Power cut

My daughter has just telephoned me with a problem. They had a brief power cut and then it came back on almost at once, The computer did not completely power down but turned off and back on again. Now when she starts it up she gets a warning that W32 configuration files are not present, and that she should put in the installation disc and try to recover the files. She has a surge protector fitted, but this did not prevent the damage. I understand that devices to ensure a continuous power supply are availabe, and I have been scared by this event to look into buying one. I already have a surge protected lead myself but would like to install one of these devices. I have looked on google, but they all that seems to be on offer are AC to DC power supplies. I want something that I can plug into the wall socket, and then plug my power leads into this, so that in the event of a power cut, I will get a warning and long enough to switch off the computer properly. Any advice as to availability please?

I've used both APC and Cyberpower, but truth be told, I liked the Cyberpower one better. More bang for the buck, and had a great battery life. A UPS is a great investment... I can't tell you how many times it has saved me from losing unsaved work or ending up with a corrupt OS.

I recommend checking out what models & deals NewEgg has up.

There are two important considerations in my humble experience. First, the load it can handle, in terms of wattage. It's better to overestimate. The second thing is the number of sockets on the thing... I've found that I always end up needing more than I thought I would. Not all of the sockets are supported by the battery, though, but all of them are surge protected.

Also, higher wattage does not automatically mean a longer uptime after power is down. NewEgg, if I recall, lists the uptimes, and has useful reviews from people using these units. I paid around eighty bucks for my last one, and it was good for years.

But once again, the wattage is the important one to look at...

Thanks for the info. Her problem it seems was a corrupt MS update. I will give further thought to a possible purchase. I do have Acronis and an external plug in hard drive.

Hi

Uninterrupted power supply (UPS) These will cut in and keep your Computer running in the event of a power cut, Belkin make some good ones with a decent backup time so you can shut down your Computer before you lose any data or suffer any damage. I would recommend going for a recognised name you may pay a bit more but its worth it.

Backup UPS units are very useful and will kick in when the power from the wall drops below minimum requirements, making them useful for brownouts as well as blackouts.

I use APC myself and recommend them, but Cyberpower usually has cheaper deals and they are good enough. Tripplite is a decent brand as well. I unfortunately do not recommend Belkin, after having used all four the Belkin unit died completely in two years. A good quality UPS should last for 3-5 years, so far all of mine from APC hit the 5 year mark before the batteries tend to need replacing.

I can only say a mate of mine has used his Belkin UPS for 4 years now with no problems.

What about those that sell for around $30, when they are placed on sale at one of the office stores, or Best Buy. Are they any good, or is it too good to be true? I want one myself, but just spent over $100 to up my RAM to 4GB from 2GB. I don't want to plug all of my accessories into it, just my PC power cord.

2GB of RAM cost you over a hundred bucks? What the hell?

It was a 4GB kit from Crucial. I have only two slots, so I replaced the existing sticks with the kit. Watching video clips is a lot better now, so is startup time. I still have the other RAM sticks, was going to sell them, but decided to keep them "just in case".

I have been assured that a power failure is unlikely to cause hardware damage, only software problems, so I won't be bothering with a UPS. I have Acronis on a plug in hard drive for software problems.