Ah… April Showers Bring… May Flowers and June Thunderstorms!

3. June 2008 by admin.

There are a lot of things you can do, or not do, to almost guarantee computer problems.  I sometimes have a hard time understanding why people do the things they do… I mean, what are they thinking?

Here’s a perfect example:

I just got a call from a lady who was nearly hysterical. She works for one of my corporate clients and about three months ago she called me to ask what brand of computer she should get for her personal use at home.  I gave her my opinion (free of charge of course, as she expected, even though I do provide support for Delaware computer networks for a living) and never heard from her again until yesterday.

It seems there was a thunderstorm here last night (I must have slept through it) that messed up everyone’s power.  Clock Radios and VCR’s were blinking, TV’s had to be reconfigured… all the little annoyances that accompany a power outage. Come to think of it, I’m surprised my UPS didn’t wake me up with its little beeping alarm.

This lady was nearly in tears.  Apparently she had left her computer on overnight during the storm.  This morning she sat down at her desk and realized the computer was off.  She pressed the on button and …. Nothing.

The first thing I suggested when she called was to check her surge protector to see if it was on…. A long silence… followed by a weak meek voice that said “What’s a surge protector?”   “What’s your computer plugged into?” I asked, suddenly pretty sure I already knew the answer.  “The wall plug” she answered.

So, although I ALWAYS tell people to use a surge protector, or better yet a UPS, apparently that advice goes in one ear and out the other.  They call me for advice on how to get the best equipment for the lowest cost, but ignore the advice on how to protect the equipment I recommend.

Anyway, as we talked I suggested that she unplug the power cord from the back of her PC.  I then went on with my mini-tirade about the perils of power surges and about two minutes later, told her to re-plug her computer and try it again.  (drum roll please)… Ta Dah… it worked.

Many power supplies work in this way when they experience a slight surge… IF YOU ARE LUCKY!  Apparently, unplugging the power cord allows some capacitors to discharge. Whatever the cause, simply turning the on-off switch to off doesn’t do the same thing.

I strongly advise having at least a good name brand surge protector, but if you truly value your computer and the data you have stored there, go for a UPS.  A surge protector just protects against… well… surges.  A UPS, on the other hand, actually conditions the power coming into your system, preventing not only surges, but power drops, sometimes called “brown-downs”, slight changes in input frequency, and since it’s a battery backup, even short power failures.

Good Luck and Good Computing.

From way down in the trenches… Tom

UPS Unit

Surge Protectors

Posted in UPS, Power Surge, Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Surge Protectors, Networking, Troubleshooting, Power Failures, Computers | No Comments »