Big Matt is an idiot - Your help required

[Big Matt and Shell]

OK...OK.. I admit it!

On Wednesday I went out for a bike ride, got bogged, broke a chain and then dropped my phone in a really big puddle.... Needless to say it doesn't work any more and all of those helpful phone a friend numbers that we have spent years gathering went with it. I did have a backup but it was deleted when my work computer was upgraded to W7 and the software was not compatible.

What I'm asking for is if you have my phone number in your phone could you send me a text with your name on it so I can add it to the new one? Anyone who doesn't have my number and would like to add it, it is on my profile.

Thanks.

[Mr Router]

Matt i can regain all for ou from tour sim card !

[Mr Router]

that should sat i can read your sim card ! lol

[Laighside Legends]

That's only if they were saved on the sim card...
With most phones this isn't the default save option so unless you've put them there specially they are probably saved to the phone...

[Big Matt and Shell]

That's only if they were saved on the sim card...
With most phones this isn't the default save option so unless you've put them there specially they are probably saved to the phone...

And that is the problem . I realised this when it was all too late...

[Papa Bear_Left]

All may not be lost...

If the puddle was reasonably clear (i.e. not mud), then drying out the phone might still bring it back.
If it was muddy, wash the phone thoroughly in clean water. What have you got to lose?

Remove the battery and put the phone somewhere warm and well ventilated for a couple of days. Some blowing with a hair dryer (not too hot) might also help. Put the battery back and put it on to charge and see if it'll start up.

The other thing is that, if your phone was smart enough to hook up to a PC, that part might still work and you might be able to retrieve the data that way.

[Big Matt and Shell]

All may not be lost...

If the puddle was reasonably clear (i.e. not mud), then drying out the phone might still bring it back.
If it was muddy, wash the phone thoroughly in clean water. What have you got to lose?

Remove the battery and put the phone somewhere warm and well ventilated for a couple of days. Some blowing with a hair dryer (not too hot) might also help. Put the battery back and put it on to charge and see if it'll start up.

The other thing is that, if your phone was smart enough to hook up to a PC, that part might still work and you might be able to retrieve the data that way.

It was muddy and it now goes through the startup and then dies. I might try giving it a bath though, like you say, what can it hurt?

The other thing that helps is this

[Laighside Legends]

Are you sure it dies and it not just the screen giving up. My grandpa dropped his in a tank once and the screen never worked again but we where able to get the numbers off by turning it on and plugging it into a computer...
Just a thought...

[Calypso62]

Hi Matt,

I onced dropped a digital camera in a salt water lake. I thought all was stuffed until I spoke to a person who gave me the following advice. They had dropped a phone into salt water and managed to get it to work again.
1. Remove battery and sim card. Leave battery cover off.
2. Immerse phone in a bucket of fresh water for a couple of hours
3. Remove phone and shake dry removing as much water as possible.
4. Immerse phone in methylated spirits for 24 hours.
5. Remove phone and shake dry.
6. Place phone in a sunny position and allow to sit for 3 WEEKS!
7. Replace battery and sim card and cross your fingers.
There's no guarantee it will work but it did for the bloke with the phone and my camera lasted another two years!!

If the phone is cactus anyway, you've got nothing to lose by trying!!

[Philipp]

I know this advise is too late for you but maybe not for the next one dropping a phone into a puddle: You can link most phones with a google mail account - incl. contacts - It saved me once from losing all of them.

Cheers - hope the recovery works out

[TiedyeSmileys]

There was an episode of NCIS? where they used rice to recover an immersed phone.
Looking up on the interweb, there are quite a few sites which go into this procedure of putting the phone into an airtight container with dry rice.
See the following a link http://www.wikihow.com/Save-a-Wet-Cell-Phone for an example

[CraigRat]

I can attest to the dry rice thing. done it on a customers ipod that had an excursion into a toilet
It's a great dessicant, leave the device fully surrounded by it in a plastic bag for 2-3 days.

[Papa Bear_Left]

...this procedure of putting the phone into an airtight container with dry rice.

I advise caution in getting ready to try this. Looking for airtight containers is what got Matt into this problem in the first place!

[squalid]

I can attest to the dry rice thing. done it on a customers ipod that had an excursion into a toilet.

One situation where recycling is inappropriate.

[MtnLioness]

The other thing that helps is this

Wow, didn't know that list existed, bookmarked it to find it another time as I doubt I will ever know where to find it again

As for the phone, I have done this to my phone too once, from then on in, everything is stored on my sim card by choice.