How To Protect Your Computer In A Storm
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-protec...uter-in-a-storm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJGt7n3-G6s

1 shut off (shut down windows)
2 hit the power switch on the pc and surge protector/power bar before you unplug
3. unplug everything (ethernet rj45 or phone line)even if you have a surge protector
4.wait untill the storms over plug it back in hit the switch and enjoy

the only "safe" way to stay on during a thunderstorm is to use a laptop or ups battery backup and wireless its cheaper to replace a wireless accesse point than a computer

it also dose not need to be a thunderstorm a wind storm or ice storm can cause damage

you may say well it can't hurt my computer but even a small spark from static in your body that you may not even feel is enough to damage your computer google ESD Electrostatic discharge

I've always left mine on.. although i'm the type of person that likes to hide under trees with an umbrella

I shut down unplug and go out side

that protects the computer, but not you....

thats ok I enjoy the rain and loud thunder and lightning
and read the title.....you can make a guide on how to protect yourself during a thunderstomr if you want lol

I leave them on and hope the surge protection might actually do its job, didn't work for one of my lappys though

tigerdirect has cyber power surge protectors that have some sort of "connected equipment warranty"

"Featuring a $200,000 Connected Equipment Warranty!"
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/Sea...5&CatId=232

Many surge protectors and UPS systems have product warranties on them. As long as it is a good brand, and not the bargain bin most protectors have warranties.

Speaking of which, I need to replace my dollar store surge protectors. They've gone through quite a few surges.

I've always followed Mark Minasi's advice of tying 4-5 knots in the main power cord (the one that connects your spike guard to the mains). The idea is that incase of a lightning strike, the only damage that will be done will be to the wire. I've been doing this since the last 10-15 years and have never faced a problem.

I've always just left mine on with everything plugged in and on through heavy rain, wind and lightning storms. I do have a "bargain bin" surge protector but nothing fancy. Thankfully all that happens sometimes is the power gets knocked out and I don't have ups :'(

Do you have a link to Mark's article on this? I'd love to read it!

the electricity at my house goes out all the time and my old dell has been shut off by it countless times and never any damage at all I must just be lucky.

my PC is always ON ... approx 17-18 hours a day ...and in night some time also it is ON ....

and when it is close i never unplug it from main switch (i.e UPS wire to main plug) ....

Suppose you left it plugged in and something surged, surely, worst case scenario, all it would do is pop the power supply? The rest of the components should remain in tact? Assuming that the PSU doesn't set alight or something

Then we should unplugged it from main board (i.e UPS wire)

no fried motherboard fried modems ethernets other srange intermittent problems damage to hard drives ect

^^^Thats a sad sight

Leave it plugged in and hope it doesn't fry.

if it does i'll just have to get a new one

I don't really worry with the computer I'm on now really. If I think about it and I'm not using it, I'll unplug it.

Our older family computer has had 2 or 3 hard drives fried because of storms It's really sensitive to storms for some reason.

A few years ago lightning struck and the power flickered in the house, restarting the 2 computers in the house. Mine was fine, but my sensitive family one's HD fried after it. Odd.

yup and it happens far to often

Three power outages here and still going lucky ^_^

Yeah Mvt Cracker's pictures are like worse case scenario. Its just like how they say not to use phones (not including wireless handset ones) in storms. As you can see from the posts a storm wont automatically equate to bad news for your comp but can be terrible.

If you have to ride out a storm Belkin offer two surge protectors that offer "Unlimited$$ Connected Equipment Warranty" here I have one of there cheaper models with $250k warranty for my home theater setup and love it. Among others things like a lifetime warranty they allow you to protect your coaxial cables (cable tv, or cable modem), DSL line. Combine that with a hefty ups and away you go

My comp is pretty crap compared to todays standards, hence the bargain bin surge protector used on it lol

I bought a REAL UPS it was $200. last spring we had a big storm (normal in Texas) and the electricity went out -

For 10 minutes, I still had the computer on - w/ an annoying beep every 5 seconds coming from the UPS - I powered everything down and unplugged from the wall - now my battery inside is dead - and that was the only time the battery was ever used...
guess it was a waste of $200
;(

Click to view attachment

I just wish the geek squad logo would come off.

^ I guess that was a REAL waste of money, "eh"?

What do you mean by a "real ups" is that brand or are you stating that cheap ups arent real. I'm not really following you sorry. That sucks it only lasted 1 use I wouldn't expect anything more from BestBuy or the geeksquad who as everyone knows are hardly geeks at all.

Sorry I shouldnt have capitalized it --- I meant "real" as in those el-cheapos arent even surge protectors - they are surge suppresors - (think of the $20.00 Wal-mart versions)

I am referring to pretty much any surge protector less than $30. +/- Not necessarily referring to the smaller less expensive UPS - the smaller APC are great, pretty reliable - I just had to get a bigger one because of all the junk in my system.

Sorry for the confusion there

I know those supposed Geek Squad guys dont know as much as my c0cker spaniel (well most of them) - youre right about not expecting much - but I thought it was an APC just re-badged - because obviously BestBuy didnt make it - I always lived by the rule of get the more expensive stuff - it will pay off in the long run - I guess this time my life-long theory went to crap.

Ahh I get you now Tex4s. I think it is better to just get a reliable brand then just relying on the cost of the item to make it reliable.

I read it in his book "The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide". I doubt it would be online in any legal form, but I can quote this from the book:

"Believe it or not, some researchers found this one out. It makes the lightning surge work against itself, and burn out the power cord, NOT the PC. And it works--Washington had the biggest thunderstorm it had had in years in the summer of 1989, and the stuff with knots in the cords rode it out without a hitch. The TV didn't have knots in the cord, and I've got to get around to buying a new TV."

"The following year, a bolt hit my Telephone line. It literally toasted the line from the telephone pole to my house, little crispy brown bits flaked off at the touch. But once inside, the bolt hit my five knots, and nothing inside was fried. Why did I tie the knots? I got tired of losing a modem every summer to lightning."

The basic theory is that the knots in the cord act like a coil. When a high enough power flows through the knots, the magnetic filed (or emf) generated is strong enough to oppose the flow current, thus supressing the surge.

Keep it away from hard discs though... saved the hardware, lost everything on the HDD though. not a good comprimise.

I lost a graphics card from a power cut. When the power came back on, it must have fried it. Turned on the compy and nothing happened minus a mega load roaring from the fans...

Whooops!

So exactly how many times has your system actually been struck by lightning, and thus actually saved by those knots?

I just leave mine on and have a UPS. Never had a problem, although that might be just due to luck.

probably just luck but this advice is to those who do not shut down during thunderstorms and the people who do not want to loose their data or hardware that they payed for "precocious" "careful" people

and probably should shut down during wind rain and ice storms due to the fact that falling trees may also affect power

and computers should be off and unplugged when changing fuses.

i get an extension cord and take my hp laptop outside during the thunderies///////

err........thanks?

My modem has been fried a few times now, no problems though, my isp replaces them free of charge for the next few years but still, i get very concsious when I see black clouds, ive been planning on buying something like a 6 port power board with ethernet ports and so forth but it's about AU$200, not only do I need more 6 plugs but are the things reliable? Would leaving my computer on in a storm be safe in the case of lightning?

Unplug it.

You really should turn it off, or at least standby the pc so you can resume quickly (I do this)
I can't believe you run your pc that much - do you download all day?


Having said that, I leave my pc on during storms (been 15 years now), funnily enough it was my iMac that got struck while at a friends place, $140(AU) for a new power card and it was working again! lol. Talk about unlucky!

I have a double surgeguard/line filter on the main pc, and the server/switch/modem/phone/voip is on UPS.

Yeah I never did give you the money for that replacement part either
then again, wasnt completely my fault my house decided to become a hostile imac killer... *ahem*

This sounds like a great way to set your house on fire.

I like to live on the edge... cuz I'm dangerous.