Dangers of Static Electricity to Your Computer

If your computer had to choose between enduring the most vicious hacker attack or the tiniest jolt of static electricity to its motherboard, it would welcome the hackers every time. As far as hardware is concerned, the worst hackers or viruses can do is force you to reformat your hard drive, but that little shock from your finger can render the system unstable or useless.

This is one of the first things most technicians learn in certification training, and if you regularly work on the inside of your computer, understanding the damage that little shock can cause is critical. But even if you’re only a casual computer user, it’s important to know why you probably should not shuffle across the carpet and grab your friend’s new motherboard.

Computers translate data and instructions into pulses of electricity. Normally, those minute pulses are tightly regulated, but when a component is zapped with electrostatic discharge (ESD), it is very jarring for the circuit board and can destabilize or destroy it. But while you normally feel shocks over 2,000 volts, just 30 volts can kill a delicate circuit board.

While minimal ESD can be fatal to a component, minimal maintenance can protect your system. You’re probably familiar with antistatic bags; most new adapter cards come in small silver bags that protect them from electrical damage. Saving those bags and storing spare parts in them will guard components from an untimely end.

But what about when you need to use those parts, or work inside the computer? A basic tool for PC technicians is the ESD wrist strap. Clipped to a metal part of the computer’s case, the bracelet drains away static buildup and keeps you at the same charge as your computer, so you don’t shock it and it doesn’t shock you. These are usually around $10 and worth the cost if you consider that replacing even a cheap motherboard can cost five times that.

Rubber mats to set the computer on are doubly useful; not only do they help prevent static buildup, but they also protect your working surface from scratches.

Some basic procedures can do as much to stop ESD as these devices though – just wear rubber soled shoes, avoid carpeting, and touch the computer’s metal case frequently while you work on it.

Don’t do worse to your system than a thousand hackers ever could; a few simple steps can save your computer from the danger of static shock.