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Computer Safety Tip


GmAz

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I am not a fan of AM talk radio. Espically the crappy computer shows they have on there. Anywho, my dad loves them though. Thinks they are god and believes every lie they tell. Well anywho, once in a while something comes up that he tells me and I mentally decide to do or not to do. On October 29th, tomorrow, there will be a big solar flare hitting the earth that will cause great electical storms. It is advised to unplug all major electiral devices. Espically ones connected to cable modems because of the copper lines running all over. I guess in 1999 the same thing happened mostly to Canada and millinos of electrical items got fried. This is just a heads up in case you are like me adn dont' ahve a couple grand to buy more computer components. :ph34r:

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If a solar flare made it into our atmosphere, i'm pretty sure fried electronics would be the least of our worries. I think someone's been watching too much "The Core". I live in Canada, i've never heard of said incident.

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It's not a solar flare itself hitting the earth, but the electromagnetic discharge from it. I thought it was supposed to have happened last Friday?

 

I also heard it was 1989, not 1999 that it happened in Canada. I don't remember it happening either, but it might have.

 

Wouldn't this be a better topic for General instead of O/C'ing?

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I am not a fan of AM talk radio. Espically the crappy computer shows they have on there. Anywho, my dad loves them though. Thinks they are god and believes every lie they tell. Well anywho, once in a while something comes up that he tells me and I mentally decide to do or not to do. On October 29th, tomorrow, there will be a big solar flare hitting the earth that will cause great electical storms. It is advised to unplug all major electiral devices. Espically ones connected to cable modems because of the copper lines running all over. I guess in 1999 the same thing happened mostly to Canada and millinos of electrical items got fried. This is just a heads up in case you are like me adn dont' ahve a couple grand to buy more computer components. :ph34r:

If this is true, it would be very similar to a nuclear EMP, in which case unplugging your computer would do absolutely nothing.

 

If there is a magnetic field strong enough moving fast enough to create any kind of electrical current, the wires on your motherboard would conduct enough electricity to fry themselves without any help from your cable company.

 

Plus, why would cable be any worse than, say, electrical lines? They are designed to carry high voltage/current, are much thicker and therefore can hold a large charge better, and we have many more millions of miles of nice thick juicy electrical lines for the EMP type thing to annihilate.

 

So, yeah....It ain't happenin, and if it does, well...you're computer's goin down anyway.

 

Trios

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Solar flares are associated with coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, eruptions from the sun that, if headed our way, can disrupt communications satellites and power grids.

 

As this particularly fast-moving CME is aimed directly toward Earth, it is possible that when it arrives midday Wednesday, the geomagnetic activity will be strong enough to stir up electrical trouble.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/28/s...lare/index.html

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/X17/

 

 

I think it might be worth taking a few precautions for. The article mentions that this is the third largest solar flares on record. The 1989 storm that hit and disrupted power grids in Canada was rated an X15. The storm set to hit tommorrow is rated a X17.2 (higher is more powerful).

 

Nothing is probably gonna happen to your computer, but you might want to check your surge protectors, etc. You should be specially careful if you live in canada, because that seems to be where most of the warnings are for.

 

 

Bah, its 12:30am and I have to get up at 5:15. :O

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In recent years, however, satellite and utility operators have devised safeguards that usually minimize damage from solar storms.

 

from the same article posted by ravix. i don't think there is really anything to worry about...well i hope so anyway

Edited by Sly_C

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