Power / Battery query

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ian
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Ian

I'm going travelling for 5 weeks and wanted to unplug my PC from the mains
in case a storm shoots the electricity. This might sound a simple question,
but will my PC be OK (ie keep all it's information) being switched off for
that length of time?

Ian
 
I'm going travelling for 5 weeks and wanted to unplug my PC from the mains
in case a storm shoots the electricity. This might sound a simple question,
but will my PC be OK (ie keep all it's information) being switched off for
that length of time?

Ian
Click to expand...

It *should* be fine. There's a slight chance that the battery that stores
CMOS information will go flat but that usually very easy to replace. (The
slight trickle of power when system is off but plugged in can keep a low
battery going but eventually the battery will give out anyhow).
 
Ian said:
I'm going travelling for 5 weeks and wanted to unplug my PC from the
mains in case a storm shoots the electricity. This might sound a
simple question, but will my PC be OK (ie keep all it's information)
being switched off for that length of time?

Ian
Click to expand...

Make sure you also disconnect any phone lines or cable lines.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
 
thanks, I feel reassured...and I will disconnect the phone lines too, I
hadn't actually thought of that.

Ian
 
You should have a surge suppressor on the phone line as well as the power
supply anyway, quite apart from your initial question. You can get a spike
over a phone line.
 
Yes....it saves all work to hard drive.....it won't hurt to turn it off (it's
probably a good thing....). Definitely unplug it if you're expecting
thunderstorms - unplug the modem too.

The battery inside the box only keeps the Bios/CMOS settings intact and the
system clock running (it's basically nothing more than a watch battery)....so
unless that battery goes flat, you might find the system time has reset to 12:00
Monday 01 01 1900 or something when you next turn it on, but other than that it
should be OK.
 
well, that is what will cause the power surge, if lightning strikes phone
lines...they are more the danger that is why your phone company would advise you
not to use the phone during a thunderstorm.
 
- and in that very, very unlikely condition, it's just a case of fitting a
new battery to the MOBO, & just go into BIOS & reset the time & date - no
data lost & you're back in business. Normally the CMOS battery holds up for
years anyway. With a normal PC, 5 years plus is no problem for one battery.
It's only there to help retain basic system boot-up data, so it doesn't
matter whether you're using your PC all day or it sits idle for months, it
doesn't worry the battery (or perhaps 'cell' is a more correct word?)
I wouldn't even worry about that part of it.
 
Colin Barnhorst said:
You should have a surge suppressor on the phone line as well as the
power supply anyway, quite apart from your initial question. You can
get a spike over a phone line.
Click to expand...

I've had a surge come right through a surge arrester and wipe out a
motherboard. When I'm going to be out more than a few hours everything now
gets unplugged. Plus, if you live in an electrical storm part of the
country surge suppressors should be replaced every year.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
 
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