How Can Power Outages Affect Your Computer

Are you one of those who do not turn off or unplug their computers during severe storms? If yes, then you might want to start doing it now.

It’s long been revealed that regular power outages and electrical storms could damage or even destroy electronic devices and that includes computers. Anybody who says otherwise is either misguided or lying. What’s worse is that there are other concerns aside from power outages.

What are the risks associated with electrical failure? How do they affect your computer? What can you do to protect your unit from getting fried?

Various Types of Electrical Anomalies

The electrical current that is flowing through your house isn’t constant. Generally speaking it should be, but the truth is that electricity could ebb and flow, in some cases dropping in voltage and sometimes surging with more power. All of these could have unwanted effects.

If power totally shuts off, it’s called a blackout. These happen because of problems beyond your control. However, they could also be self-inflicted.

And then there is another issue referred to as brownout, which is when the electrical voltage experiences a short term drop without going to a total blackout. In case you have ever seen the lights dim for some unknown reason, it was maybe due to a brownout. Brownouts could be intentional as a way to lower electrical loads and prevent blackouts, although they could also be intentional.

On a different note, there is the power surge, which is when an electrical device gets more electricity than intended for a minimum of three nanoseconds. Power surges could be brought on by several factors like electrical line malfunctions and short circuits. When the electrical voltage last for only one or maybe two seconds, then it is called a power spike, which is caused by lighting.

Why Surges and Blackouts Are Dangerous

Unexpected computer shutdown is the real danger linked to brownouts and blackouts. Operating systems are complicated and they should go through a shutdown sequence to ensure that all running processes have accurately shut down before it turns off. A sudden electricity loss could interrupt essential threads and leave your unit in an inoperable state.

The largest concern are the system files. Think about what takes place when the hard drive is writing data to the disk when suddenly it is forced to shut down right in the middle of the process. Let’s say the file that’s being written was a system file needed for the booting process. Now that file is going to be corrupted and you cannot boot up your computer without having to go through an involved recovery procedure.

Apart from that, regular power outages could reduce the physical lifespan of the hard drive. The read and write head, that is hovering over the platters that are spinning during operation, will snap back to its former position during the power loss. This unexpected movement could lead to small imperfections that build up over time, boosting the chances of a head crash, which is a malfunction that happens once the head touches and then scrapes the surfaces of the platter, which leads to the destruction of the hard drive.

How To Protect Your Computer Against Power Outages

The foolproof method to safeguard your computer against such electrical anomalies is to unplug your unit totally until the danger has passed. It needs to be physically disconnected. Turning off the power switch will not do any good. This is the only way to protect the unit with a 100% success rate against power surges and power outages.

Having said that, many of you will probably ignore the storm and keep your computer plugged in anyway. Even though it is not the smartest move, it is still understandable. So, there are a few alternative ways that can still help you protect your computer. Use a surge protector or invest in an interruptible power supply.

If you are running a business, you can afford any form of interruption to your operation. Call SpartanTec, Inc. and know more about our business continuity planning and disaster recovery services.

SpartanTec, Inc. Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 408-7166 http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

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Columbia, West Columbia, Cayce, St Andrews, Lexington, Oak Grove