Is a surge protector enough to protect my computer in a bad thunderstorm, or should I always shut it down?

Answer 1

Shutting it down is your best option. Surge protectors are generally a joke. The typical strip surge protector power strip is designed to handle common power surges over electrical lines that occur naturally, not those caused by extreme surges such as lightning strikes.

Your power line is also not the only source of surges that can damage your computer during a storm. If your computer is connected to a modem, your phone or cable line can also carry a destructive surge.

If the storm is bad disconnect all outside sources such as power, phones, cable lines etc. While you may not get hit for YEARS, it takes only 1 strike to destroy a motherboard.

Answer 2

You should shut it down. A surge protector will go a long way towards reducing damage to the computer, but the protection isn't complete. If there is a nearby strike, or if the surge protector has already stopped several surges, it may not be capable of handling the entire load.

The other thing to consider is that if the power goes out during the storm, your computer will already be shut down in an orderly manner, instead of basically stopping wherever it was. With rapid shutdowns, it is possible to corrupt files and cause other problems.

Answer 3

Yes it should be, if it is a decent quality and in good condition. But depending on how bad the electrical/lightning stom is you should err on the safe side and power it down and just go ahead and unplugg the surge protector from the wall.
Another item that is a good thing to have if you are a hard core computer person is a UPS universal power supply. It works like a surge protector but has a battery that charges while its plugged in so if the power goes your cpu stays up and running. If you have a server this is a must have.

Answer 4

What's the best way to keep your computer safe during a thunderstorm? If you are home and you know there is a thunderstorm approaching, just unplug your computer and everything that plugs into it!

Although a good surge protector may keep your computer safe during a thunderstorm, unplugging it is a sure thing. After all, if the thing isn't plugged into the wall, it's kind of hard for a spike or surge to get through. Also, try to keep all of your computer's external components (monitors, scanners, printers, etc) plugged into the same surge protector as the computer. That way, when you pull the plug, all your equipment is protected and you don't risk a spike / surge coming through an external component and damaging your computer.

In addition to unplugging your computer, modem users should also unplug their phone line. As we mentioned before, phone lines are probably the # 1 way for surges to get to, and sizzle, your computer. Note that if you're using a surge protector with a phone line pass through and you unplug it, you need to unplug the phone line as well (most surge protectors don't protect if they are unplugged).

Another cable to unplug would be any high speed internet connection cable. After all, if you're using a cable modem (or DSL) and a surge comes through that line, it may get to your computer. As with the phone line pass through, if your surge protector features an ethernet pass through, you'll want to pull the cable going to your computer.

Now, do you have to do all this each time you hear thunder in the distance? It’s the safest thing to do, especially if the storm is of the violent variety. You may have a good surge protector, but the information on your computer is very valuable and you don’t need to take chances. A close lightning strike will blow through just about any surge protector on the planet.

Note that simply turning off the power switch to your surge protector is not a good idea. When you turn this type of suppressor off, you are also eliminating the power supply to the surge protection circuit, thereby rendering it useless. So, if a surge comes across the power line with the switch in the off position, you have NO protection; however, if the surge protector is left on at ALL times, the circuit is energized, and you will have whatever surge protection your particular circuit is rated for.

Also, keep in mind that cheaper surge protectors can wear out over time. The power strip type surge protectors can protect you against one good surge (although a direct lighting hit happily rips right through them) or lots of smaller ones, but they can wear out. Problem is, most of them have no way of telling you when they've become useless. When you're looking for a surge protector, be sure it features some kind of indicator light that tells you when the surge protection circuit has expired.

Answer 5

Well, we have a great surge protector. During a wicked electrical storm last year, I shut down everything. I heard a loud pop! The mother board was partly fried y. I forgot to unplug the phone connection since we have DSL. Oops-now I take no chances. At the first strike, anything with a chip gets dismantled.

Answer 6

You should most always turn off the computer and unplug the power strip. Surge protectors, no matter what size they are, can handle a direct hit from lightning to the house, sending a few hundred thousand volts of current thru the house and lines. Instant fry on anything plugged in and/or on.

Answer 7

Please always shut your computer down, even with a surge protector, during any thunderstorm.

My friend had a surge protector and was on her computer during a thunderstorm and wham, lightening hit and blew out the Motherboard. No one was injured, thank God, other than the computer.

Have a lovely rest of the evening.

Answer 8

The surge protector is not enough. I lost my computer and a television set last week. My computer and TV were both off at the time and connected to the surge protector. Unfortunately, lightning still found its way into the lines and knocked them both out.

Answer 9

Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed. Just shut it down, that is what I do. Why take the chance? I have known of computers that have been fried with surge protectors during storms.

Answer 10

I would recommend a battery back up unit for any computer. surge protectors are alright if you get a good one. Most computers get there damage from there internet connection being hit by lighting (dialup or highspeed). Make sure that these are also protected against surges thru the battery back up or surge protector.