Unplugging power cord

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.

Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never did
that.

--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>
> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never
did
> that.

Good advice. 99% of the time you're probably okay anyway, but why take
chances.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Derek Baker wrote:

> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>
> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never did
> that.
>

There's still standby power active in the system when it's 'off'.

Unplug it when working inside.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

"Derek Baker" <me@derekbaker.eclipse.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Jt6dnbWXkY0ovIfcRVn-tw@eclipse.net.uk...
> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>
> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never
did
> that.

Good advice! But if your PSU has a power switch near the cord, this should
be good enough when switched off and will keep the case grounded (touch it
often).

ATX computers keep the PCI slots, standby power, and other components turned
on even when the PC is off. You have to make sure that the PC is getting NO
power before working inside.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Derek Baker wrote:
> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>
> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never did
> that.

Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!

--
Paul

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

David Maynard wrote:
> Derek Baker wrote:
>
>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it
>> says to remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and
>> DIMMs.
>>
>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
>> never did that.
>>
>
> There's still standby power active in the system when it's 'off'.
>
> Unplug it when working inside.

Thanks for the replies. Guess I got lucky with my current setup.

--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Paul Hill wrote:

> Derek Baker wrote:
>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says to
>> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>>
>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I never did
>> that.
>
> Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!
>

My ASUS A7M266-D has a (rather bright) green LED between two of the PCI
slots when the standby power is on to remind you to turn it off. Also my
PSU also has a power switch to save unplugging the power lead which is a
Good Thing(TM) as it means the chassis is still earthed.

Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Parish wrote:
> Paul Hill wrote:
>
>> Derek Baker wrote:
>>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it
>>> says to remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and
>>> DIMMs.
>>>
>>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
>>> never did that.
>>
>> Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!
>>
>
> My ASUS A7M266-D has a (rather bright) green LED between two of the
> PCI slots when the standby power is on to remind you to turn it off.
> Also my PSU also has a power switch to save unplugging the power lead
> which is a Good Thing(TM) as it means the chassis is still earthed.
>
> Parish

My PSUs - old and new - have switches on them. I've always used that, when
I've left the cable in.

--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

"Derek Baker" <me@derekbaker.eclipse.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Jt6dnbWXkY0ovIfcRVn-tw@eclipse.net.uk...
> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it says
to
> remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and DIMMs.
>
> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
never did
> that.
>

It is always good advice to remove the power cord, or unplug an
appliance from the socket, when carrying out any work. Even if you
switch off at the socket, most sockets only switch the live feed, and if
the socket is incorrectly wired, (it does happen, it happened to me with
a house that had been rewired by the Electric Board, they had crossed
the feeds at the fuse box, reversing live and neutral throughout the
whole house), you could get a shock whilst thinking you were safe. I
grabbed hold of 240 volts, and was not too pleased with the person that
did the rewire.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Derek Baker wrote:

> Parish wrote:
>> Paul Hill wrote:
>>
>>> Derek Baker wrote:
>>>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it
>>>> says to remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards and
>>>> DIMMs.
>>>>
>>>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
>>>> never did that.
>>>
>>> Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!
>>>
>>
>> My ASUS A7M266-D has a (rather bright) green LED between two of the
>> PCI slots when the standby power is on to remind you to turn it off.
>> Also my PSU also has a power switch to save unplugging the power lead
>> which is a Good Thing(TM) as it means the chassis is still earthed.
>>
>> Parish
>
> My PSUs - old and new - have switches on them. I've always used that, when
> I've left the cable in.
>

This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is an
el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and that
didn't have a switch either.

Problem is with the power lead out the chassis isn't earthed, so where
do you connect your anti-stat wrist strap too? I have one of those
special plugs that go in a mains socket but most straps only seem to
have a croc clip for clipping to the chassis - and yes, I have seen
someone with the power lead out and their wirst strap clipped to the
chassis - teapots and chocolate spring to mind

Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

You are not earthing for anti-static protection. You are
grounding charges on your shoes. Ground and earthing are
different. Connect the anti-static strap directly to the
computer chassis. That way you and the computer are always at
same potential. Put computer on a table top that connects to
floor - where those charges on your shoes are located.
Therefore your shoes will not create electricity paths through
computer.

Never work on a computer connected to AC mains. Never.
That is nonsense about "earthing" for static protection.
Even worse, any power cord connected to a computer means the
power will eventually and accidentally be turned on or left
on. Remove the power cord. Do not even trust a power
switch. Remove power cord.

Ground out charges on shoes. Earthing has nothing to do
with anti-static protection.

Parish wrote:
> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is an
> el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and that
> didn't have a switch either.
>
> Problem is with the power lead out the chassis isn't earthed, so
> where do you connect your anti-stat wrist strap too? I have one
> of those special plugs that go in a mains socket but most strap
> only seem to have a croc clip for clipping to the chassis - and
> yes, I have seen someone with the power lead out and their wirst
> strap clipped to the chassis - teapots and chocolate spring to
> mind
>
> Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Parish wrote:
> Derek Baker wrote:
>
>> Parish wrote:
>>> Paul Hill wrote:
>>>
>>>> Derek Baker wrote:
>>>>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it
>>>>> says to remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards
>>>>> and DIMMs.
>>>>>
>>>>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
>>>>> never did that.
>>>>
>>>> Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!
>>>>
>>>
>>> My ASUS A7M266-D has a (rather bright) green LED between two of the
>>> PCI slots when the standby power is on to remind you to turn it off.
>>> Also my PSU also has a power switch to save unplugging the power
>>> lead which is a Good Thing(TM) as it means the chassis is still
>>> earthed.
>>>
>>> Parish
>>
>> My PSUs - old and new - have switches on them. I've always used
>> that, when I've left the cable in.
>>
>
> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is an
> el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and that
> didn't have a switch either.
>

[snipped]

What sort of PSU did you get your friend?
--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Derek Baker wrote:

> Parish wrote:
>> Derek Baker wrote:
>>
>>> Parish wrote:
>>>> Paul Hill wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Derek Baker wrote:
>>>>>> I see in the manual for my new motherboard - an MSI K8N Neo - it
>>>>>> says to remove the power cord when inserting and removing cards
>>>>>> and DIMMs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is this good advice or excessive caution? With my current board I
>>>>>> never did that.
>>>>>
>>>>> Good advise - else there's still the standby power to your mobo!
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> My ASUS A7M266-D has a (rather bright) green LED between two of the
>>>> PCI slots when the standby power is on to remind you to turn it off.
>>>> Also my PSU also has a power switch to save unplugging the power
>>>> lead which is a Good Thing(TM) as it means the chassis is still
>>>> earthed.
>>>>
>>>> Parish
>>>
>>> My PSUs - old and new - have switches on them. I've always used
>>> that, when I've left the cable in.
>>>
>>
>> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is an
>> el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and that
>> didn't have a switch either.
>>
>
> [snipped]
>
> What sort of PSU did you get your friend?

A Dabsvalue one from, would you believe, Dabs

300w £17.88 inc VAT and p&p

Strangely for a cheapo one it's got a brand name on it (and the box),
Mercury, and a URL for their website www.kobian.com


Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Parish wrote:

[snipped]

>>> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is
>>> an el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and
>>> that didn't have a switch either.
>>>
>>
>> [snipped]
>>
>> What sort of PSU did you get your friend?
>
> A Dabsvalue one from, would you believe, Dabs
>
> 300w £17.88 inc VAT and p&p
>
> Strangely for a cheapo one it's got a brand name on it (and the box),
> Mercury, and a URL for their website www.kobian.com
>
>
> Parish

No expense spared, eh?

I've just spent more then eighty pounds for an Antec True Power 550.

--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Derek Baker wrote:

> Parish wrote:
>
> [snipped]
>
>>>> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is
>>>> an el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and
>>>> that didn't have a switch either.
>>>>
>>>
>>> [snipped]
>>>
>>> What sort of PSU did you get your friend?
>>
>> A Dabsvalue one from, would you believe, Dabs
>>
>> 300w £17.88 inc VAT and p&p
>>
>> Strangely for a cheapo one it's got a brand name on it (and the box),
>> Mercury, and a URL for their website www.kobian.com
>>
>>
>> Parish
>
> No expense spared, eh?
>

Certainly not. Only the very best for my friends

> I've just spent more then eighty pounds for an Antec True Power 550.
>

What, brand new? Where from?

Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Parish wrote:
> Derek Baker wrote:
>
>> Parish wrote:
>>
>> [snipped]
>>
>>>>> This is the first ATX PSU I've had that has a switch - and this is
>>>>> an el-cheapo case. I bought a new PSU for friends PC last week and
>>>>> that didn't have a switch either.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> [snipped]
>>>>
>>>> What sort of PSU did you get your friend?
>>>
>>> A Dabsvalue one from, would you believe, Dabs
>>>
>>> 300w £17.88 inc VAT and p&p
>>>
>>> Strangely for a cheapo one it's got a brand name on it (and the
>>> box), Mercury, and a URL for their website www.kobian.com
>>>
>>>
>>> Parish
>>
>> No expense spared, eh?
>>
>
> Certainly not. Only the very best for my friends
>
>> I've just spent more then eighty pounds for an Antec True Power 550.
>>
>
> What, brand new? Where from?
>
> Parish

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000YPUOM/ref%3Dpd%5Fsim%5Fce%5Fdp%5F1/202-5872665-8912609

--
Derek

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

GwG wrote:
....
> Even if you
> switch off at the socket, most sockets only switch the live feed, and if
> the socket is incorrectly wired, (it does happen, it happened to me with
> a house that had been rewired by the Electric Board, they had crossed
> the feeds at the fuse box, reversing live and neutral throughout the
> whole house), you could get a shock whilst thinking you were safe. I
> grabbed hold of 240 volts, and was not too pleased with the person that
> did the rewire.

A possibly life-saving tip: if you touch something electrically live
with your fingers in the normal way, your muscles will contract, making
you press or grip the hazard.

If you stroke it gently with the backs of your fingers, you will feel if
it is live, but the muscular contraction will move your hand away from
the hazard.

Best wishes,
--
Michael Salem

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

In article <2nunq4F4rlt8U1@uni-berlin.de>, "Parish" me@privacy.net
says...
<snip>
> Problem is with the power lead out the chassis isn't earthed, so where
> do you connect your anti-stat wrist strap too? I have one of those
> special plugs that go in a mains socket but most straps only seem to
> have a croc clip for clipping to the chassis - and yes, I have seen
> someone with the power lead out and their wirst strap clipped to the
> chassis - teapots and chocolate spring to mind
>
Is that really a problem? As long as everything is at the same
potential it doesn't really matter whether it's at ground or 40,000
volts does it?

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Michael Salem wrote:

> GwG wrote:
> ...
>> Even if you
>> switch off at the socket, most sockets only switch the live feed, and if
>> the socket is incorrectly wired, (it does happen, it happened to me with
>> a house that had been rewired by the Electric Board, they had crossed
>> the feeds at the fuse box, reversing live and neutral throughout the
>> whole house), you could get a shock whilst thinking you were safe. I
>> grabbed hold of 240 volts, and was not too pleased with the person that
>> did the rewire.
>

I read a while ago in uk.diy someone who was altering the upstairs
lighting wiring in the loft. He'd isolated the upstairs lighting circuit
but when his wife came upstairs she instintvely switch the stirs light
on and *bang* the guy gets thrown out if the loft. Turned out the
previous owner of the house (or maybe the Leccy Board ) had
connected the downstairs switch to the downstairs lighting circuit and
the upstairs switch to the upstairs circuit!

> A possibly life-saving tip: if you touch something electrically live
> with your fingers in the normal way, your muscles will contract, making
> you press or grip the hazard.
>

Even better tip - get someone else to check it

Seriously, that is good advice that I've read elsewhere (possibly from
you in another NG).

--
By the time you make ends meet, they move the ends.
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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 15:35:00 +0100, Michael Salem
<a$-b$1@ms3.org.uk> wrote:

>GwG wrote:
>...
>> Even if you
>> switch off at the socket, most sockets only switch the live feed, and if
>> the socket is incorrectly wired, (it does happen, it happened to me with
>> a house that had been rewired by the Electric Board, they had crossed
>> the feeds at the fuse box, reversing live and neutral throughout the
>> whole house), you could get a shock whilst thinking you were safe. I
>> grabbed hold of 240 volts, and was not too pleased with the person that
>> did the rewire.
>
>A possibly life-saving tip: if you touch something electrically live
>with your fingers in the normal way, your muscles will contract, making
>you press or grip the hazard.
>
>If you stroke it gently with the backs of your fingers, you will feel if
>it is live, but the muscular contraction will move your hand away from
>the hazard.
>
>Best wishes,

Is that better than using a neon screwdriver )
--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Please reply to Newsgroup.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

Rob Morley wrote:

> In article <2nunq4F4rlt8U1@uni-berlin.de>, "Parish" me@privacy.net
> says...
> <snip>
>> Problem is with the power lead out the chassis isn't earthed, so where
>> do you connect your anti-stat wrist strap too? I have one of those
>> special plugs that go in a mains socket but most straps only seem to
>> have a croc clip for clipping to the chassis - and yes, I have seen
>> someone with the power lead out and their wirst strap clipped to the
>> chassis - teapots and chocolate spring to mind
>>
> Is that really a problem? As long as everything is at the same
> potential it doesn't really matter whether it's at ground or 40,000
> volts does it?

I'm not an electricl/electronic expert but I'd say yes - why do
components always comw in an anti-stat bag?

--
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capacity -- the rest is overhead for the operating system.
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Jeff Gaines wrote:

> On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 15:35:00 +0100, Michael Salem
> <a$-b$1@ms3.org.uk> wrote:
>
>>GwG wrote:
>>...
>>> Even if you
>>> switch off at the socket, most sockets only switch the live feed, and if
>>> the socket is incorrectly wired, (it does happen, it happened to me with
>>> a house that had been rewired by the Electric Board, they had crossed
>>> the feeds at the fuse box, reversing live and neutral throughout the
>>> whole house), you could get a shock whilst thinking you were safe. I
>>> grabbed hold of 240 volts, and was not too pleased with the person that
>>> did the rewire.
>>
>>A possibly life-saving tip: if you touch something electrically live
>>with your fingers in the normal way, your muscles will contract, making
>>you press or grip the hazard.
>>
>>If you stroke it gently with the backs of your fingers, you will feel if
>>it is live, but the muscular contraction will move your hand away from
>>the hazard.
>>
>>Best wishes,
>
> Is that better than using a neon screwdriver )

I've always wondered about the reliablity of those with regard to their
failure mode.

The advice is always to check them with a known live source, but how do
they fail? If they fail instantly, like light bulbs, they could work
when you tested them and then when you use them on the thing you want to
check it has failed but you think the circuit you're testing is dead.

Parish

--
If Bill Gates had a dime for every time a Windows box crashed...
... Oh, wait a minute, he already does."
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Derek Baker wrote:

>> Certainly not. Only the very best for my friends
>>
>>> I've just spent more then eighty pounds for an Antec True Power 550.
>>>
>>
>> What, brand new? Where from?
>>
>> Parish
>
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000YPUOM/ref%3Dpd%5Fsim%5Fce%5Fdp%5F1/202-5872665-8912609
>

Duh! Must get some new glasses - I read your original post as *eight*
pounds, hence my keeness to know whether it was new

Parish

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

In article <2nurdkF4ttiqU1@uni-berlin.de>, "Parish" me@privacy.net
says...
> Jeff Gaines wrote:
<snip>
> > Is that better than using a neon screwdriver )
>
> I've always wondered about the reliablity of those with regard to their
> failure mode.
>
> The advice is always to check them with a known live source, but how do
> they fail? If they fail instantly, like light bulbs, they could work
> when you tested them and then when you use them on the thing you want to
> check it has failed but you think the circuit you're testing is dead.
>
In my experience they just gradually get dimmer.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (More info?)

In article <2nur41F4rp5uU1@uni-berlin.de>, "Parish" me@privacy.net
says...
> Rob Morley wrote:
>
> > In article <2nunq4F4rlt8U1@uni-berlin.de>, "Parish" me@privacy.net
> > says...
> > <snip>
> >> Problem is with the power lead out the chassis isn't earthed, so where
> >> do you connect your anti-stat wrist strap too? I have one of those
> >> special plugs that go in a mains socket but most straps only seem to
> >> have a croc clip for clipping to the chassis - and yes, I have seen
> >> someone with the power lead out and their wirst strap clipped to the
> >> chassis - teapots and chocolate spring to mind
> >>
> > Is that really a problem? As long as everything is at the same
> > potential it doesn't really matter whether it's at ground or 40,000
> > volts does it?
>
> I'm not an electricl/electronic expert but I'd say yes - why do
> components always comw in an anti-stat bag?
>
>
To make sure that everything is at the same potential - if they needed
to be grounded then antistatic bags wouldn't work, because they aren't