black dashboard under the windscreen; it was a scorching hot day. 4 hours later on arrival in Mysore, assembled the phone, and switched it on. Hey presto, all worked fine.

Never give up, electronics can be quite resilient to abuse.

Mick

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I don’t know if anyone here from near Banbury remembers Tom Smith’s scrap yard at Bloxham, but as well as cars he had the contract for all the scrap electronic and computer items from GCHQ. They used to scrap a lot of quite valuable kit.


The equipment would arrive in skips and be left out in the rain. I was a regular visitor and made a few bob by sorting through the rain and mud splattered skips looking for items to sell. Once home I’d pull things apart and wash them in the sink. 90% of the time they all worked perfectly after a good wash and rinse.

I’m typing this on a 1988 IBM model M keyboard that I got from there.

Maybe computer items were a bit more robust in those days.

Charlie.

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