Dropped MBP, worried about damage

[ftbtef]

Hi, tonight I dropped my older (late-2007) MBP 2 feet or so. Everything seemed to be working fine, but later I noticed that the lower left corner of the bottom half was slightly bent and was bulging up:

Is this going to create a problem? If I look through the little gap, I can see one of the keyboard lights very slightly. Is dust etc going to get in there and mess up my system? Or is this just a cosmetic error that won't affect the computer?

Thanks for any help, I'm worrying my a** off.

EDIT: also just noticed that when you close the laptop and open it again, it doesnt do it how it used to. No biggie, just adding info.

 

[matt94gt]

It looks almost as it could "pop" back in with a bit of pressure? If you really are worried about dust and crap getting in put some clear tape or a sticker over it.

 

[miles01110]

There is no way to tell if the impact affected internal components adversely. It could be months or years before problems manifest themselves.

 

[ftbtef]

If I apply pressure, it goes back down, but if I stop applying it, it pops right back up. I can also seem to hear the hdd making noises I've heard before, but it's making them much more often. I guess I'll put the tape on, thanks for the tip. I also did a disk check with OnyX and it was OK, but I'm not sure that checks for actual damage.

 

[basher]

If you hear strange noises from the hard drive you might want to diligently start/continue to back up your data.

 

[Young Spade]

If you hear strange noises from the hard drive you might want to diligently start/continue to back up your data.

+1. I backup weekly on my month old MBP but that's due to me not wanting to just plug in the drive and hit the button.

If anything were to happen, I'd backup by the day at least. If money isn't something you have plenty of, I'd also start saving for a replacement internal hard drive or a case so you can fix the problem; you can't just keep using a machine with a gap in the bottom, especially if you transport it often.

Dust and dirt will get in there and start mucking things up after some period of time.

 

[Freyqq]

If I apply pressure, it goes back down, but if I stop applying it, it pops right back up. I can also seem to hear the hdd making noises I've heard before, but it's making them much more often. I guess I'll put the tape on, thanks for the tip. I also did a disk check with OnyX and it was OK, but I'm not sure that checks for actual damage.

That damage is right next to where the HDD is, so it is possible that the HDD has damage...or perhaps it isn't seated well anymore. I would take the top case off and check the HDD and try to put the top case back on straight.

 

[ftbtef]

I backup with time machine multiple times per day already . I have noticed today that the CPU A temperature, which is usually the highest temp for me, won't seem to go below 130 F. I tried turning up the fan speed with smcFanControl, but that only turns it up for a second, then brings the fans back to normal. I taped it, but I guess stuff could still get in. I'll take it apart as soon as I finish typing this. What sort of damage should I be looking for?

EDIT: Even manually running the fan over and over again at 6000rpm, I can only get the temp to about 110 running only safari...