The World of Avlis

Yesturday there was an electrical storm that blew through my area.

Like thousands of others my computer was an unfortunate victim of circumstance. My video card took a major hit and has been rendered as usefull as a paperweight.

Other than that, my computer is running very slow and I suspect that one of my RAM modules has taken a hit as well. Perhaps as much as my motherboard, as my BUS rates may have also dropped due to the flux in voltage.

I'm not going to be online for a while. I don't know how long any repairs are going to take.

Awww, sorry! There are storms that come through my area all the time during the summer season, so I keep mine unplugged when I am not on, maybe do the same when you get your computer fixed.

Agai, sorry, it happens all the time, but sorry.

Ack, gonna have a bit longer wait on that video then I take it! Sorry to hear what's happened, hope you get it sorted out soon!

Sorry to hear that.

We had a thunderstorm last week - which left us without electricity for half a day. However, at least everything still worked once the power came back.

i lost a whole week changing out a powersupply that fried my motherboard and then had to buy a whole new motherboard for my computer that was a pain to get working right, cause my bios settings were not right for the type of memory i had.

Homeowners or renters insurance does cover this sort of thing.

If the surge takes out more than say, just your powersupply or modem, most shops should be happy to write up a total loss on your machine (stress damage isn't always immediately apparent), then you decide what you want to spend the $$$ on when the check rolls in...of course make sure the estimate is more than your deductable.

not sure if surge protecting power supplies cope with lightning strikes, but might be worth looking into.

granted .... doesn't help you now

Aradan Kir wrote:not sure if surge protecting power supplies cope with lightning strikes, but might be worth looking into...

Yes, they're supposed to do that. Not all of them will, though. Look for UL, ETL, or CSA ratings, as any licensed by these groups (says on the packaging) should be good enough. And not all power strips are surge-protected at all - some are just extension cords. If it doesn't say surge protection on the package, it's not surge protected! I'm not sure if homeowner's insurance will compensate you fully if your computer wasn't on a surge protector in the first place. But if it is running with protection, they should cough it up.

Also, if you were on a surge protector, look at that unit's documentation (you did keep it, didn't you?), there may be a warranty or guarantee you can take advantage of. APC advertises a "lifetime equipment protection policy" and a "lifetime data recovery warranty" on almost all, if not all, of their products. Props to you if you can get both warranty reimbursement and an insurance check.

Also, the better ones also surge protect your modem conncetion (phone, DSL, or cable) and in some cases can do the same for Ethernet. Even better are UPC bricks, which are a battery so you can power down your unit properly when your house loses power. They're really not that expensive.

eeeekkkkk *runs screaming around in circles at the mention of electrical storms*

sorry to hear that. Tony Wazz and i have a paperweight of a video card around here somewhere. same thing happened to my PC on night. that was a few yrs ago and in the middle of my last smester in college, had to get it fix ASAP. but we always make sure that the PC's or pluged into surge protected power strips, and my video card still took the brunt of the blow.

again sorry...
*<-----knows how is feel*

well, i have a good surge protector but that doesnt protect from sudden outages and then sudden power surges. thats what UPC's are for. I need to get one.

Hopefully this backup card i installed will do alright until i can get the replacement shipped to me. gotta love them lifetime warrantees

otherwise, the avlis video im working on may take a bit longer, only because i cannot get the higher resolutions that i'd like to have.

i will see what i can do. if all goes well with my driver installation, i may be online tonight, save the nasty video lag i be having.

go 3 fps!!!

YARR!!!

My new video card should be arriving any day now!