Tip-Of-The-Week

April 27, 2007

From the Free Computer Consultant

http://www.FreeComputerConsultant.com

Springtime means lightning
check your surge protection!

It's springtime again, and where I'm at that means thunderstorms. I have always taken surge protection seriously, but I'm even more evangelistic about it since 4 years ago when I was hit HARD by lightning. You can read about it here.

But it's more than just surge protection and more than just thunderstorms. That backhoe at the construction site down the street can cause a power outage, or a surge, resulting in not only damage to your PC but also lost data. That's why I love battery backups.

American Power Conversion has always been my favorite brand. I've tried others but always come back to APC. Everything I care about is on a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Of course, if you have a laptop, you don't need to worry about battery backup; but still worry about surges!

Now, most surge protectors only work properly if they are plugged into a grounded electrical outlet; and it helps to have proper polarity also. Most APC products help you out there with a red indicator light that will announce trouble with either of these issues.

If you do have a problem, an electrician is your best bet, but a $15 device from the local hardware store might give you more information also. Chances are, unless your handy that way yourself, you will end up calling the electrician to fix it anyway.

New home, no worries, right? Wrong. Maybe the homeowner did some of the work himself, or didn't hire a qualified electrician.

My previous home was 6 months old when we moved in and I always got a tingle in my arm if I touched my PC. Turns out some of the outlets had polarity reversed and some moron had cut the ground wire off instead of connecting it to the outlet.

It pays to be sure.

Check out APC products at Newegg.com by typing APC in the search box at the top.
Click here for Newegg.com.

Check out my blog, named Daily Insights, where I post my commentary based on what I come across in my daily consulting work. Check it out, I hope you find benefit there.

Hope this information is of use to you, that's it for this week.

When was the last time you backed up YOUR PC?

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The Free Computer Consultant