I want to take a moment to talk about how important it is that a technician see a damaged computer in its original condition. If it’s something like a liquid spill or physical damage, it becomes less of a diagnostic and more of a Sherlock Holmes style forensic investigation.
As a technician, when a computer comes to my repair bench with a issue listed as “does not power on”, I have little to go on. Opening the machine, I’ll inspect every component on the main logic board for corrosion. I’ll look for debris inside the machine. I’ll verify all cables and connectors are seated as they are from the factory. I’ll watch the dust trails on the bottom case for interruption, either by liquid or looking for finger marks to see if the computer has been opened.
Sometimes somebody with a liquid spill will try to clean the computer’s internal components before bringing it in for service, either with rubbing alcohol or distilled water. Alternatively, and possibly after cleaning, rice will be used to dry the machine. Firstly, the computer is not covered by warranty any longer when this (or the damage) has been done, but secondly, it makes it very difficult to determine what the initial cause of damage was.
This next part can apply to any repair when the tech can’t recreate the initial issue or determine the root cause. When a technician can’t determine what parts are malfunctioning, or can’t verify visible/physical damage to the components, it’s literally guess-work, even if they have test parts to use (which often is not the case). This can result in an extended turnaround for the repair and multiple expensive part re-quotes as we attempt to resolve the initial issue.
When bringing a computer, a car, a pet, or any other “broken thing” in for service, it’s best to give the experts any pertinent details about the device (or pup) and what’s happened to it in the past. It quickens the diagnosis and vastly increases the accuracy of one. It will allow the technicians to give a fairly solid quote on repairing the machine in a timely fashion, and allow you to get a straight answer on repair cost and retrieve the repaired unit quicker.