I have an old Sony Vaio SVE17 laptop that I haven't turned on for over a year. The problem is, I need to get important data off the hard drive, but I'm not sure whether to turn it on or not. Even then, there was such a strange burnt smell when the laptop was switched on. Could the laptop catch fire or even explode if the laptop is restarted?
Will likely be dust in the radiator.
Since the battery was broken, you can tell that the battery fluid is leaking from the laptop. Otherwise nothing can happen.
Then remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer with a Sata-USB adapter.
Battery fluid?
I don't know what conditions you have stored your laptop under, but a lithium-ion battery can't withstand cold temperatures. If your laptop has a removable battery, then you should replace it. A sour smell in particular is usually an indication that the electrolyte in the battery has been exposed.
