Happy New Year!  Its 2009, the year of the COW(abunga!).  We are hoping that you are able to use some of these tips I am offering you to have a safer, easier and more enjoyable experience with your PC on a high speed connection! 

In the past few months, we have been experiencing more and more power surges due to this inclement weather.  The amount of customers who call us telling us about a computer that doesn’t power up has dramatically increased in the past 2-3 months and here are some symptoms and tips on how to avoid getting a computer “blown”.

• You might need a new power supply for your computer if:
• The fan on the back of your PC is no longer running!
• You press the button to turn on the computer and you don’t get no where
• You start to smell or even in some cases, SEE smoke coming out of the back of your computer
• Your surge protector tripped while you were sleeping and now the monitor comes on but the PC doesn’t.
• You open the case up and see the Motherboard light turned on but no power.
• The power in your house just flickered and for a split second, everything turned off.
• Your notice that when you plug multiple items in your USB port, the computer shuts down.
• You added in a video card, sound card and gave it a massive upgrade and your current power supply cannot keep up with the demands of your upgraded computer.

• Here are some tips to keeping a healthy computer running:
• Unless you are running massive applications or using your PC to act like a server, don’t leave it on all night.  A computer is a mechanical item and like anything else, with it comes wear and tear.
• Make sure that the main power cord for the computer is plugged into a surge protector.
• You can get these anywhere for under $10 bucks!
• Or a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
• Make sure to change the battery on your UPS at least once every two years.
• You can get a small UPS for about $40-$70 at any store.  The price difference is due to a few things but if you are running a regular PC and a casual user, cheap is fine.  Make sure it is a brand you trust like Belkin, APC etc so you know you are getting a good battery!
• Make sure that you don’t overload your UPS with stuff you don’t need.  If you have speakers, the desk clock and everything else plugged in, remember its sucks out the juice from your UPS that much sooner.
• You don’t need to be playing with the voltage regulator in the back of your PC where the power supply is.  Trust me!
• Don’t ever turn your computer off by yanking the power cord out of the wall, UPS or surge protector!  If the computer just doesn’t want to turn off, then go ahead and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and the computer will turn itself off.
• Make sure that your laptop cover does NOT close before it is completely shut down.
• Also, if you have a laptop, be very careful where you plug in to the back of your laptop.  That part is just soldered on your laptop and once that goes, pretty darn hard to solder back on if you can even find someone who will try to!   Most of the times, getting a new Mother Board is the only way to repair that.

And sometimes, just the age of the computer shows up and parts suddenly start to fall apart.  But have no fear!  A good power supply can cost you anywhere from $75-$200.  It should take less than a day to have one installed professionally, tested and given back to you.  If anyone takes longer than a few hours, give them a call and get a follow up.   If you do this yourself, make sure you absolutely be careful when you are installing this.  You want to make sure that you are grounded and wont spark your motherboard.  You also want to make sure that your cables are very properly connected so you don’t short out your motherboard as well! 

Hope that you started out your 2009 in the right way and if you have any questions on your power supply or anything about your computer, make sure you go ahead and call your favorite Road Runner approved Technicians!  Happy Year of the Cow!