Power Surge vs PC

 

A power surge is a damaging spike of voltage through the electrical network.

 

If your computer was plugged in and turned on during one, you’re more than likely to see some evidence of damage to your computer.

 

Check and Fix a PC After A Power Surge

1. First step is to unplug your PC, and the power bar – in that order.
2. Plug the monitor directly into a power outlet.  If that works you can set it aside, safe in the knowledge that the problem is in the PC itself.
3. Open the computer tower.  This will likely involve unscrewing some screws at the back.  Consult your PC User Manual if you’re unsure.
4. If your computer was a power surge victim, and your computer won’t turn on, you’ll need to replace your power supply unit (PSU).
5. Make sure not to touch any of the equipment inside the case.  Take a look for anything that looks obviously scorched or damaged.  If there is, you’ll need to replace that part.
6. Close up the case, using all the screws you took out.  If you have any extras, you missed some.

Now, if you got away unscathed, count yourself very lucky.

If you need some parts replaced, call a reliable, qualified computer tech to quote you on the parts & labour.  And consider your hand slapped.

NOW, before your computer receives any more battle scars,

make sure it’s adequately protected.

 

Use a power bar, a surge protector, or a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

 

To see which is right for you, check out an earlier blog:   Power-Less.

 

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Sleep vs. ShutDown?

  In this age of thinking “green” and power-saving, there is a constant debate about whether it’s better for your computer (and the environment, not to mention your bank account) to shutdown your computer, or just let it go into “sleep” mode.

I’m going to put that debate to bed, so to speak.

The argument for shutdown:  You’ll save energy, money, and the environment.

The argument for sleep:  You’ll save energy, wear-and-tear on your computer, and time.

 

 

 

 

 

The ‘Time’ Argument.

 

I run a relatively high-end computer (Computer-Geek, and all that).

Time to Shutdown:  0:16

Time to Boot Up:  1:06

Shutting down is relatively quick, but booting up is painfully slow.  Keep in mind, this is what I refer to as a “true” boot-up time-the time from when I press the power button to when I’m at a usable desktop (where you can actually click on things and get a response).

Time to Go Into Sleep Mode:  0:18

Time to Fully Wake:  0:02

The time it takes to go into sleep mode is comparable to shutting down my computer.  However, the time it takes to wake my computer to be fully functional is almost instantaneous.  Not to mention the convenience of waking my computer merely by tapping the keyboard, or moving the mouse.

 

 

 

 

The ‘Power/Energy/Money-Saving’ Argument:

As long as your system BIOS supports the S3 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) mode, and most computers do, then leaving your computer in sleep mode is not running up your power bill.  The S1 mode leaves the CPU and RAM powered up, the S3 mode powers the CPU and RAM down.  You can check and change your BIOS sleep state, if you want your computer to draw less power.

My high-end computer uses approximately 120-130 watts just sitting at the desktop (not including the 2 monitors I run), and uses 1 watt when shut down (most computers still draw a very small amount of power, even when off, so they can turn on when you push the power button).  In sleep mode, my computer draws 5 watts.  That’s a difference of 4 watts of power, between shutdown and sleep.  Not a huge difference.

Suppose your computer system is turned off 16 hours/day.  The 4 watts difference works out to 1.92 killowatt-hours (kWh) per month.  According to National Resources Canada in April 2014, the average residential electricity price in Canada (including taxes) was 13.272 cents/kWh.  So keeping your computer in sleep mode would cost you 25.5 cents per month more than it would to shut your computer down.  The average Canadian home uses 955.8kWh monthly, so 16 hours of sleep mode per day would be a 0.21% increase in monthly power use.  Of course, some computers use a little more power in sleep mode, but it’s almost always under 10W.

You can find more information on how to change the function of your computer’s power button here.  You probably don’t want hibernate mode, as this dumps the contents of your PC’s RAM to the hard disk and then powers off your PC, so you can resume right where you left off (with programs open, etc.).  With the large amount of RAM in today’s systems, this process can be pretty slow.

 

 

 

 

The ‘Wear-and-Tear’ Argument:

Computers that are in sleep mode use minimal power to keep only essential components operating in low-power mode.  The major remaining power consuming parts are the RAM, CPU and motherboard; all run in dramatically reduced power consumption states while in sleep mode.  They both have just enough power to keep the OS stored in the RAM.  The sleep state hardly uses the CPU and RAM, which causes them to produce next to no heat or part attrition.  The motherboard is also powered just enough to check for any use of the keyboard, mouse, touch pad, or power button to wake the system from sleep mode.

In sleep mode, the computer turns off components like the graphics card, network adapter, hard drives, and optical drives.  The parts are turned ‘off’ to a state similar to as if the computer was shut down.  The sleep state also prevents the computer from being attacked by hackers and network-related malware, the same way a shut down computer does.

Turning on a computer from a ‘shut down’ state causes a substantially larger amount of wear-and-tear on the hardware, compared to re-booting a computer from a ‘sleep’ state.  Waking a computer from ‘sleep’ uses less energy, in addition to being easier on the computer components.  Waking a computer from hibernation wears the computer similar to turning on a computer from ‘shut down’.

 

 Computer Usage:

Of course, computer usage has to weigh into the argument as well.  If you use your computer several times per day, you can reduce wear-and-tear by using sleep mode instead of shutdown.  However, if you use your computer only an hour or so every few days, it makes more sense to shut down your computer.

Software Updates:

If your computer is set to automatically install software updates (as it should, as software updates keep your system safe & secure), most software updates occur overnight.  If your computer is left in ‘sleep’ mode, your computer will receive the updates, and will automatically re-start and go back into sleep mode.  However, if your computer is shutdown, when you turn on your computer, your computer will automatically install the updates at that time.  You will then have to re-start your computer again.  If the start of your day is time-restricted, this is something to keep in mind.

 

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ALERT:  New Ransomware Strain Encrypts Files From RAM

 

Security researchers at Invincea have discovered a new Russian ransomware strain called “Fessleak” which delivers its code straight into system memory and does not drop any files on disk.

This means that almost all antivirus software is not able to catch this malicious malware.

The infection is spread through malicious ads on popular websites.  

The Cybercriminal setup a short-lived burner domain (disposable domain) directing to a landing page where the exploit kit (malware infector) is hosted.  Then they post a legitimately paid-for ad on legitimate major sites such as HuffingtonPost, Answers.com, Thesaurus.com, and Match.com.

The ad is usually similar to “Granny opening a new iPhone video”.

When you click on the link, you are redirected to the malicious domain, which infects your workstation.

You are then presented with a full screen image that announces all personal or business files, photos, and videos have been ecrypted and to get them back you need to pay a ransom in Bitcoin.

Invincea states:

“We continue to see new innovations in ransomware.  More advanced versions use file-less infections, and communicate via the TOR network…they are also able to check to ensure the host is not running on a virtual machine to frustrate security researchers and analysis.  

At this time, there is no detection for the malicious code, which rotates its hash value to avoid Anti-Virus detection.“

How do you pre-plan for a possible attack?

1. BACK UPS!   All malware and virus effects can be prevented by having all important data backed up.  Take a weekly copy off-site.
2. Keep your attack surface as small as possible, and religiously keep all OS and third-party patches up-to-date.  All our monthly service plans do this automatically.
3. Disable Flash in your browser, or at least set Flash to Click to Play.  This way, you can activate only the ads or videos using Flash that you want to see, and the others will remain disabled.
4. Run a multi-layer security system, block ads centrally rather than machine by machine.  If that’s not possible, AdBlocker plugins for each browser.
5. It is increasingly clear that effective security awareness training is a must.  End users need to be on their toes, and need to keep security in mind at all times.

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Batteries – To Drain Or Not To Drain…

 

Everyone, from your neighbor to your great-aunt’s dog-walker’s niece, has their opinion on this.  Some say to drain it completely before re-charging, some say that you should keep it between 40% and 80% at all times.

But which is the truth?

 

A lot of this is confusion over how batteries used to work, not how they work today.  Luckily, most or all of your gadgets today run on Lithium Ion batteries, which are easy to take care of.

The short answer – – Charging incorrectly can decrease their lifespan.  Most lithium batteries should last you a few years, and batteries have a finite life, no matter what, so your efforts will only help to extend the life so much.  However, improper care can decrease that lifespan, meaning your battery will be unable to hold a charge – or unable to hold as big a charge as it used to – quicker.

Here’s some guidelines to help to extend your battery’s health as much as possible:

1. Perform shallow discharges.  Instead of discharging to 0% all the time, lithium ion batteries do best when you discharge them for a little bit, then charge them for a little bit.  Discharges to 50% are better for your battery’s long-term life then small discharges to 90% or large discharges to 0%.
2. Don’t leave it fully charged.  Lithium ion batteries don’t need to be charged 100%.  In fact, they prefer not to be.  So the 40%-80% rule is a good guideline.  When possible, keep it in that range to prolong its life as long as you can.  And if you do charge it 100% – don’t leave it plugged in.  If you charge it overnight, use something like the Belkin Conserve Socket to stop it from charging after it’s full.
3. Fully discharge it once a month.  While lithium ion batteries shouldn’t be discharged 100% regularly, most modern batteries are what’s called “smart batteries”, which means that they can tell you how long you have until your battery dies.  This feature can get mis-calibrated after a lot of shallow discharges.  Manufacturers recommend fully discharging your battery once a month to make sure this stays accurate.
4. Keep it cool.  Excess heat is not only bad for your processor, but your battery as well.  A hot battery will degrade in health much quicker than a cool one.  For this reason, we highly recommend not using your laptop on a soft surface like a bed or your lap (does not allow for sufficient air intake), and we highly recommend using a laptop stand with cooling fans built-in.

If you follow these tips, your battery should last.

Computer problems?

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