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Power outage effects
I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are
the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? |
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#2
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Power outage effects
Loss of data. Damage to components.
Buy a UPS (uninterrupted power supply). A UPS supplies battery power to your system for a few minutes - long enough for you to shut down your computer in an orderly manner until the power returns. Many UPSes come with software that can shut your computer down automatically, should there be a power outage while you are not home. And if all that isn't enough, a UPS includes a surge suppressor. All in all, a wise purchase. --- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est garyr wrote: I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? |
#3
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Power outage effects
On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:56:03 -0800 (PST), garyr
wrote: I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? Nothing is certain, but there is always a substantial risk. You can lose some or much of what's on your hard drive. I strongly recommend that you invest in a UPS, such as this one on sale by Amazon.com for $59.99: http://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-O...04U8/ref=pd_bb http://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-Outlet-550VA-120V/dp/B0019804U8/ref=pd_bb s_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1230423877&sr=8-1 or http://tinyurl.com/7y99fn http://tinyurl.com/7y99fn I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup |
#4
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Power outage effects
The "solution" to the problem has been stated - buy a UPS. I often pose the question: Have you really fixed the problem or did you merely fix a symptom of the problem? You do not want to be trying to fix the symptoms of the problem you describe. Fix the problem. A UPS will allow you to perform a graceful shutdown until power is stable or restored. On Dec 28, 10:56*am, garyr wrote: I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? |
#5
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Power outage effects
Ken Blake, MVP wrote: [snip] I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. Hey Ken, have you or anyone you know ever replaced the battery for an UPS with just a lead acid battery (small car or motorcycle battery)? You could just set it next to the UPS unit and connect it with clamps. You could probably really extend the time that your PC would run during a power failure. The more powerful UPS units are very expensive and I'm not sure that the main difference is just the size of the battery or not. Thanks, Buffalo |
#6
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Power outage effects
On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:59:01 -0700, "Buffalo"
wrote: Ken Blake, MVP wrote: [snip] I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. Hey Ken, have you or anyone you know ever replaced the battery for an UPS with just a lead acid battery (small car or motorcycle battery)? You could just set it next to the UPS unit and connect it with clamps. I haven't, and I don't know anyone who did. Whether it would work properly, I don't know (what's the voltage of a UPS battery?), but even if it did, I'd be very unhappy with a lead acid battery inside my house. You could probably really extend the time that your PC would run during a power failure. Maybe. The more powerful UPS units are very expensive and I'm not sure that the main difference is just the size of the battery or not. A UPS that would keep most of us going for half an hour or so is usually under $100 US, and half an hour is long enough for most of us. I own three inexpensive UPSs, one for each of my desktop computers, and I have never had a problem with any of them not providing power long enough. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup |
#7
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Power outage effects
Buffalo wrote:
Ken Blake, MVP wrote: [snip] I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. Hey Ken, have you or anyone you know ever replaced the battery for an UPS with just a lead acid battery (small car or motorcycle battery)? You could just set it next to the UPS unit and connect it with clamps. You could probably really extend the time that your PC would run during a power failure. The more powerful UPS units are very expensive and I'm not sure that the main difference is just the size of the battery or not. Computers and regular UPS don't work on 12v DC current, they mostly all run on standard household current. With a simple plug adapter you can run a laptop on a car battery but you can't run desktop equipment off automobile batteries. You would need to run the car battery through a power inverter. And of course, like Ken said, who wants a lead acid battery in the house? John |
#8
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Hi, Occasional power outages and power fluctuations can lead to hardware damage and data loss. If you live in an area where this is common, it's well worth while to invest in a UPS that will regular the power for you and provide you enough power to save essential work and shut down safely. What's your computer configuration like? Tony, |
#9
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Hi Ken, The UPS you suggest is a good power bar, surge protector with a bit of power. It has very limited abilities. It would be excellent for a network modem, cordless phone or a small desk lamp. For serious computer equipment, I would always recommend to invest in an actual UPS that will regulate the power and provide a run time. Tony |
#10
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Hi Buffalo, It is possible to replace UPS batteries with bigger sealed lead acid batteries to provide more run time. This doesn't work on small UPSs with small charging circuits. Those units can get burnt out easily. I know of a few people who have the bought an APC Smart-UPS 1400, removed the batteries and have instead attached 2x 12v 45Ah batteries externally. The batteries take a very long time to charge, but they provide a fantastically long run time. I have seen this done by a few guys who were looking to provide clean power inside their RV's. Some inverters output dirty power, using a UPS will provide clean power to plugged in appliances. If using a big car battery, adequate ventilation is required. Tony |
#11
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Power outage effects
TonyDigital wrote:
garyr;3235481 Wrote: I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? from personal experience the $150 or so investment in a ups is much better than a fried pc / hd / whathaveyou. i recommend a ups for all sensitive equipment, and surge protectors on all other electronic equipment. |
#12
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Power outage effects
Gee Ken, I hope you don't park your car/s in your garage attached to or
forming a part of your house......... "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote in message ... On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:59:01 -0700, "Buffalo" wrote: Ken Blake, MVP wrote: [snip] I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. Hey Ken, have you or anyone you know ever replaced the battery for an UPS with just a lead acid battery (small car or motorcycle battery)? You could just set it next to the UPS unit and connect it with clamps. I haven't, and I don't know anyone who did. Whether it would work properly, I don't know (what's the voltage of a UPS battery?), but even if it did, I'd be very unhappy with a lead acid battery inside my house. You could probably really extend the time that your PC would run during a power failure. Maybe. The more powerful UPS units are very expensive and I'm not sure that the main difference is just the size of the battery or not. A UPS that would keep most of us going for half an hour or so is usually under $100 US, and half an hour is long enough for most of us. I own three inexpensive UPSs, one for each of my desktop computers, and I have never had a problem with any of them not providing power long enough. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup |
#13
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Power outage effects
The amount you pay depends on how much protection you need. For my home
computer setup I paid $US 50. --- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est ushere wrote: TonyDigital wrote: garyr;3235481 Wrote: I live in an area where there are occasional power outages. What are the consequences of loosing power to a computer (XP Home, SP3) when it is operating normally and when in the Standby state? from personal experience the $150 or so investment in a ups is much better than a fried pc / hd / whathaveyou. i recommend a ups for all sensitive equipment, and surge protectors on all other electronic equipment. |
#14
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I couldn't agree more. It's worth while investing in a good UPS. You get what you pay for with UPSs, you buy good quality and you get quality and dependability. If you buy a cheap UPS you get poor quality and unreliable performance. Tony, |
#15
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Power outage effects
John John (MVP) wrote: Buffalo wrote: Ken Blake, MVP wrote: [snip] I think everyone should have a UPS for his computer, but *especially* people like you who live where there are power outages. Hey Ken, have you or anyone you know ever replaced the battery for an UPS with just a lead acid battery (small car or motorcycle battery)? You could just set it next to the UPS unit and connect it with clamps. You could probably really extend the time that your PC would run during a power failure. The more powerful UPS units are very expensive and I'm not sure that the main difference is just the size of the battery or not. Computers and regular UPS don't work on 12v DC current, they mostly all run on standard household current. With a simple plug adapter you can run a laptop on a car battery but you can't run desktop equipment off automobile batteries. You would need to run the car battery through a power inverter. And of course, like Ken said, who wants a lead acid battery in the house? John Wrong John. How do you think UPS systems work? |
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