Please help!! Computer dummy + water damage

Question

I know this is a very common, probably annoying, question asked in Apple forums but I can't find a recently updated discussion page to post this on. My Google searches aren't really coming up with a specific answer, just pages of forums from 2005-2008. I didn't see any with recent dates, and I really need someone to give advice asap. I am in graduate school and desperately need to get my computer running again or at the VERY least find out if the hard drive is still functional so I can access my important files and transfer them to a new computer.
My Macbook was sitting on my bed, closed and unplugged. I am normally very careful with my Macbook, and I thought my Nalgene water bottle was tightly closed (it wasn't) and a safe distance from my laptop (wrong again). Since water bottles don't fly, I assume my cat knocked my water bottle off the bedside table and onto the bed....more specifically, onto my Macbook. I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when this occurred. I came out of the bathroom to find a large puddle on the bed and an empty water bottle nearby. And just my luck, the Macbook was right in the middle of the puddle. It was about 15 ounces of water. The area surrounding the computer was soaked through the bedspread, all the way down to the sheets. I'm guessing the water was on the laptop for about 3-5 minutes while I was out of the room.
Here is what I did upon finding this disaster:
1) I immediately moved the Macbook to a dry area, and used a dry towel to blot up what I thought was all of the water. Some water had even gotten to the keyboard/screen, even though the laptop was closed.
2) I was not thinking straight and I know nothing about internal workings of laptops, so I performed the panicky knee-jerk reaction.... "ok, I got most of the water, I should check see if it still works" and tried to turn it on. I realize now that was a dumb move, and I am very angry with myself. But anyway, it began to start up normally, but right after making the Apple noise that it usually makes upon restarting, it faded to a blue screen with the apple logo for a second, then went black. I know this is bad, but I didn't heard any abnormal noises like something was being fried, it just shut off.
3) I removed the plastic Incase protective shell. Note to self: it is not watertight. Some water was trapped underneath the shell, but I didn't realize how much had gone inside the computer yet.
4) I dried off the top and bottom of the laptop
5) I removed the battery. Water came dripping out. Sad times.
6) With another dry towel, I blotted everywhere I could to soak up as much water as possible, and placed the laptop on a towel on a desk in an upside down V shape. The battery is next to it.
This all happened at 11pm on 2/2/2010. The Macbook has been sitting in the same position ever since, in a low-humidity room with an overhead fan. I do not have Apple Care but I know water damage isn't covered anyway. I've also read that Apple charges anywhere from $700-900 to repair water damage, so I might as well buy a new laptop if this damage is irreparable. Given my situation, my questions are:
1) How much longer should I wait before trying to turn it back on? It has been almost 48 hours.
2) Can anyone give me any advice (other than "be more careful next time") for what to do next? Does putting the laptop in a sealed box full of rice really help get the moisture out? How about a hair dryer?
3) Should I follow the instructions on ifixit.com to take the computer apart to allow for more evaporation? Because if it is strongly recommended that I do this, I can have my fiance (who is very good with computers) do it for me....but I am very worried that taking it apart will damage it even further.
3) If all else fails and the logic board is fried, can I still remove the hard drive and get my files off of it?
Any responses will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

hey, sorry to hear about your computer.
i'll try to answer your questions, so here goes:
1. you could try again to turn on the computer, but the only issue is that the parts of the computer are already fried and might not work. you could try though, it can't hurt to try. also, when doing this listen for beeps coming from the computer. if that happens, i can send a list of beep codes that might narrow down what might have been damaged.
2. i have heard that rice does work since it absorbs a lot of moisture. i've never (thankfully) had to try it before, but other people says it works fine. you might try that before turning on the computer again. it'll just get rid of the excess moisture.
3. taking apart the computer won't damage it if done correctly. ifixit is a good place to go for that kind of stuff. just know that if something does break, you'll be charged for a replacement part (though it looks like you'll have to pay for some replacements anyway). this might work for drying out, but i'd stick with the rice to be safe, just because it doesn't involve disassembling the computer.
4. if your logic board is fried, you can possibly recover the data from the hard drive. the only possibility is that water entered the drive, rendering it useless. if you are going to attempt to salvage the hard drive, you'll need another laptop to put it in or get a drive reader. it plugs into another computer and reads the drive through the Disk Utility. i'm not quite sure where to get those, but i'm sure you can find on on Newegg.com or some reputable computer parts store.
i'm not totally sure how much apple charges for water damage repairs, but it's worth going to a store and they can see whats wrong and come up with an estimate and then decide whether to get a new macbook or to forgo the cost of repairs.
i'm really sorry to hear about your macbook, but i really hope something can be done. write back if you need more help.
-MacDarling55