What happens with a power outage?

[spwath]

MY parents want me to turn my computer off or get an UPS because our power goes out often. Why? What happens with a power outage to my pc?

[Guest]

well basically lots of outages will damage your stuff epecially if the power supply is inadquet, a ups ensures that there is always a constant supply of power so if there ever was an outage u can turn it off safely

 

now it my turn to ask a question, how often does power go out?

[slashes_2_asses]

It turns off.

[Bonsai99]

MY parents want me to turn my computer off or get an UPS because our power goes out often. Why? What happens with a power outage to my pc?

Nothing usually. Unless you are doing windows updates, then your computer might be displeased.

[hawaiims]

MY parents want me to turn my computer off or get an UPS because our power goes out often. Why? What happens with a power outage to my pc?

no need for a UPS unless you are doing critical work and don't save it often. A UPS is usually just a surge protector with a battery to keep the thing running for a couple of minutes (just enough time to save your work). A power outage will just turn off your computer the same way as if you were pressing the power button for several seconds to abruptly shut down your computer. 

 

What is much more important however is just to get a cheap surge protector to protect from sudden variations in current that could destroy your pc's components outright. That costs a lot less than a UPS

 

Here's one example of a surge protetor

[Atrum_Aduro]

Depends, really. Normally, it'll just shut off and you might get a message from your OS next time you boot saying that it didn't shut down properly.

 

However, if your computer is in the middle of saving a file, said file could get corrupted. Even worse is if your OS is updating at the time, which could lead to the OS getting corrupted, which may make it so you have to reinstall. 

[TheSLSAMG]

no need for a UPS unless you are doing critical work and don't save it often. A UPS is usually just a surge protector with a battery to keep the thing running for a couple of minutes (just enough time to save your work). A power outage will just turn off your computer the same way as if you were pressing the power button for several seconds to abruptly shut down your computer. 

 

What is much more important however is just to get a cheap surge protector to protect from sudden variations in current that could destroy your pc's components outright. That costs a lot less than a UPS

 

Here's one example of a surge protetor

That's not really a surge protector, but rather a power strip.

 

Here's a surge protector:

 

[spwath]

I have a surge protector. Our Tivo broke from a power outage, and it was plugged into a surge protector. So when im not using my computer (at night, when im at school) there is no need for me to make my computer sleep?

well basically lots of outages will damage your stuff epecially if the power supply is inadquet, a ups ensures that there is always a constant supply of power so if there ever was an outage u can turn it off safely

now it my turn to ask a question, how often does power go out?

Not that much, seems to be less recently, but it goes off for like a second around 6-7 times a year with 1-2 additional extended times-

[Guest]

Not that much, seems to be less recently, but it goes off for like a second around 6-7 times a year with 1-2 additional extended times-

oh then no need for ups just get powersurge protector like the hawaii said lol u said it goes out often so i thought that was like couple times a month or sommin

its like turning off the plug to everything computer dont like it but 10 times a year wont to much just keep a backup incase it goes out during an update or something important

[mgsstar]

I have a surge protector. Our Tivo broke from a power outage, and it was plugged into a surge protector. So when im not using my computer (at night, when im at school) there is no need for me to make my computer sleep?

There might be a small surge that leaked from the surge protector and broke your tivo. If you are not using your computer, just turn it off unless you really want fast boot times when you turn it back on.

[Cwazywazy]

I'm fairly sure I have a surge protected power strip on my computer but you also have to worry about your router if you have ethernet directly from your computer to router. I haven't had any problems with this sort of thing but I've heard stories of a surge getting sent from a router through the ethernet cable and frying motherboards and stuff.

[spwath]

I'm fairly sure I have a surge protected power strip on my computer but you also have to worry about your router if you have ethernet directly from your computer to router. I haven't had any problems with this sort of thing but I've heard stories of a surge getting sent from a router through the ethernet cable and frying motherboards and stuff.

Hmm Ok. Ill see. seems kinda unlikly tho.

[hawaiims]

I have a surge protector. Our Tivo broke from a power outage, and it was plugged into a surge protector. So when im not using my computer (at night, when im at school) there is no need for me to make my computer sleep?

many surge protectors break after a while. Some of them have LEDs that will notify you if it still protects you against power surges. If the LED is still lit it means the surge protector still work.

Oh and here's a cheap surge protector I recommend ($8 on amazon). It has a LED to let you know if the surge protector still works.

http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-TLP606-Protector-Outlet/dp/B0000AI0N1

[spwath]

Oh and here's a cheap surge protector I recommend ($8 on amazon). It has a LED to let you know if the surge protector still works. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-TLP606-Protector-Outlet/dp/B0000AI0N1

mine has an LED so im good. I stole it from our family computer cause it dont need a ups and a surge protector, ups has it built in. The one i have is nice with adjustable plugs. Now, it has 2 lights, one says "protected" other says "grounded" only protected is light up. back downstairs grounded was light up too. is this a problem?

[hawaiims]

mine has an LED so im good. I stole it from our family computer cause it dont need a ups and a surge protector, ups has it built in. The one i have is nice with adjustable plugs. Now, it has 2 lights, one says "protected" other says "grounded" only protected is light up. back downstairs grounded was light up too. is this a problem?

doesn't need to be grounded it's alright. I even cut off the ground on many of my devices (the third circular power prong) in order to use my laptop power plug in other countries without an adapter and I've never ever had any problems haha (only time I ever got electrocuted was actually by a grounded power plug lol). The surge protector and ground have nothing to do with each other. The ground is to protect yourself mostly. 

[emachado99]

Power went out once at my dad's house and his PC was on... His motherboard is shot now. Has to buy brand new mobo and cpu and RAM (because it was an older mobo).

[Yoinkerman]

I would look at a line conditioner instead of a surge protector or UPS.  That's the real danger to components, dirty power.  And power is especially dirty during brownouts or when power goes out/comes on.

[bob345]

ups would be a good idea in your situation. It will at least help make sure you don't lose any data or projects you might be working on at the time.

[Giddyguy]

Random Power Outages can be bad for your components, we had a SSD in out HTPC dies because my dad accidentally killed the power.

[LOST TALE]

no need for a UPS unless you are doing critical work and don't save it often. A UPS is usually just a surge protector with a battery to keep the thing running for a couple of minutes (just enough time to save your work). A power outage will just turn off your computer the same way as if you were pressing the power button for several seconds to abruptly shut down your computer. 

 

What is much more important however is just to get a cheap surge protector to protect from sudden variations in current that could destroy your pc's components outright. That costs a lot less than a UPS

 

Here's one example of a surge protetor

does anything that looks like that is a surge protector generally?

[IdeaStormer]

Dang, the OP owes the parents some internet cookies, prematurely protecting the kid from a fried computer, best news of the week. Get the freaking UPS, they already approved it.

[The_Evenger]

I have had the power go out many times when using my computer (very, very many) but the only time when it has actually damaged a component was when it was a air conditioner thing, the fuse didn't stay off and kept ticking on. Basically the power went off and on really rapidly for about 5 seconds

 

if it just goes out and stays out, there is not much of a risk there, but if it goes out and then comes back very rapidly in the span of a few seconds, there is a very good chance that you could damage your power supply, or an internal component, especially if you have your computer set to reboot after a power outage.

[toms94z71]

If you get thunderstorms in your area a lot a good surge protector is a good thing to have, I usually unplug my sensitive electrical equipment but around here in the summer storms can develop very quick. I had a storm blow out a bunch of fluorescent bulbs in my house one time. The surges from lightening is nothing to mess with. As far as power outages, going out and staying out will not miss up things usually, but the dimming of lights or just barely going out and right back on is much worse. 

[Birdman]

Dang, the OP owes the parents some internet cookies, prematurely protecting the kid from a fried computer, best news of the week. Get the freaking UPS, they already approved it.

Agree'd. Especially if they're paying. 

 

Just curious, are these outages random or predicted? Where I am there's a random outage once or twice every five years or so, and they're almost always at night. The only time other then that is if there's a nasty storm, and in that cause I turn my PC off anyway, and use my laptop of I really need the internet. 

[hawaiims]

does anything that looks like that is a surge protector generally?

yes generally. If you go to a hardware store or a tech store it should definitely say something like "storm protection" or "surge protector" somewhere.