Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about computer power protection. We all know how much a power blip can inconvenience us when you are in the middle of an important project on your computer. Power surges or brown outs can cause your computer to rapidly shut off or freeze. If you were in the middle of a project, you might loose some the work you were working on or you may encounter something much worse. Under some circumstances, an abrupt shutdown from a brief power failure can cause catastrophic damage to the machine. The damage can come in many forms. Sometimes when a hard drive is shut down improperly, physical damage can sometimes be done to the drive itself. In other instances, the operating system files may become corrupt and a repair install of windows will be in order. In other cases, damage to other components including the motherboard can occur.
The good news is that there are many ways to help prevent or at least minimize the possibility of this damage happening. The first thing you can do is be sure you at least have a good power surge protector attached to your computer. This will help protect you from power spikes but it will not help if the power goes out completely. For the best protection possible, you should have a UPS battery backup attached to your equipment. This device not only gives you the protection you need from power spikes but also will keep your computer running even when the power fails. The UPS will give you the time you need to properly shut down your system without loosing data or damaging the system.
UPS power protectors come in many sizes and of course, the larger you go the more you will have to shell out. Some of the smallest units can go for as low as 39 or 49 dollars. These units will help but the runtime will be short and you will need to power down your system almost immediately after the power outage begins. If you opt for a larger unit, you might get as much as 20 minutes runtime before you have to shutdown your system. Regardless of what you pay, this option is much better then just a simple surge protector. Most UPS devices come with software that you can install to shut down your computer automatically if a power outage occurs while you are not at home or near the computer. They usually attach to your system with a USB cable or serial port.
Although most UPS systems have a long life, the batteries occasionally have to be changed. The average lifespan of most batteries is about 3 to 4 years. This life could be shortened if the system batteries are frequently discharged. For the money, this could be one of the best treats you could get for the protection of your system, next to having a virus scanner. It definitely pays to shop around when looking for a battery backup for your computer. Prices can vary greatly and sometimes you can get your best deals online.
