Condensation on MBP...

[keithos27]

Hi there. This past weekend I was in Costa Rica and I brought along my MBP. All day the MBP was in its incase bag, which was then inside my Tumi bag. The AC was on all day in the hotel room. Later that afternoon I took my bag outside to the open-air waiting area of the hotel (the hotel is on the beach) and as soon as I took out my MBP I noticed the case was really cold. Figured okay, whatever, must have been from the AC all day.

About 1 minute after I took out the MBP and powered it up I noticed that the keyboard felt very "clamy"... it was cold and wet. At first I though something was leaking. I also noticed during the bootup that the grey screen with the Apple logo looked a little distorted (turns out it was dew/condensation on the screen). I then noticed when my black wallpaper came up that I could see an exact imprint of my keyboard on my screen.

So my question is a) has this happened to anyone before and b) is this dangerous/bad for my computer? Did condensation form anywhere else and did it leak inside the computer and cause any harm in any way?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[krisis1]

You really shouldn't power on your machine when you detect even the slightest hint of condensation on it. You really don't want a shortage in your machine.

But who am I to do the finger pointing thing, my MBP felt cold with a tiny bit of condensation on it when I got it and powered it on

The imprint of your keyboard on the screen is more to worry about. I use a keyboard cover to keep this from happening.

 

[keithos27]

You really shouldn't power on your machine when you detect even the slightest hint of condensation on it. You really don't want a shortage in your machine.

But who am I to do the finger pointing thing, my MBP felt cold with a tiny bit of condensation on it when I got it and powered it on

The imprint of your keyboard on the screen is more to worry about. I use a keyboard cover to keep this from happening.

Yeah I guess although I didnt see the condensation until after I powered on... How can I tell if I've done any damange?

Why do you say the keyboard imprint is to worry about? It was just condensatin, and has since disappeared... I guess my concern was water getting INTO the laptop via the screen (sides)... And since condensation formed on the outside of the case I assume it did on the inside as well????

 

[MaddieBrad]

even though you say you cant see the keyboard on your screen anymore...it is still there. It is a common problem that goes way back in the Apple design. This is why Apple ships your notebook to you with a thin piece of foam in between. If you do not use a cover eventually the marks that are on your screen will remain there permanently, and you won't be able to scrub them off. You can use the piece of foam that came with your Book, or get a cloth or micro fiber one that you can take off. Some people use the rubber ones that have the keys indented so that you can leave it on when you type. (I hate those though) Just get something in there.

I use one made by shaggymac.

http://www.shaggymac.com/

B

 

[krisis1]

Yeah I guess although I didnt see the condensation until after I powered on... How can I tell if I've done any damange?

You can't.
Don't worry too much about it, though water damage could show up later.
I guess you feel scared now, but if your notebook didn't show any malfunctions you should be fine. Just try to keep it from happening in the future, as it's really not healthy for your computer.

You should really get one of those screen protector/keyboard cover thingies. Not only do they keep your keys from leaving nasty imprints on your screen, you can also use the cloth to clean your screen. Mine came from Tom Bihn and I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[keithos27]

^yeah i had that problem with my powerbook g4...

so back to the condensation... anyone?

 

[MaddieBrad]

^yeah i had that problem with my powerbook g4...

so back to the condensation... anyone?

the only problem you will have or would have had with the condensation is shorting out the electronics within... i.e. the logic board. If you havn't had any problems thus far you are fine... just don't do it again... You should always make sure that your book is able to adjust to the tempature of the air before starting it up... like if it was in a cool room... and you take it outside... Or if it was in your car outside in the cold and you take it in the house... vise versa. Just like your glasses... if you wear them in the cold and go in...they get fogged up. You just need to let it get used to the new temp before you turn it on...

 

[keithos27]

okay thanks guys... i guess i'm just a bit paranoid but i have so much data on here that is worth money that i don't want to mess anything up, you know...

i didn't even think of the air temperature adjustment thing... i don't wear glasses so i've truthfully never really dealt with something like this before (outside of fogging up windows in cars). the thought just didn't even cross my mind...

 

[MaddieBrad]

okay thanks guys... i guess i'm just a bit paranoid but i have so much data on here that is worth money that i don't want to mess anything up, you know...

i didn't even think of the air temperature adjustment thing... i don't wear glasses so i've truthfully never really dealt with something like this before (outside of fogging up windows in cars). the thought just didn't even cross my mind...

You MUST backup your information... especially if it is valuable.

get an external drive.

I use Lacie's Porsche drive. Bus powered and big.

 

[keithos27]

You MUST backup your information... especially if it is valuable.

get an external drive.

I use Lacie's Porsche drive. Bus powered and big.

I have a G-Tech G-Drive for exactly that reason... But still, you're only as "safe" as your most recent backup... And the MBP itself isn't all the cheap to replace.