Computer vs. Ligntening

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 31 Jul 2003 7:09 am

Err, make that, "lightning". We all know which one loses this battle...

My system, which is less than a year old got zapped a few weeks back.

I've replaced the power supply and system (mother) board and things are currently looking good. I have yet to replace the speakers/sub and a faulty modem that I don't currently use. I haven't checked out the CD burner yet, but the CD-ROM is fine.

My question is am I apt to have lingering or lattent problems with this computer? Should I have written it off instead of spending the time and money replacing these major components?

I'm glad to have not lost any software or data, but I don't want some longer term problems because I saved my insurance company a few bucks.[This message was edited by Ron Page on 31 July 2003 at 09:35 AM.]

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 31 Jul 2003 10:41 am

What a What a strange sense of timing...last night I was 1/3 way through setting up Whindose 98 SE (senile edition) on a four year old system I had refurbished, when an awesome lightning storm hit my area. Well hey, the batteries in my APC 700 Smart Ups went belly-up months ago (DUMB?), So I figured what the heck ("Don't Worry, it's only Chinatown").
Throughout the various & sundry excursions of the AC power, which was "all over the place", at several events my fluorescent lights went out momentarily, but the jurassic PC just soldiered on without a hiccup.
Of course, MY computer, stereo, etc. were unplugged and in a "stand down" condition.
One old PC to fix per summer is more than enough fun for me.
Good luck with the outcome of your"strikes", though!

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 31 Jul 2003 3:09 pm

Ron,
Save everything to CDs on a regular basis,you never know,you know!!!!!Just my nickels worth.

BF

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 31 Jul 2003 11:52 pm

Protection against Lightning exists
the first requirement is proper Earth
10/20 ohms are necessary for the Earth to be efficient.
a power surge module is necessary at the head of your electrical installation
then power surge modules can be installed to protect sensitive equipement such as PCs, fones, modems, etc...
No matter what precautions one can take total protection against Lightning does not exist
Lightning is very quick and very powerfull
the power and fone companies know all about lightning and take as many precautions as possible against it but know nevertheless that it's not efficent 100%
Power surges due to lightning are the most frequent as compared to a direct lightning strike on one's house.
the cheapest lightning protection scam i know of is to shut down the main electric box, unplug the phones, modems, pcs, etc and wait for the storm to blow over.

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 1 Aug 2003 6:04 am

I quit procrastinating just in time on this one. The week before the strike, I bought an 80 GB external hard drive and created a full system backup & recorvery set (12 GB). Fortunately, I didn't need to use it. With the USB-2 (also works with Firewire) interface it only takes 30-40 minutes to create the backup.

Unfortunately, XP Home does not have the backup utility - as far as I can determine. XP Profession has it right in the control panels, wizzard and all.

I'm considering having the power company add some protection to the service. Unplugging and shutting down will work when you're home, but who wants to reset all those clocks?

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 1 Aug 2003 2:34 pm

Computers vs. Lightning...

I'll bet $50 on the lightning.

Brad Sarno

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 Aug 2003 1:16 am

Although all solid-state devices are susceptible to damage from ESD and power line spikes, the newer (faster) computers are especially at risk. For lightning protection, it's best to have the machine unplugged. Next best is to just have it turned off. Third best is to have a protective device (surge protector) installed. Protective devices are often effective for "first strike" only, and can be rendered useless when multiple events are encountered during a store (sometimes only seconds apart).[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 05 August 2003 at 02:16 AM.]

Carl Dvorcek · Post by **Carl Dvorcek** » 5 Aug 2003 5:05 pm

All: Let me share a lesson. About ten years ago, my water main broke in the front yard. I figured while I had the whole dang yard dug up, I'd just get rid of that old black-iron pipe and install PVC. My son and I finished the job in an afternoon and I even ended up with more water pressure. It only cost me about$12.00. Unfortunately, when the first storm came through I lost a couple of TV's, my computer, and a $3,000 heat pump. Why ?. That old black-iron water pipe was my "earth ground". After talking to the electric company, they informed me that the current electrical codes require a "ground plane" on all houses. That would be three 12-foot copper rods driven into the ground 6-foot apart tied together with #4 wire and then connected to your electric meter. Parts were about $50.00 and I did all the installation except for hooking up to the meter. I had an electrician inspect and connect it to my meter. No more problems. I've had 1000-jigawatt lightning strikes in and around my house that took out everything my neighbors owned for blocks but never bothered me. Surge protectors only work if your house wiring system is properly grounded. They all advertise a $25,000 or more guarantee but try to collect it if your house isn't properly grounded. Also, if you're using a surge protector, make sure it has phone line protection and you plug your modem into it. Otherwise, you may protect your computer but fry your modem every time. Your phone box outside should be connected to your ground plane or have it's own.

Carl

DroopyPawn · Post by **DroopyPawn** » 8 Aug 2003 9:50 pm

For hard drive backup, get, install, and rund DiskCopy from PowerQuest. You'll need an extra hard drive too.

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