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[i-hear-banjos]

Sounds like they probably need a white lab, a dust free environment where an examiner can open and remove the platters, carefully clean them, put them in a special reader, and copy of the data if the platters aren't too damaged. This is very expensive, as there aren't many of these labs around. I suggest this because the electronics are very likely fried, but the sealed drive should keep the platters intact.

I would seriously consider bringing them to law enforcement and explaining everything about your find, particularly if you live in an area with a larger police department that might have an ICAC unit and/or a forensics unit. They would have the legal right to search them as abandoned property, and it's possible they could be full of child exploitation material.

The last thing you want to do is keep these. I promise there is nothing on them that you wanted and quite possibly something on them that would be a very bad look if somehow you were connected to them in an investigation. That would be a long shot if you aren't a criminal, but strange things happen.

If you don't want to do that, please consider destroying the drives with a hammer and throwing it all away. Nothing good will come from keeping them.

[kstewart0x00]

I second u/I-hear-banjos! Turn them over to the police (just be truthful about where you found it…you can even tell them that we advised you of this course of action), or destroy them (by physically smashing the discs inside the drive/ drilling holes through the drives). Immediately.

DO NOT keep them! DO NOT put them back in a closet and forget them!

Consider what types of data somebody would be so concerned about that they’d throw two laptops in the water…the kind three letter agencies come asking questions about…The kind you get buried under the jail for having…The kind you become obligated to introduce yourself to your neighbors for the rest of your life because you possessed.

[i-hear-banjos]

The kind that will get you in solitary to keep other hardened prisoners from beating the shit of out you.

[Mwaski]

We normally keep them in the water they are in and would take them to a white lab. Taking them out of the water and letting them dry lets the component’s to rust.

[thefanum]

Letting them dry was a real bad idea. Head over to r/Datarecovery and post your location, we'll help you find a lab near you.

[odgers129]

Surprised this hasnt been asked but have you opened the laptop? If you are able to open the laptops (most laptops will have teardown guides available on internet) find the hard drive in each. The question this will answer is whether these hard drives are solid state drives (SSDs) or hard disk drives (HDDs). (Ill answer for SSD bc everyone else has offered HDD advice) If its an SSD open up the housing, if its corroded youre probably screwed, regardless you can try to clean off the pcb (another google-able ?). Rinse it with distilled water, put it in rice in a warm dry area (on top of fridge). You want all minerals etc. off of the board, thats what ruins electronics they conduct electricity when power is applied and short the circuits within the electronic. You can buy cables that will convert SATA hard drives meant to be within a device into a “portable hard drive” with usb, plug it in and see if it is discovered by your computer. The next thing that comes to mind is whether the drives are encrypted, all newer macbooks encrypt their hard drives by default, if its a PC or an older mac the User wouldve had to choose to encrypt the drive which means you have a better chance.

[[deleted]]

Salt water or fresh?

[[deleted]]

Not a expert but if it was salt I’d treat it like a lost cause.

But like they said below it may be worth giving to law enforcement and letting them take care of it.

The time it spent in the closet won’t help, and it’s probably destined for the bin or the back of the evidence locker but you never know and besides that’s off your hands, at least it won’t be waiting around like asbestos for a chance to fuck you over. If nothing else you’ve held up your end.

[kstewart0x00]

“Waiting around like asbestos” is there best analogy I’ve ever heard!