VocExile/Protecting Your Computer
One of the hazards that all computer owners have to deal with are power surges, sometimes called spikes. Even a slight increase in voltage can fry the electronics. So, it is very wise to connect your computer to a surge protector rather than plug it directly into the wall. If you want to get really fancy, you can purchase one with a built in power supply that will keep your computer working for a few minutes if the power goes out.
But, do not put too much confidence in surge protectors. Suppose lightning should somehow find is way into your wiring. Do you really think a surge protector can hold back a million volts? So, to be safe, it is best to turn off the computer when there is lightning around. Even better, unplug it. Taking a few minutes to do this could save you the cost of a new computer.
Also, if your modem is hooked up, remember that telephone lines get struck too. Some surge protector boxes have a connection for the modem cable. This would be a good investment. I know someone who had to replace the modem on his new computer after a thunderstorm. So, if there is nearby lightning, disconnect the telephone line too.
There is a part of your PC that never sleeps, even when your computer is turned off. This is a segment of the computer's memory containing the Computer Setup Information, CMOS for short. Mundane things such as the time and date are stored here. A large number of very forgettable settings are also here. A rechargeable battery keeps this small part of the computer on all of the time.
Sooner or later, even the best quality batteries die. And when this happens, the CMOS will forget everything. The date will go back to the default 1980. But, much more seriously, the computer will not be able to read the hard drive. When you try to boot up, you will get an error message, and the computer will hang up. How well you have prepared for this will determine how long you will be deprived of the use of your computer.
First, find out how to access your CMOS. The combination of CTRL-ALT- DEL works with many PC's. You may have to read your manual to find out what works with your computer. Once you have accessed the CMOS (Also called BIOS), you should copy down all of the settings. Do not change anything: it could cause problems.
Second, make one of your floppies into a boot disk. Windows provides a program that will create an emergency floppy disk. Put a formatted disk into the A drive. and run the program.
If you need to access the computer right away, you can boot it with your emergency disk. Put it in the A drive. Reset the computer (CTRL-ALT-DEL will do this), or turn the computer on if it is off. Once you are in Windows, you should be able to access your CMOS in the usual way. In some computers you can access the CMOS by pressing a key early in the boot up process. If the CMOS values are all wrong, you can be fairly confident that the battery is bad.
Using the CMOS information you wrote down, reenter all of the values. There is probably a provision in the CMOS to reboot the computer. Otherwise, exit the CMOS and reset the computer as before. As long as the power is on, the CMOS values should remain, and you will have full access to your hard drive again.
The battery, of course, will have to be replaced. It is a lot less trouble to have a service person do it, though you could do it yourself. Give the service person the CMOS data so that he can set it up properly.