Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Computers Aren’t Very Tough


We can replace a television or an answering machine quite easily, but it’s not so easy to retrieve lost data on a hard drive after a surge or spike hits the old PC. The worst-case scenarios, at least as presented by various surge-suppressor manufacturers, include …
  • Losing any data in memory.
  • Possible damage to the file allocation table because the computer would not have been shut down properly.
  • The stress of regular, unnoticed surges gradually deteriorating your computer’s components.
  • Sags causing a system crash and the possible loss of data.
  • A strong spike frying your PC.
If you live in an area of frequent storms or windy weather that might cause your power to go out, a surge suppressor should be higher up on your birthday wish list than if storms are infrequent. Nevertheless, given our creeping dependence on computers and stored data, a surge suppressor is a good idea wherever you are. (Sorting through all the competing claims by different manufacturers is another issue altogether.)

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