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Here's A Computing Tip
Computer Power Protection
By Ira Wilsker
Now that summer is upon us, and our air conditioners seem to cycle on and off endlessly, we may have noticed our computer screens flicker or shrink ever-so-slightly for a moment when the AC compressor powers on. With our intermittent yet common summer thunderstorms, we may have noticed our lights flicker, occasionally accompanied by a power outage of varying lengths. While these and similar effects may be an emotional strain upon us personally, they may also be an indication that we may need to protect our computers from unseen electrical damage.
The most basic form of electrical protection for our computers, which should be considered as mandatory for all computers, including notebook computers used away from the home or office, is a surge suppressor. Power surges, also referred to as spikes, are short term increases in voltage, often occurring when major electrical equipment, such as air conditioners or freezers are turned off. These surges and spikes can damage sensitive electronic devices such as computers, TVs, microwave ovens, and other devices. Surge suppressors to minimize the risk of damage are readily available in a variety of forms and prices, ranging from an inexpensive suppressor in the form of a power strip, to large box shaped devices that provide surge protection with line conditioning and a battery backup function. A recent review of the selection available locally at the office supply, electronics, and discount stores indicated a vast array of power strip type surge suppressors, ranging in price from about $3 to almost $100. One caveat is appropriate here; many users have a standard power strip connecting their computers to the wall plug. While almost all power strips offer some form of overload protection, typically with a circuit breaker, standard power strips offer no other protection for power related problems, and need to be replaced with a decent quality power strip that has a surge suppression function with a UL 1449 rating.
The ability of a surge suppressor to dissipate the surge or spike is measured in “joules”, with a higher joules rating indicating a greater ability to absorb and dissipate the excess voltage from the surge. Almost all surge suppressors have a limited life expectancy, and may wear out. Many of the better ones have an LED or other device indicating the proper functioning of the surge protection. It is a good practice to frequently inspect your surge suppressor, and to immediately replace it if there is even a hint or suspicion of malfunction. Power surges are one of the major killers of computers and other electronic devices. In my house, each of my major electronic devices, including TVs, microwaves, stereos, cordless phones, and of course computers, is connected to a functional surge suppressor. I also carry a good quality surge suppressor – power strip in my notebook computer case which is always used whenever my notebook is plugged in.
While the primary function of a surge suppressor is to protect plugged-in electrical devices from surge related damage, many of the suppressors on the market also provide additional functionality. Common in most better suppressors is an electronic noise filter, which reduces the electrical noise, often referred to as “RFI” or “EMI” interference, carried through the power lines. This electronic noise may be thought of as a type of static, and commonly comes from a variety of transmitters, welding devices, printers, lightning, or other sources. This type of line noise can cause errors in computer programs and data files, and possibly also damage some hardware components. In purchasing a surge suppressor, I recommend that one be purchased that includes electronic noise filtering.
I have repaired countless computers where the modem was “fried”, or destroyed by a power surge. It is widely known in
professional circles that power surges and spikes can also come through a phone line, as well as a coax cable, network cable, or other form of data connection. Many surge suppressors also include one or more protected lines explicitly for a phone or fax cable, TV or satellite cable, or other types of network cable. For those of us that still use dialup connections to the internet, or use fax machines, a surge suppressor that has a phone jack should also be a necessity. The phone plug from the wall connects to the jack in the suppressor, and another cable is used to connect the suppressor to the modem or fax machine. Generally, there is no significant degradation of signal while connected to a fax machine, but some 56K modems may suffer a slight degradation of signal or speed. This slight performance is a small price to pay for the added protection provided by the suppressor. All of my phone lines and cable TV coax is connected to the same surge suppressor that protects the device they are connected to.
As an added benefit, many models of surge suppressors also carry some form of insurance coverage to repair or replace devices connected to them from covered perils, often including lightning. The amount of coverage provided is often high, but is sometimes used as a marketing gimmick. As with all types of guarantees and insurance, be sure to read the fine print, and follow explicitly the directions for filing a claim.
Better safe then sorry.
The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.
Dave Has A Gmail Account
Coveted Gmail accounts have been auctioned on e-bay and it seems everyone wants one. 1 Gb of storage does seem enticing so when opportunity knocked I took a shot and grabbed one of the 4000 new accounts being offered.
So, now that I have one < mysticruler@gmail.com > I have to ask ... "Why?"
"Why" is Google offering this service? Too good to be true?
Over the next few weeks I'll be looking into the pro's and con's of Gmail and will give you my report in a future edition of "Bytes"
The Joys of Research in Word 2003
Beyond spell checking, beyond the Thesaurus, and even beyond Word's ability to translate text into a foreign language is the Research task pane. What it does is to instantly (or longer with a dial-up Internet connection) connect you to the Internet to peruse several online references regarding whatever it was you recently Alt+clicked with the mouse.
For example, say you type the word Mesopotamia in your document. Press and hold the Alt key and then click the mouse on the word Mesopotamia. Instantly, you see a whole slew of interesting references about Mesopotamia via the Internet.
Now that's Research!
BITS |
| BYTES |
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Clicking on Dave will take you to the
"Bits & Bytes"
site where you can listen to the most recent broadcast
Dave "Doc" Dockery discusses "CyberMentoring" on a recent show
While Wandering The Web
Want to teach your kids about online safety and have some fun at the same time?
Check out Disney's CyberNetiquette Comix, a collection of interactive cartoons that help kids learn how to deal with tricky Internet situations from chat rooms to computer viruses.
Warning:
All the cute graphics may take a long time to load if you try out this site from a slower dial-up connection.
SPCUG Receives Award From Coastal Behavioral Healthcare
Thanks to the many equipment donations received by the PC Refurbishing/Donation Committee
we were able to donate 4 complete computer systems to Coastal Behavioral Healthcare.
Ben Johnson, Dave Winkelman, Dave Schott, Roger Leer, Sharon Rump and in front Janice Hinkley.
Countdown to the next SPCUG General Meeting |
Fellow SPCUG Members ...
The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement
Got something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad. You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service to all SPCUG members in good standing. "Bytes" is currently sent to almost 1500 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by clicking HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.
Click Here To Submit Your Ad
SPCUG September Volunteer of the Month
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Our Volunteer of the month is Forrest Paradise
Forrest joined SPCUG in June 2002 and joined the SPCUG Yahoo Group in November 2002. Forrest has not only posted questions to the Yahoo group himself but he has answered numerous questions posted by other members. He is very knowledgeable about computers, frequently adding his ideas to questions raised during the Tech Forums on General meting night. Forrest was a member of our most recent Panel of Experts at the June 2004 General Meeting.
And when Comcast began to limit the number of email recipients one was allowed to send messages to, Forest volunteered the services of his web site “Email Contact Manager” so that SPCUG could continue to effectively communicate with all of the members. He has been an incredible help to Dave Gerber in maintaining our email database.
A big Thank You to Forrest for donating his time and resources to SPCUG. Members like Forest are what keep SPCUG going strong!
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From The "Bytes" Mailbag
 | Dear Dave, Can a desktop shortcut be created for your calculator? Thanks, Maureen Dear Maureen, Yes, in fact you can make a desktop shortcut for any item in your start menu. As long as you are using Windows 98 or higher, here is how: 1. Click on "Start" and point to "Programs" or "All Programs". 2. Find the program you want to put on your desktop and point to it. 3. Hold down your RIGHT mouse button, and drag the program icon to your desktop. If you do this with your left mouse button, you will take it out of your start menu, and it is much harder to get it back. 4. When you get the icon to your desktop, release the right mouse button, and a small context menu will appear. Two of your choices will be "Copy here" and "Move Here". You want to click on "Copy Here", this way, the original will still be in your start menu. 5. Now, all you have to do is double click on the desktop shortcut to run your program. |
Here's A Windows Tip
When installing programs, deselect options to start the new software automatically when windows starts, and permanently disable autostart features in applications that are not necessary
Many programs, such as AOL Instant Messenger, have options to start automatically when Windows starts. While this may be good option for certain applications, such as when you are concerned about viruses and want a virus scanner to run in the background, for many other applications this is a waste of memory and will significantly slow down your boot up time. If the program has an icon in the tray next to your clock on the Start bar when your computer boots, it is using up memory and taking up a small sliver of processor time. If you Right-Click on these icons, often you'll find a preferences section that will allow you to deselect "start automatically when Windows starts." Exact wording may vary. Also, some programs must be manually deleted or moved from the Start > Programs > StartUp folder, otherwise they may continue to load at bootup.
Here's The Latest Virus Information From
Trend Micro & Symantec
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Computing Termz Beta Programs - |
Pause For Thought
 | "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them." |
And Now Here's
| Dave's Cool Download |  |
Zero Assumption Digital Image Recovery 1.2
Zero Assumption Digital Image Recovery is a freeware data recovery tool, specifically designed to work with digital images. It allows you to recover digital photos accidentally deleted from digital camera memory.
There exists a vast variety of digital camera and associated media types on the market, so it is virtually impossible to test the program with each and every hardware combination.
Generally, this should work with any media type (e.g. CompactFlash, MemoryStick, SmartMedia and so on) accessible by Windows. You need to use your camera or the appropriate card reader you normally use to transfer images from camera to PC.
629 kb
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Phone: 877-SPCUG-HI
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Last Updated
04/13/2007 07:08 AM
