Everybody is aware that a sudden loss of power to your PC will result in it switching off and you losing all data that you have accumulated since your last save. Even if the power cut is momentary, this is enough to cause a reboot.
This is bad enough for many people, especially when used for work and you’ve just lost all the data on that report you’d been writing. But did you know that mains fluctuations can cause damage to your hard drive?
A common effect is to hear a repetitious clicking noise coming from your hard drive – the click of death (like the blue screen of death but more fatal if there’s such an analogy). This renders your hard disk inoperable. What does this mean?
Well, your PC cannot function. You cannot access any data that you have on it without specialist services, and you need to replace your Hard Disk Drive (HDD), it cannot be repaired.
The cost of a new hard drive is relatively cheap these days. Probably around the £30 for a no-frills device. But then you have to fit it, and reload all your software. Assuming you’ve got all the CDs/DVD’s, and your access codes for downloaded software, plus you backed up all your important memories from your digital camera (you did didn’t you?), then this should be a breeze. Only taking a full day or so. It’s no laughing matter loading a PC from scratch. You get used to all your settings, software, and although sometimes its good to have a purge you’ll be surprised how long this process can take.
If you needed to recover data from your hard drive, well that’s a different story. You will be charged anywhere upwards of several hundred pounds to have data recovered – if it can be recovered.
To avoid these issues you need to invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply. These will allow you to work through brief power cuts and shut your computer down (after saving your work), if the outage is longer than a few minutes. Some people provide a degree of power protection for their PC’s by using surge suppressors. Note that these will NOT protect damage to your HDD because of power fluctuations. A surge strip can do nothing to protect against mains voltage variations and power cuts.
How much is an Uninterruptible Power Supply? It depends upon the level of protection you require and the amount of runtime you need, but a basic standard system can be bought for under £30 (plus VAT). Power Inspired’s VIX series Uninterruptible Power Supply fits the bill for a home office / small office PC and is such a low cost it’s a no-brainer to me.
