Can you help me rescue the family computer (post water damage) please?

[kello]

I hope you are all well and keeping safe. I wondered whether you could help me get out of this sticky predicament.

Specs:
i7 4790k
Corsair H100i cooler
Nvidia 970 Graphics card (MSI edition)
500GB Samsung Evo SSD

Almost a week prior to moving country, the PC suffered very light rain when the window was left open. Coming back to a PC that wouldn’t boot, it was a blessing in disguise that we wouldn’t transport the PC with us and instead decided to put it into storage. Today I have been trying to repair it.

After removing the graphics card, photo below, the PC boots. I imagine this was causing the system to short due to the white residue where it was water damaged. Perhaps everything else is okay?

Can this Graphics card be salvaged and how can this be tested?

Although I can get into the MOBO boot menu, I am yet to see my desktop. It took 15 minutes to get to the login screen and has been another 20 on Welcome spinning round. I’m happy to be patient as I appreciate it hasn’t been booted in a LONG time.

I imagine this isn’t helped by it not being connected to the internet?

The reason I’ve held off connecting it to the internet just yet is I’m anxious that Onedrive etc will cause issues as I have continued to work my laptop for the last two years using the same Microsoft account? Will this pose an issue?

I don’t want to lose what I have on either machine.

Thanks in advance!

[kello]

Update: Desktop is SLOWLY loading, from black screen to this took 10 minutes…
[ATTACH type=“full”]6406[/ATTACH]

[phillpower2]

Hello kello,

The above looks like a black screen to me.

What components got wet, how wet did they get and how long were things left to dry out before trying to boot up.

Are you now using a video port on the MB or is the GPU back in.

You do not need to connect to the internet unless you have configured to only be able to log in through Microsoft.

[kello]

Hello kello,

The above looks like a black screen to me.

What components got wet, how wet did they get and how long were things left to dry out before trying to boot up.

Are you now using a video port on the MB or is the GPU back in.

You do not need to connect to the internet unless you have configured to only be able to log in through Microsoft.

Thank you for replying so quickly.

The taskbar is there right at the bottom, it’s now slowly loading my icons pinned to the taskbar and my wallpaper is there.

Is it just a case of waiting and future boots will be faster?

Re the MB and GPU, the GPU is completely out so just plugged the HDMI into the MB.

[phillpower2]

Doh, missed that thinking it was the bezel on the bottom of the screen ops:

Best course of action, leave the computer running for as long as it takes for you to be able to open tabs etc in Windows, there could have been moisture in the HDD that is causing it to run a bit slower than it should + now that you have started the drying process you should make sure that you leave it long enough for all possible moisture to be dried out, it can`t have been too bad btw as the PCI-E slot on the MB would have shorted out by now if it was that bad.

The GPU, you could bury it in a bowl of dried cooking rice and leave it on a windows sill so that it dries out naturally then give it a clean with something like WD40 Fast Drying Contact Cleaner or Q tips and industrial strength alcohol.

You are welcome btw

[kello]

I forgot to mention it’s been in storage for 4 years so I think we’re as dry as it’ll get. I’ll get onto cleaning it, thank you!

Do you feel the best thing would be to backup all files and then perform a fresh Windows install?

Just things like, I’d forgotten we have Mcaffee on here and it’s running scans up to 100% disk utilisation making it currently impossible for me to use what should be a speedy computer.

Also, one side issue I’m facing is where the administrator password popup would usually appear. Upon clicking a button that would usually produce the prompt, I just get a black screen, this then times out after a minute or so and nothing happens. For example, when clicking uninstall within Programs and Features on Mcaffee.

Thanks again!

[phillpower2]

You have four years of updates to catch up on some of which are quite large so if me I would clean install using the latest Windows 10 ISO and once done reinstall the drivers for the MB and starting with the chipset drivers first.

I would use the second option here as the first option can take an eternity and then fail to install at 98% because you are missing a certain update etc.

McAfee, yuk, another good reason to clean install, discussing passwords is off limits so clean installing removes that problem as well.

[kello]

Thank you Ad. Had planned to backup and then install the ISO as you recommended. However, I’ve tried to boot it up again today, got the initial Windows 8 logo and whirling circle and then just black for 5 ish minutes before FINALLY getting to the login screen. Is there a particular issue yet to be uncovered that could be causing this?

[phillpower2]

Sorry but we have no way of knowing as we know absolutely zero about the computer itself or what is on the hard drive etc.

Have you tried connecting it to the internet yet.

[phillpower2]

Thread closed due to lack of feedback from the OP.