“Oh No! I Dropped My Laptop!” What Now?

Oct 05, 2022

If this is you: “Oh no! I dropped my laptop!” What now? What should you do?

No one wants to drop their laptop. Trust us, it’s not something you want to test. Still, anything is possible. Typically, it will feel like it’s happening in low motion, where the laptop is just out of reach of saving.

Dropping your laptop doesn’t always mean it’s immediately damaged. It depends on a number of factors. Learn more about this common issue.

As mentioned, what you need to do for you laptop after dropping it, depends on multiple conditions:

  • how hard and far it falls;
  • what surface type did it land on;
  • was it running at time of fall;
  • type of laptop;
  • does laptop have mechanical hard-drive or solid-state drive

When you drop a laptop from a short table onto a thick, plush carpet, it might sustain no damage. If you push a laptop from a kitchen counter onto a tile floor, you might damage it completely.

Purchasing a protective cover for you laptop will help avoid major damage. As well as a screen protector. Additionally, you should be cautious about where you place your laptop. Avoid placing it in traffic heavy locations like your kitchen. Make sure your cords aren’t on the floor where someone can trip and cause the laptop to fly off the surface.

Common Warning Signs

Let’s assume the laptop has fallen and is seemingly intact. Whew! That’s terrific, right? Nonetheless, after dropping a laptop, you should look out for the following warning signs.

  • noisy fan;
  • flickering or dim screen;
  • unresponsive keyboard;
  • a blue “screen of death”;
  • error message saying, “unmountable boot volume”;
  • computer won’t power up;
  • Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity no longer works.

Your laptop is portable and compact. This indicates that the components within the hard case are closely packed. Dropping your laptop may result in the damage on important internal parts. For this reason, its preferable to take your laptop to an expert for assistance with startup, screen, power, and other problems.

What to do if my laptop drops?

First, don’t freak out. Yes, it’s shocking to see your device fall to the ground, but try to remain calm. Retrieve you laptop with care and handle it gently while performing these next steps:

  • Examine the exterior for scratches, dings, and cracks. Small, cosmetic injuries may be concealed with stickers. The bigger ones? You may require the help of a technician.
  • Examine the screen for cracks and to determine if it still functions as a display. Keep a look out for lines, spots, dead pixels, and a display that flickers.
  • Restart the system to ensure the laptop’s functionality.
  • Listen for strange sounds that might indicate a part has come loose.

The next time you think “oh no! I dropped my laptop!” What now? The sooner you respond to dropping your laptop, the better. Don’t simple hope whatever problem you encounter will go away. Instead, bring your computer into a local repair shop for maintenance or replacement of components. Doing so will allow you to benefit from a longer lifespan for your laptop. We’re here to help.

Check out our recent blog on why computer repair should be left to the professionals. 

Call us at (323) 761-2634. We’d be happy to assist you and all your technology needs.

We are located in West Hollywood, servicing the greater Los Angeles area!