[Zavien Doombringer]

Capacitors are like batteries...but they hold a different kind of charge. A capacitor builds up voltage to be release when the charge has reached it's limit. Not like a battery where you can touch the positive and negative at the same time, a capacitor will discharge all of its charge when grounded, resulting in what the Viking Kitties call a "ZOT"

[Nita Nupress]

Capacitors are like batteries...but they hold a different kind of charge. A capacitor builds up voltage to be release when the charge has reached it's limit. Not like a battery where you can touch the positive and negative at the same time, a capacitor will discharge all of its charge when grounded, resulting in what the Viking Kitties call a "ZOT"

Thanks. I think I'll backup everything and then take it to my local computer shop. I don't trust myself!

[js1138]

Capacitors are like batteries...but they hold a different kind of charge...

The capacitors in a computer will discharge within a few second after you unplug it. This is because parts of the system are always on. The switches on recent computers are really just telling the motherboard to activate a relay. Parts of the motherboard are always active, and will drain the capacitors.