Soldato
He did say that the power was turned off. You cannot turn the earth pin of a wall socket off, it's connected no matter what so having it plugged in and turned off with earth the case.
Static electricity and hardware
- Thread starter sniffy
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He did say that the power was turned off. You cannot turn the earth pin of a wall socket off, it's connected no matter what so having it plugged in and turned off with earth the case.
Soldato
Esat your right, but wrong in the current situation this thread is basic enough for you not to post that much on the subject!!!!!
obviously two materials rubbing together would result in a triboelectric - static build up, however that is no relevent to my statement of static dissipating quickly. As the PC is grounded any component was most likely hit my a voltage spike and damaged it, static electricity would dissipate quickly as it is grounded.
the only way a static charge does not dissipate quickly is if its not grounded, so unless his PC is made out of nylon with a rotating ballon on top of it on a plastic shelf im right
Frankly i think you've just done a bit of copy and paste to provide some useless information.
no but perhaps dont use a land line if its a very bad storm and your living in a field
obviously two materials rubbing together would result in a triboelectric - static build up, however that is no relevent to my statement of static dissipating quickly. As the PC is grounded any component was most likely hit my a voltage spike and damaged it, static electricity would dissipate quickly as it is grounded.
the only way a static charge does not dissipate quickly is if its not grounded, so unless his PC is made out of nylon with a rotating ballon on top of it on a plastic shelf im right
Frankly i think you've just done a bit of copy and paste to provide some useless information.
no but perhaps dont use a land line if its a very bad storm and your living in a field
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Some excellent replies, thank you very much. Much clearer picture in my mind what it's all about.
I'm going to order a new HDD and bin the old one as I don't like to idea of holding data on a suspect bit of kit. I don't mind if the DVD drive dies a bit early though
I'm going to order a new HDD and bin the old one as I don't like to idea of holding data on a suspect bit of kit. I don't mind if the DVD drive dies a bit early though
Soldato
Some excellent replies, thank you very much. Much clearer picture in my mind what it's all about.
I'm going to order a new HDD and bin the old one as I don't like to idea of holding data on a suspect bit of kit. I don't mind if the DVD drive dies a bit early though
the next time you post about static it should be
"im transporting lots of explosives and what precautions do i need to take"
hehehehe
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Static discharge stresses the components leading to premature or immediate failure if severe (blows little holes in the silicone). In a perverse way it can (rarely) repair a failed component, at least that is what was on the training video we endured. If it works it works, if it doesn't it isn't going to destroy the whole PC in some chain reaction of failures.
the key there being off
Isn't it the discharge that kills the component(s) - hence there will be no charge left immediatly after the event to cause any future problem.
Soldato
i have been building PC`s since 1995 and have never used a static strap
i leave the power cord in and turn the power off at the wall
i leave the power cord in and turn the power off at the wall
the key there being off
Isn't it the discharge that kills the component(s) - hence there will be no charge left immediatly after the event to cause any future problem.
well, you tell me
There are certains parts which can be damaged by electric discharge (regardless source of it) making them destructive to other parts.
While PSUs have all kind protections lightning could damage it so that outputted voltage is something else than it should be.
Voltage regulation circuits could be damaged, like one for CPU in motherboard, damage to that could lead CPU receiving 12V directly. (or shorted CPU could damage motherboard)
Same applies components getting their power from motherboard, short circuit in expansion card could burn PCB traces on motherboard.
As far as HDDs are concerned they're rather safe in this area. They draw power directly from PSU so short circuit in them isn't going to damage other components by drawing too high current and data signaling is all about just "voltage information" being passed, not high currents. (although damage/shorts in HDDs data interface would surely cause errors/crash unless it "blacked out" completely)
Also you can test PSU separately without any components connected to it.
Just plug it to wall and turn PSU's power switch to on position. Bigger damage in it could blow fuse/trip circuit breaker at this point so lack of that is already good sign.
Now you should find 5V from purple wire of motherboard's 24 pin cable/connector.
Then just short (and keep it shorted) green wire to ground for "jump starting" PSU. If nothing blows out you can then check what kind voltages PSU is giving out. (orange 3.3V, red 5V and yellow 12V)
If PC was connected to phone line through some method (analog modem, ADSL etc) it's highly probable that damage was done through that frying motherboard and leaving PSU intact.
Current of next discharge could burn that short away but probability for it doing only that without damaging anything is small.
But if that small risk worries so much you should go inside Faraday cage also yourself... and would be better avoid anykind travelling, after all probability of dying in traffic accident is much higher than chance of getting to be lightning rod, unless you purposely try to get that job.
Phone network, like any other network of non grounded conducting material, can spread voltage caused by lightning strike considerable distances. So when phone rings during thunderstorm it might be lightning "calling" and answering phone could lead you to being part of its grounding circuit. Same way it could strike through any electric appliance.
Also it doesn't matter that much do you live in open country or forest. Power/phone cables are better conductors than trees so lightning likes to jump from trees to them. Also underground cables aren't totally safe, discharge can travel dozens meters in ground until it finds good grounding point or something well conductive. (path of disharge is generally marked by blown away grass, soil and stones)
While PSUs have all kind protections lightning could damage it so that outputted voltage is something else than it should be.
Voltage regulation circuits could be damaged, like one for CPU in motherboard, damage to that could lead CPU receiving 12V directly. (or shorted CPU could damage motherboard)
Same applies components getting their power from motherboard, short circuit in expansion card could burn PCB traces on motherboard.
As far as HDDs are concerned they're rather safe in this area. They draw power directly from PSU so short circuit in them isn't going to damage other components by drawing too high current and data signaling is all about just "voltage information" being passed, not high currents. (although damage/shorts in HDDs data interface would surely cause errors/crash unless it "blacked out" completely)
Also you can test PSU separately without any components connected to it.
Just plug it to wall and turn PSU's power switch to on position. Bigger damage in it could blow fuse/trip circuit breaker at this point so lack of that is already good sign.
Now you should find 5V from purple wire of motherboard's 24 pin cable/connector.
Then just short (and keep it shorted) green wire to ground for "jump starting" PSU. If nothing blows out you can then check what kind voltages PSU is giving out. (orange 3.3V, red 5V and yellow 12V)
If PC was connected to phone line through some method (analog modem, ADSL etc) it's highly probable that damage was done through that frying motherboard and leaving PSU intact.
Or more precisely blows holes to insulation layers designed to withstand only couple dozen volts at most.
Current of next discharge could burn that short away but probability for it doing only that without damaging anything is small.
Conductive things attract lightning so hit to house could still find its way to computer if that happens to be along/near path of best conductance. Only sure protection would be putting computer inside solid structure acting as Faraday cage. (in short EMP protection covers this)
But if that small risk worries so much you should go inside Faraday cage also yourself... and would be better avoid anykind travelling, after all probability of dying in traffic accident is much higher than chance of getting to be lightning rod, unless you purposely try to get that job.
Actually wired phone is considerable risk during thunderstorm.no but perhaps dont use a land line if its a very bad storm and your living in a field
Phone network, like any other network of non grounded conducting material, can spread voltage caused by lightning strike considerable distances. So when phone rings during thunderstorm it might be lightning "calling" and answering phone could lead you to being part of its grounding circuit. Same way it could strike through any electric appliance.
Also it doesn't matter that much do you live in open country or forest. Power/phone cables are better conductors than trees so lightning likes to jump from trees to them. Also underground cables aren't totally safe, discharge can travel dozens meters in ground until it finds good grounding point or something well conductive. (path of disharge is generally marked by blown away grass, soil and stones)
Permabanned
Had major lightning here the other week (south birmingham) and had the closest strike I've ever seen. It struck the electrified railway lines just at the end of my garden, i jumped a mile =/ no delay between flash and sound. I was still on my pc though heh. I have a 4-socket anti surge protector.. yup that'll save me from lightning 
the whole anti static thing: just touch the metal case before handling any components. a wrist strap can help, but I've never used one. And like the strap, you attach it to the case so you, the case and the components are mutually charged. All postive or all negtive, doesn't matter, as long as it's the same.
the whole anti static thing: just touch the metal case before handling any components. a wrist strap can help, but I've never used one. And like the strap, you attach it to the case so you, the case and the components are mutually charged. All postive or all negtive, doesn't matter, as long as it's the same.
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That's what we stormcasers would call as fun!
And fact which probably saved your PC is that bolt hit to railway lines (instead of normal power lines) and got grounded through them somewhere.
Surge ratings of protectors are from few hundred Joules to couple thousands Joules but lightning easily transfers millions of Joules so you can bet that direct hit can blow up whole protector along computer.
(also absorbing surges degrades MOVs in protectors so even without lethal close hit protection eventually disappears)
Soldato
esat your annoying because you just repeat things and add more detail, just look at post 31
i said its not a good idea, and you responded, "Actually wired phone is considerable risk during thunderstorm."
seems like unless i explain something in the same words as wikipedia you copy and paste the fundamentally same answer dressed up like something different..
i said its not a good idea, and you responded, "Actually wired phone is considerable risk during thunderstorm."
seems like unless i explain something in the same words as wikipedia you copy and paste the fundamentally same answer dressed up like something different..