Computer Repair - Turn off my Computer During a Thunderstorm?

Computers 101

Q:
What's the best way to keep my computer safe during a thunderstorm? A friend told me I should unplug it even though I have a surge protector. Does that make sense?

A:
Actually, I tend to agree.

A good surge protector can keep your computer safe during a thunderstorm, but I still unplug mine. After all, if the thing isn't plugged into the wall, it's kind of hard for a spike or surge to get through. Also, try to keep all your computer's external components (monitors, scanners, printers, etc) plugged into the same surge protector as the computer. That way, when you pull the plug, all your equipment is protected and you don't risk a spike / surge coming through an external component and damaging your computer.

In addition to unplugging your computer, modem users should also unplug their phone line. As we mentioned a couple weeks ago, phone lines are probably the # 1 way to for surges to get to - and fry- your computer. Note that if you're using a surge protector with a phone line pass through and you unplug it, you need to unplug the phone line as well (most surge protectors don't protect if they are unplugged).

Another cable to unplug would be a high speed internet connection cable. After all, if you're using a cable modem (or DSL) and a surge comes through that line, it may be able to get to your computer. I'm not even 100% sure there is any kind of surge protection available for them yet (there may be, I just haven't seen it).

Now, do you have to do all this each time you hear thunder in the distance? Personally, I usually do - especially if the storm is of the mean and nasty variety. I have a good surge protector and all, but the information on my computer is very valuable to me and I don't like taking chances. Besides, it gets me away from the thing for a half an hour or so :-)

Also, keep in mind that cheaper surge protectors can wear out over time. The power strip type surge protectors can protect you against one good surge (although a direct lighting hit happily rips right through them) or lots of smaller ones, but they can wear out. Problem is, most of them have no way of telling you when they've become useless.

Finally, if you are using a really good quality surge protector this may all be a bit paranoid on my part. So, the decision is yours. Just tellin' you what I do.
 

Tip of the Day

Leave It Running - Or Not?

This is one of those topics that always seems to make digital sparks fly.

I guess I'll give you the thoughts from both camps and let you decide.

Leave it on:

The electronic components within the computer tend to last longer if they aren't constantly cooling off and warming back up. Additionally, you don't get any kind of initial "spike" in power when your machine is first turned on (not a big problem if you have an ATX type motherboard - most newer computers do). Finally, it's much more convenient to just plop down in front of your computer and start working than to sit through a lengthy boot-up. But with the new Microsoft Vista operating system flash memory cards will boost computer start up times, your computer will boot faster using flash memory on Windows Vista.

Turn it off:

Your hard drive may last longer, especially if your computer doesn't put the drive on "standby" after a certain amount of idle time. The constant spinning of your hard drive motor can wear out the internal bearings. I personally don't think this a big deal. Newer hard drives will probably be in good service longer than the computer they live in.

Another "turn it off" argument is that you'll save on your electric bill. Depending on your machine, it uses the same power as one or more 100 watt light bulbs.

Finally, you're going to pull more dust into your computer if it's running all the time. More dust = more heat. More heat = short lived computers, unless you clean it out regularly.

Those are the main reasons both ways. My opinion? I let it run during the day when I'm using it and shut it off at night.

I don't think it's good for the computer to have someone poking at the power switch constantly. If you're going to use it in the morning and then again in the afternoon, leave it run till you're finished for the day.

I used to leave mine run 24/7, but a few things have changed my mind.

For one, any chip faster than 133Mhz needs a cooling fan to keep it from burning itself into a silicon cinder. These fans are not totally reliable.

If I'm using the computer and am getting signs that I have a CPU that's overheating (your computer will act *really* strange, some will play a little tune through the internal speaker), I can shut things down and get it fixed. If it happens in the middle of the night, I'll have a roasted CPU in the morning.

Another reason is that I've seen power supplies go bad and try to catch themselves (and anything nearby) on fire. Again, not something I want to have happen at 2:00 AM when I'm asleep dreaming about program code.

Finally, anyone who uses Windows knows that it should be re-booted on a daily basis. So, by shutting it off at night and turning it back on it the morning, I automatically get my re-boot (that's not to say I don't have to do the occasional re-boot during the day though with win 9.x type machines).

So, my advice is to run it when you need it, and when you're done for the day, shut it down.
 

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Freecell

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