Is there a computer Dr. in the house?

[Dz]

Sometimes, it's important to consider the facts, instead of commercial press releases.

There are many national "standards" agencies which give their stamp of (safety and efficacy) approval to electrical/electronic devices worldwide. You've seen them, though you may not have paid attention: CSA, DVE, UL (and I'm sorry, but offhand I don't know the UK's "stamp"...). All of these engineering concerns perform pretty much the same function: devices bearing their approval have been tested as safe and and least minimally effective.

Underwriter's Labs (UL) is the non-profit (and non-government) one in the United States. They say:
"Many people assume that surge suppressors can protect their home from lightning damage. Surge suppressors are not lightning protection devices - they cannot protect your home or your home's internal electrical wiring from a direct strike. Surge suppressors can, however, protect your equipment from voltage surges caused by unexpected occurrences such as a utility pole downed by a storm."
http://www.ul.com/consumers/surge.html

Keep in mind that the actual difference between a common, unprotected electrical outlet and one that is surge-surpressed is often nothing more than a less-than-50-cent (about 30 pence) device called an MOV - and maybe a coil of wire. Two might be used in an assembly that includes phone line protection.

So closely compare the price difference between protected and unprotected devices before you buy - and maybe pay too much.

In most places, landline telephone lines are adequately protected against distant lightning strikes, solely by the inherent design of the phone company's equipment. It is the 20,000-volt shock from a downed power pole that can fry the delicate input circuitry of a modem. (And also anything connected to broadband or cable.)

Quite simply: a close lightning strike fries everything nearby - whether suppressed or not. You need fear it starting a fire more than worrying about it taking out your computer; it WILL unquestionably be taken out under that circumstance, if it is plugged in at all.

Multiple-outlet consumer devices (with good surge suppression capabilities) should be readily available anywhere for the equivalent of US $10 or less. I recommend their use - for protection from vacuum cleaner surges and the like... but that's about it.
(Whole-house systems, installed in your main electrical box, do more, but are quite expensive.)

- Dweezild, working the hardware end of computers since 1968.

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[bryanbid]

good totally free virus scanner is available online Google "Housecall" by trend industries. It will do an online scan of all drives just follow instructions. It found trojans and viri on my comp that my resident virus prog didnt get. And u can run it daily totally free no charge is gratis. I love it, hate spendin.

[Dennis]

Hi.

This what I have protecting my xp home comp from anything. AdAware is not enough, adding on spybot is not enough, I also use Microsoft's Antisspyware prog. For virus crap I'm running Avast32, which is free to home users for about 14 months then just renew it ( it autoupdates usually once or twice a week ) it checks my mail in/out, up/downloads; anything entering or leaving my comp goes through Avast32.
Occasionally I'll run a scan with it myself to be sure there's nothing lurking there.

dennis

PS. As for surge protectors you can't have too many jules. Soon as I hear thunder or see lightning I shutdown the comp as usual, turn off the power supply and then unplug everything that is connected to the power supply.