How to properly store a desktop

[kradreyals]

Hi all,
I often leave my desktop in the house while I go to college because I still haven't gotten an apartment/single suite.
What I would do is unplug every peripheral and turn off the PSU, and then put the case back to its box. I didn't think there was anything wrong with this because my computer ran just fine after a two month hiatus. But then I came back for Spring Break and I believe my PSU died.

Is there a way to properly store a desktop for long periods of time? Is what I've been doing a bad idea? Any tips would help since I would like to have it working again and have it not dead once I decide to take it to college next semester. xD

Appreciate it, thanks!

 

[lowjack989]

The way you did it sounds good, make that you store it in a cool, dry place...and make sure no one touches it....PSU's do not just up and die from sitting around...Now if you stored it in a moist enviroment corrosion can take place as the capacitors in the PSU and on the board will accelerate corrosion exponentially due...That the only thing I can think of that would cause a PSU to go bad while it is stored unless you already a problem with it before you stored it

 

[kradreyals]

Yeah, just went to test my MB with different PSU. It's the MB that's dead. xD

Then they told me I should buy dehumidifiers or whatever they are called, and put that around and in the same box as my case. They are like small soft beans.

Where can I get those? o_o

 

[lowjack989]

Yeah a dessicant of some type would definetly help....annhydrous calcium works great

 

[lowjack989]

Try a place called USABluebook...look under lab equipment I believe in their online catalog...If its not their then you can get it from Fischer Scientific....You can get it loose or already in little one use containers now keep in mind that it is hygroscopic meaning that it like a sponge and gets full so get some that changes color when it is full...its usually blue is dry and pink indicates that it needs to be regenerated by heating it in an oven at 360F for 1 hour ....Anyways a little goes a long ways, and it fairly inexpensive

 

[kradreyals]

Best answer selected by kradreyals.