Mitsubishi Delica Owners Club UK™

Derek · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 11:43 Post subject: Two dead PCs within 3Hours!

Am I just unlucky Crying or Very sad

I've been running an old PC, (self built, MB dated 2005), for a while now to monitor my wireless weather station and a wireless energy monitor I got recently.
It was also hooked into the TV so I could stream stuff off my NAS.

I was upstairs on my main PC with a remote desktop to the above PC minimised when, at about 17:30hrs, I got a warning of a lost connection.
I went downstairs and found the old PC absolutely silent. Hit the "go" button and absolutely no response.
I could/can see the LED on the MB glowing to indicate power going to it.

So, I thought, "Ho hum poor old thing's finally died", and walked the dogs.
After I got back I brought out our old laptop, circa 2006, fired it up and did all the relevant updates.
Loaded up the two sets of monitoring software got everything ticking over.
Went back upstairs and set up a remote desktop for the laptop.
At about 20:30hrs, I got a warning of a lost connection.
I went downstairs and found the old laptop absolutely silent. Hit the "go" button and absolutely no response. Crying or Very sad

:?

So, two old dead PCs.

Its important to note that we've had problems in the past with the power supply. Its fed from overhead cables running from a nearby sub-station that feeds a static caravan park.
We had so much trouble with power trips this time last year that we got the power grid people to monitor it.
We got the stock answer that fluctuation were within allowable tolerances so ended up paying for a new consumer unit with RCBO's.
After that everything settled down.

Two other things to note are that yesterday, 1st March, was the first day the caravan park was opened for the owners and there were a lot of them arriving that afternoon.
Also our downstairs circuit is a radial with the PC(s) location fairly well down the line of the circuit.

A large missive Sad

Anyone got any ideas whether the old PCs are recoverable or am I going to have to rebuild?
Oh, I dismissed the idea of a virus. Am I correct?

Thanks for your time, Derek
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1996 PE8W, 1994 PF8W*2, Gilera Fuoco, and a Smart Electric Drive.

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mark1sparky · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 13:05 Post subject:

Can't help you on the pc's, although power supplies can fail due to surges.

As for the new consumer unit with rcbo's/rcd's that would f**k all help. They are on for personal protection.

What you needed was surge protection or a voltage optimiser.

Mark.

Derek · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 13:49 Post subject:

Hmm,
understand what you're saying about rcbo's/rcd's.

The first PC to die was on a "supposedly" surge protected extension lead.
(Don't know how one would check if its doing its job)

Just had a read of the VPhase site about voltage optimisation.
They say there stuff won't stop surges and spikes but will smooth out fluctuations.
Still, sounds interesting if the price was right.

Cheers
_________________
1996 PE8W, 1994 PF8W*2, Gilera Fuoco, and a Smart Electric Drive.

Rusty · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 14:41 Post subject:

I run a APC UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Not only does it provide surge/spike protection but is capable of automatic controlled shutdown of computer in the event of a power outage. Very useful and reasuring I find Wink

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Derek · Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 15:59 Post subject:

Yeh, I've got a Sweex UPS upstairs that protects my main PC and a PC dedicated to Win XP Pro and all my "non-Win7" software.
Interesting enough the UPS blurb doesn't categorically mention surge protection but does state," Line Interactive with Brownout and Overvoltage Protection".

"Brownout" Shocked

:?

Reckon I'd better get another for downstairs. Can't afford to have a brownout Laughing

_________________
1996 PE8W, 1994 PF8W*2, Gilera Fuoco, and a Smart Electric Drive.

Fostlongstrider · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 0:50 Post subject:

Brownout is a drop in voltage that is not quite complete.
If it's complete then it's a Blackout.
We run specialist power supply towers which have surge control protection on them.
UPS systems have the mains running through a rectifier to DC and then inverted back to AC.
in the event of a supply failure they switch to the Battery backup to feed the inverter instantly
which gives you the uninterupted supply and are designed to enable you to shutdown your PC without loss of data.
You can also use them to continue working for a definite time depending on the battery capacity.
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Ian.

All the best from the East Riding of Yorkshire.
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