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Vacation - to crunch or not the crunch

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This thread has made me laugh more than anything has in a long time.

The thought of all those machines cavorting about while people are away is rich.

...a toast to all the humor generators!!!
:thumbsup::beer::wine::beer::wine::cookie::cookie::cookie::thumbsup:
 
I leave my comps on all the time. I have no computer sitter.
I have left my comps on 24/7 and during holidays and vacations since 2001 and have had no problems: no fires, no BSOD, no HDD-crashes. All the probs I have had happened when I was at home (not even when I was at work ...)
OK, all my comps are on UPS, my internet is connected through a lightning protector (I do not know if that is the right word) which protects the 'net, phones and power line to the whole house. OTOH: we have thunderstorms less than 20 times a year.
My experience is that one or two computers (out of 24) crash during a 4 week vacation. Usually because some automatic update goes wrong, so I have shut that down or because of other software problems (e.g. some WUs do not play nice with the comps). The computers that crash are usually those which are slated for upgrades or for destruction (because they are too inefficient).
Just my 2 cents ...
It is your responsibility of course, and your insurance policy which decides. My insurance does allow to leave the TV-sets, stereo, radio, microwave on 'stand-by' and I have specifically asked if the comps should be shut down. They asked me if the comps were doing work during my absence. I answered truthfully "yes" and then the accepted that.
 
Oh, BTW: I am training my computers in obedience just so they would not turn on me. I also treat them with respect, treat them well, give them sweets and treats now and then. They are just as 7-yeras old kids: very eager to please most of the time and quite temperamental some times. Nothing a good talk and some positive reinforcement doesn't cure. As long at they just think that they are the masters of the house ... 😉
 
If mine don't behave when I look the other way....

How to spank a bad computer:

Up the volts another 3/100 and crank the clocks up until they scream for mercy!









There will be no shenanagins 'round here. 😀

/me gives living room PC a dirty look
 
Turning it off yields next to nothing is why I said it is not worth even the question. Keeping it on you can run F@H.

Computers are VERY RARE to get damaged during thunderstorms. I never have turned off my PC, even during thunderstorms.. simply because the chances lightning is going to hit your house is about the same you would win the lottery. Never mind the fact the path of least resistance in a house is not your computer by a long shot.

If you are worried about brownouts or power going out, get a decent power supply and some powerstrips 😛
 
Originally posted by: imaheadcase
Turning it off yields next to nothing is why I said it is not worth even the question. Keeping it on you can run F@H.

Computers are VERY RARE to get damaged during thunderstorms. I never have turned off my PC, even during thunderstorms.. simply because the chances lightning is going to hit your house is about the same you would win the lottery. Never mind the fact the path of least resistance in a house is not your computer by a long shot.

If you are worried about brownouts or power going out, get a decent power supply and some powerstrips 😛
Click to expand...

As you make a very valid point but, all it takes is once! And the odds are a longshot! Where I live, lightning is common and that is enough for me to shut them down while Im away. We had them just the other night, BooM, power went out! Oooo, I hate it when they just turn off in a flash. <--no pun........🙂

 
I leave 'em all running 24/7/365, even during hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, mexican invasions, thunderstorms, and alien invasions. Except when I'm moving, which hopefully will never EVER EVER happen again (fingers crossed).

edit: btw, I have quite a few that are "remote" systems. well, I say "remote", you say "borged". whatever. my old work computer is STILL crunching 4 1/2 months after my departure, my mom's q6600 is 120 miles away now, and my cousin's A64 4000+ is also 120 miles away. thankfully, no problems since my cousin and mom can barely check their email without help...
 
Yeah, even if I shut down my two main systems for vacation (which I probably will, sorry), then I have two other "Borged" machines at friend's houses that will keep crunching under my name, and one other machine of mine that's at a relative's house, left on to crunch in my absense. I check on it once in a while. So really, I might lose only 60% of my production, perhaps less.
I'm going to have two nice quad-core Q6600 rigs pretty soon, so I'll be able to make up for lost crunch time pretty easily once I have them together. Still have to order the mobos, looking at DFI LP LT TR2 X48 mobos, with crossfire and 8 SATA ports.
 
Computers are VERY RARE to get damaged during thunderstorms.
Click to expand...
It happens. A friend of a friend just lost all that was near and dear to him (all electronics, TV, PC, everything 🙁) in his house after a lightening strike. Although he did admit he was using just cheapo power strips. :Q
 
I was IT Manager of a company that lost an IBM S/360 mainframe during a lightning storm. Two PSUs were zapped. The maintenance firm we used blamed it on operator error so we had to foot an $8500.00 repair bill.

The operator error was: failure to power down during a thunderstorm!

--Fred

Edit $ amount.

Personally, I never turn anything off when I am away. Except the iron.
 
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Failure to power down a 24/7 mainframe, due to a thunderstorm? Sounds silly to me.
Click to expand...

This setup did not have a conditioned power line. The contract excluded the power supplies because of that.

One other thing, the swing shift operator wanted to finish all the work so he bypassed a shunt resistor to keep the machine going. A second lightning strike fried it good.

The operator never came back to work, so I had to fire him by leaving a message on his answering machine. And we had to rekey the building to keep him out.
 
Originally posted by: imaheadcase
Turning it off yields next to nothing is why I said it is not worth even the question. Keeping it on you can run F@H.

Computers are VERY RARE to get damaged during thunderstorms. I never have turned off my PC, even during thunderstorms.. simply because the chances lightning is going to hit your house is about the same you would win the lottery. Never mind the fact the path of least resistance in a house is not your computer by a long shot.

If you are worried about brownouts or power going out, get a decent power supply and some powerstrips 😛
Click to expand...
Well, in a thunderstorm a couple years ago, I got 2 blown psu, one dead network-card, and one dead network-port on switch...

 
yup, not as rare as some might think.

I had a friend in mississippi that had a lightning strike on a 100' pine tree that was 10 feet from his house. Jumped over to the house and just fried all electronics in that area. Spent that weekend cutting the tree down, and His dad cut it all up for firewood. As for the house, wasn't too bad but all electroincs had to be replaced. I don't know what that scares me the most, Lightning or great big Hail. <-----whatever it hits, FUBAR!🙂
 
Originally posted by: Drsignguy
or great big Hail. <-----whatever it hits, FUBAR!🙂
Click to expand...

Storm warnings around here usually predict hail by coin (dime, quarter, etc.) size. The other day they said possible GOLF BALL size hail :shocked:

(probably north of you Drsignguy, Go Twins!)
 
Originally posted by: petrusbroder
Oh, BTW: I am training my computers in obedience just so they would not turn on me. I also treat them with respect, treat them well, give them sweets and treats now and then.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by: petrusbroder
The computers that crash are usually those which are slated for upgrades or for destruction (because they are too inefficient).
Click to expand...

Hmmm...sounds like you're not treating all of them with respect, etc. :laugh:

On topic, I lost my three crunchers last week for about three days while I was out of town on business. Storm blinked the power, found out the hard way that my UPS battery was dead. I was watching my ppd online and suddenly they all flatlined one evening. And since I run two of those without mice/keyboards I couldn't even ask my GF to restart them.

Fortunately no damage done. But time to replace the battery in my UPS.
 
Originally posted by: GLeeM
Originally posted by: Drsignguy
or great big Hail. <-----whatever it hits, FUBAR!🙂
Click to expand...

Storm warnings around here usually predict hail by coin (dime, quarter, etc.) size. The other day they said possible GOLF BALL size hail :shocked:

(probably north of you Drsignguy, Go Twins!)
Click to expand...

Arg!!!:roll:


Yup you are North of me.....i am just south of the cities, 30 miles.....Oh BTW remember a couple of years back in Northfield?,----Im west of there. Softball sized hail. My brother has video of it and 1 still in the freezer. Everything just blasted.. Not good.. Sorry off topic there. but fun to chat about🙂
 
You should upload the video to youtube so we can watch it!🙂..........man those are massive hailstones! that is real scarey!:shocked:

imaheadcase
Lightning doesn't have to hit your house to cause damage to electronics, it can hit the local power lines or sub-station etc thats's enough. Though a surge protector should deal with that 🙂.
I've not had a lightning death yet either 😉, though we may only get a dozen or so so storms a year here & usually mild.

Originally posted by: petrusbroder
Oh, BTW: I am training my computers in obedience just so they would not turn on me. I also treat them with respect, treat them well, give them sweets and treats now and then. They are just as 7-yeras old kids: very eager to please most of the time and quite temperamental some times. Nothing a good talk and some positive reinforcement doesn't cure. As long at they just think that they are the masters of the house ... 😉
Click to expand...
lol 😀

bryanW
lol, the lost ship still reporting in then 😎.

GleeM
Holy crap that's big!:Q ,did it turn up?
 
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