I dropped my computer on the floor

[BainsBane]

a laptop, and some of the keyboard bits broke off. Now it's emitting a gaseous odor, like from the stove.

[BlueJazz]

1. Probably burning Capacitors. I don't have to you ...that's not a good thing.

[BainsBane]

2. So what does that mean?

What's going to happen?

[BainsBane]

4. I unplugged it and took out the battery

I'll plug it back in later tonight and see if it is still smelling.

[BlueJazz]

6. The oder you might ? smell is the shorting out or unwanted voltage across a capacitor or resistor.

Their size makes them venerable to even little voltage changes.

I would bet that the motherboard is shot.


OR maybe the screen is damaged.
Is the screen cracked or is the top broken ?

[BainsBane]

9. Yes the screen is shattered

But the glass isn't broken. I've used an external monitor for a while, but the fall could have worsened it. If it were the motherboard, I wouldn't think the computer would even operate. This does turn on and boot up.

[BlueJazz]

10. Great. Are you pretty good with tools?. I say this because changing a screen is not all that hard.

Depending on the screen...75.00-125..

Laptopscreen.com

[BainsBane]

12. No, but I changed the settings

Last edited Sun Nov 3, 2013, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

so that only the external monitor operates. I'm hoping that will help. It seems clear the smell is coming from the screen.

Edit: That seems to have helped. It no longer smells like natural gas.

[jakeXT]

3. Better than cat pee

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/30/dell-laptop-cat-pee-urine-smell-latitude-e6430u

[BainsBane]

5. I'm not so sure

Because this might mean the computer is f'd.

[jakeXT]

7. Is it working ? I only had a broken cable, because I had driven over it too many times with my´chair

It smelled like your ordinary fire.

[BainsBane]

14. Yes, it has been working

but the smell was worrying so I turned it off and removed the battery. It started smelling again when I turned it back on, so I tried turning off the screen and using only an external monitor, and that seems to have stopped the odor.

[seveneyes]

8. If it is a sickly sweet smell it is likely a lithium battery cell broken open

Separate the battery from the laptop and see which one smells. If it's the battery, you may want to put it somewhere safe in case it catches fire.

[BainsBane]

13. No, I'm pretty sure it's the screen

[Brigid]

11. Sounds like it's time to start shopping for a new computer.

Sorry.

[nolabear]

15. Hope it's under warranty, because that thing is toast.

Sorry.

[davidpdx]

16. Oh shit

I'm sorry to hear that. That happened to me 3 years ago almost to the day. I had my laptop in my bag and the handle of the bag broke and it went crashing into the floor. To make matters worse I had just starting working on my doctorate two months prior to that and was panicking whether I would be able to get my stuff off. I was lucky enough to be able to do that, fix the computer, and buy a new one so I could give the old one to my wife. Since I was working on doctoral classes one of my coworkers told me not to use it for school as it would be too large of a risk if something did end up happening (and it actually was ok). Hope you are able to still use it.