Posted on 11/27/2001 4:39:54 AM PST by E.G.C.
HOWDY FREEPERS
We here in Southwest Oklahoma are getting ready for our very first winter storm of the season. Our entire area is under various forms of winter adversories for today and tonight.
Now, some of you may wonder this has to do with our copmputer activities. Well, as many of you are well aware our computers are our biggest allies in the ongoing battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. They are what we use to send messages to message boards like this one. But, when not taken care of properly they end up not functioning properly.
During winter storm situations, sometimes the power goes out when ice collects on power lines and trees. When the storms pass and the ice melts, it sometimes downs power lines and trees. One thing you do not want is for this to happen with your computer on. You see, if the computer is turned off with Windows running, it causes all your files to be stored in the wrong places. They call it fragmentation.
So, what I do when I feel that getting to the point when a power outage is likely which is most likely when the sun comes out and melts the ice is I turn off the computer. Then when all the ice is cleared off, I turn it back on. I also do this during the hight of the winter storm because that's when we're most likely to lose power.
I also turn the computer off on days when high winds are forecast. Sometimes winds gusting as high as 40 or 50 MPH cuases the electricity to go off and on so when they issue the High Wind Warnings for our area is when I turn it off.
Power outages can also occur during servre thunderstorms. One of the local T.V. weathermen who has since moved on to Little Rock, Arkansas to do weather for one of the stations said he knew of someone who just bought a computer and two weeks afterwards, one of the lightning bolts hit the phone line and damaged his computer modem. When I see storms approaching our area, the first thing I do is turn off and then unplug the computer. Not just because of the power outages but also because of the potential for lightning. You do not want to run your computer during a thunderstorm.
The bottome line here is if you feel a power outage coming on or a thunderstorm moving into your area, turn off your computer. A computer operating properly is the key to participating in discussion forums like this and addressing issues of public importance. Especially of great imprtance since we are approaching the 2002 election season.
Since the title refers to "Your Biggest Allie", I can only assume he means Kirstie Alley.
She's definitely the more porcine of the two.
FRegards,
CD
As far as losing power suddenly and the effect on your computer, it's a far smaller problem. It does leave the files fragmented, but this happens anytime your computer hangs and you get the Blue Screen of Death. Rebooting your computer cures most of it, and everyone should run a defrag program on their computer periodically to clean up those messy files.
We have our share of tornados, hurricanes & the occasional nor'easter here in North Carolina, so your points are well taken.
Well, bite my tongue!!!!
I meant to say ALLY. Needless to say it's getting a little hectic. As I was saying we have all sorts of winter advisories out for our area right now. I just took a look at Abilene rarad and there's some snow between Wichita Falls and Abilene headed this way.
Anyway, thanks everybody for your posts.
Regards.
For those of us who never turn off our computers, you can even schedule defrags of gigantic hard drives in the middle of the night when you're sleeping. The anti-virus software included is worth the price alone.
Of course, it was Sunday morning before church when all this happened ... but that's another story.
Unfortunately these computer deals were never designed to do anything about our printers. I myself have had problems in the past with my printer gobbling up 30 some sheets of paper.(LOL)
As to the uninterruptable power deals, that's an excellent suggestion. Unfortunately, some of us freepers are on fixed income and don't have enough money to buy one of these things. Maybe if they sell enough, they might lower the price some to where We could buy one.
Portable desktops are a great thing to have. I know of some in my family who has one. I may get one someday.
Regards.
Wish it was about bringing your dogs inside when the weather goes sub zero.
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