Today we are going to talk about what to do with your computer when weather disasters strike. It’s a fact of life; severe weather will impact your location at some point in time and create an emergency situation in your city.
It might be a hurricane, a tornado, severe thunderstorms or a rain drenching tropical storm. Any of these scenarios can cause flooding, power surges and potential water damage from a leaking roof. Any or all of these problems do not blend well with electronics. Here are some things you can do to help protect yourself.
Probably the worst thing that can happen to any electronic device is for water to get on the circuit board. For most items this would mean an almost certain death. Once the water shorts out one of the components the entire board will be rendered useless. Sometimes drying out the electronics will give them a second life but this is not always the case. I had an experience one time where I spilled water into the keyboard on a laptop. The laptop refused to turn. I pronounced it DOA at the scene.
Since I always save old computers for parts, I put the computer in the closet for safekeeping. About a year later, I had some free time so I decided to try and see if I could do anything with the machine. I put the hard drive back in, replaced the battery and plugged it in. When I hit the power button I saw the BIOS post and soon the familiar Windows screen came up.
I could not believe what I was seeing! Soon after there was the desktop in all its glory. I am now using that very computer as a server for my radar images that are uploaded to my website. It has been running 24/7 now for about a year. Keep in mind that does not always happen but there is one thing I did that probably saved it.
If you ever encounter water on any electronic item, immediately remove all the power sources. If there is no power the electronics will not short out. Do not attempt to operate the item for several days or until you are sure the item is completely dried out. Sometimes using a hair dryer can decrease the drying time Remember, wet electronics can only be saved part of the time so do not expect a miracle.
The best way to keep your electronics safe is to prevent them from getting wet in the first place. If you know a severe storm is coming, cover your electronic devices with plastic in case of roof leakage. In addition, if you have a computer that is located on the floor, be sure the raise the tower to a higher location in case your home or office floods from the ground level. If you have to evacuate, secure your electronics in a small closet well up off the floor and cover securely with heavy plastic. The small closet will offer better protection in case of a roof failure. If you have room in your vehicle, bring the computers with you when you evacuate.
Another major cause of electronic failure is power surge. Be sure to have your system attached to a good power surge protector. In addition, using a battery backup UPS will offer even more protection by maintaining a constant, clean source of power to the device.
As you can see, storms cannot only disrupt our lives by creating inconveniences but they can also cause expensive damage to our prized electronics and computers.
http://www.computergeeksonline.net
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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