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morriswindgate · 01-14-2002, 11:15 PM

The never ending saga continues:

As to Zone Alarm, I know a site right now where you can go get the code, if so inclined, to add to a Trojan/virus which not only will disable ZA, but replace the icon with one that looks like it is working.

As to fire dangers, the fire danger in a PC is not the Power supply, it's the Monitor. A CRT will store enough energy that even if you unplug it, a short can cause a fire for up to 24 hours after the electricity is removed. This goes for Televisions or for that matter anything with large capacitors.

As to mechanical devices such as fans, the main cause of failure is the bearings and bearing have a definite life based upon the type of bearing, type of lubrication and quality, and the amount of vibration. Therefore running 24/7 causes heat which breaks down lubrication and introduces contamination and dirt build-up which sets up vibration and uneven loading on the bearings.

As to electronic devices heat cycling is more detrimental that electrical current in-rush. Whereas a motor in a fan has to overcome friction and gravity to start rotating (The value of the voltage supplied drops at starting, there fore the amperage increases dramaticallyfor a short period of time) the voltage in electronics just starts flowing (this is why a top notch power supply is so important as electronics is sensitive to voltage drops). Surge protectors are designed to prevent sudden high voltage conditions of the power supplied to the power supply, such as lightning strikes or sudden fluctuations caused by say a large generation station tripping off line.

As to power supples, A fuse is a short circuit device, and if a fuse blows in a power supply, this is an indication of problems within the power supply circuitry and it should be replaced (Not the fuse but the power supply). For overloads circuit breakers or overloads are used, which are timed heat devices that only trip after a condition exists for a period of time based upon the build up of heat in the tripping circuit. However since a power supply acts as an isolation device (Transformers cannot pass an electrical fault) it is possible for a fire due to a short to start on the board without blowing the power supply fuse. Luckily most electronics failures are in the form of open circuits and not shorts.

As to CPUs, RAM, Hard Drives, and other cards. When a computer is on these devices are constantly being polled, and therefore are working then idling which is wear and tear. This happens anytime they are on, plus there is constant heating and cooling when this takes place, and if heat is good, then there would be no discussions in this forum about Heatsinks, case fans, card coolers and Arctic silver.

The good thing is, that for the most part it doesn't matter if you turn it off or leave it on. The difference in life and failure is very little. And for the most part the history of the PC has shown that they will outlive their useful and practical computing life before failing a high percentage of the time.

01-14-2002, 11:15 PM	#26
morriswindgate Banned Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Bakersfield,CA Posts: 7,761	The never ending saga continues: As to Zone Alarm, I know a site right now where you can go get the code, if so inclined, to add to a Trojan/virus which not only will disable ZA, but replace the icon with one that looks like it is working. As to fire dangers, the fire danger in a PC is not the Power supply, it's the Monitor. A CRT will store enough energy that even if you unplug it, a short can cause a fire for up to 24 hours after the electricity is removed. This goes for Televisions or for that matter anything with large capacitors. As to mechanical devices such as fans, the main cause of failure is the bearings and bearing have a definite life based upon the type of bearing, type of lubrication and quality, and the amount of vibration. Therefore running 24/7 causes heat which breaks down lubrication and introduces contamination and dirt build-up which sets up vibration and uneven loading on the bearings. As to electronic devices heat cycling is more detrimental that electrical current in-rush. Whereas a motor in a fan has to overcome friction and gravity to start rotating (The value of the voltage supplied drops at starting, there fore the amperage increases dramaticallyfor a short period of time) the voltage in electronics just starts flowing (this is why a top notch power supply is so important as electronics is sensitive to voltage drops). Surge protectors are designed to prevent sudden high voltage conditions of the power supplied to the power supply, such as lightning strikes or sudden fluctuations caused by say a large generation station tripping off line. As to power supples, A fuse is a short circuit device, and if a fuse blows in a power supply, this is an indication of problems within the power supply circuitry and it should be replaced (Not the fuse but the power supply). For overloads circuit breakers or overloads are used, which are timed heat devices that only trip after a condition exists for a period of time based upon the build up of heat in the tripping circuit. However since a power supply acts as an isolation device (Transformers cannot pass an electrical fault) it is possible for a fire due to a short to start on the board without blowing the power supply fuse. Luckily most electronics failures are in the form of open circuits and not shorts. As to CPUs, RAM, Hard Drives, and other cards. When a computer is on these devices are constantly being polled, and therefore are working then idling which is wear and tear. This happens anytime they are on, plus there is constant heating and cooling when this takes place, and if heat is good, then there would be no discussions in this forum about Heatsinks, case fans, card coolers and Arctic silver. The good thing is, that for the most part it doesn't matter if you turn it off or leave it on. The difference in life and failure is very little. And for the most part the history of the PC has shown that they will outlive their useful and practical computing life before failing a high percentage of the time.