What computer components or electronics have you lost due to electrical storms?

[Lemon law]

In one month in 2001, I lost three modem surge suppressors and one modem when my computers were turned off.

Thereafter I learned my lesson, I disconnect from phone lines and power sources when I turn my computers off. It only takes a second or two, have not had any trouble since.

I may be a devout atheist, but when I live a State with frequent thunderstorms, ole Thor is one God I don't ignore. Its my job to fix his wagon.

I also live in a rural area, Thor has murdered three security lights in the past 10 years, the last just two months ago, but what me worry, my REMC fixes them for free.

 

[Perknose]

Just lost my 55" rear projection Hitachi (beautiful pic) and all the FIOS gear a couple of weeks ago.

Years ago I lost my answering machine and stereo receiver (see? YEARS ago -- I didn't even own a TV then.). That one was wild. When the lightning hit, I was standing in the living room and saw, from 6 or so feet away, two eye-level, blue tinged, yellow/white beams meet each other in the center of the room and produce an egg-shaped oval of electic goodness the size of your two hands, fingers interlaced, plus!

Had a 'puter then, too, an 8088 (this was 1985.) It escaped harm.

Yowzah!

 

[Leros]

I built a brand new computer and had it hooked up to a fancy surge protector. About a week later we had a brown out (low voltage, which the surge protector does not protect against).

I lost my motherboard, RAM, video card, and harddrive.

Edit: I should mention the other casualty of this brown out. The electronics in my oven had to be replaced as well.

 

[AFurryReptile]

I had my UPS die, which in turn killed my PSU, which in turn killed my video card and one memory chip.

I was sad.

 

[Leros]

I had my UPS die, which in turn killed my PSU, which in turn killed my video card and one memory chip.

I was sad.

That's ironic.

 

[trmiv]

Cable modem and wireless router when lighting hit in the backyard and came through the cable. Zapped the modem then hit the router. Luckily it didn't continue on to anything else connected to router.

 

[Spikesoldier]

I built a brand new computer and had it hooked up to a fancy surge protector. About a week later we had a brown out (low voltage, which the surge protector does not protect against).

I lost my motherboard, RAM, video card, and harddrive.

wow that blows.

at least you didnt have much time to fill up the drive with r4re pr0ns.

 

[TridenT]

Never lost anything due to storm.

This.

I remember lightning striking just a short couple blocks away. My monitor at the time went, "BZZZZHOLYSHITTTTWHOOSH, ok back to normal..." At that point I shut down the computer. But, I've never lost anything due to an electrical storm.

 

[Jeff7]

The only things I or my family have ever lost during a storm was a TV and VCR back when I was perhaps 10. Lightning directly struck the pole that fed into the house. Oddly enough, I don't remember anything else dying, including the electronic-controls microwave, which my parents still use. Maybe the surge came in through the TV cable.

For a few years after that, we'd still find pieces of the transformer while mowing the lawn in that area.
It dun blow'd up.

 

[Ichinisan]

Lost my X-Band video game modem for SNES back in the day

 

[Ichinisan]

<- NOC tech at an ISP. The day after a storm, almost every trouble ticket we have is for toasted modems. Banking on some record numbers tomorrow after the storm we just had.

This. Our call center dreads thunderstorms.

 

[MotionMan]

Never lost anything due to storm.

This.

MotionMan

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Nothing due to storms IIRC, but random blackouts thanks to the incompetent SDGE killed a hard drive.

 

[KaOTiK]

A couple of UPS' and surge protectors. They all did their job and protected whatever was plugged into them. I have everything in my house plugged into surge protectors (APC ftw!), it is damn near mandatory down here in FL.

 

[Krynj]

Lost my X-Band video game modem for SNES back in the day

I wanted one of those so badly when I was a kid. I would have killed for it. Begged my parents for one every Christmas, but there we no local access numbers. Sucked.

 

[cherrytwist]

A couple of UPS' and surge protectors. They all did their job and protected whatever was plugged into them. I have everything in my house plugged into surge protectors (APC ftw!), it is damn near mandatory down here in FL.

Mandatory here in STL as well. I use APCs exclusively for UPS, surge protectors mehh. I've never lost any equipment that I can recall. APCs last forever, in my experience. Replace the batteries when needed and don't overload them and you'll be fine.

I remember they had a promo card in the back of a pc magazine about 13 or so years ago good for a free surge protector. (Not a "contest" like a lot of companies have now") Sure enough, about 6 months later I received the surge protector and still use it to this day.

 

[shortylickens]

None.

I think with modern home wiring that problem has been GREATLY exaggerated.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Lost my X-Band video game modem for SNES back in the day

that thing was the shit. sorry for your loss

 

[Tsavo]

I lost my X-Wing when I tried to do the Kessell run in under 12 parsecs.

Sucks because I just installed new hyperdrive motivators just days before.



Back on thread, I lost a CL AudioPCI in a brown out.

Well, no real loss.

 

[Rastus]

It didn't happen to me, but I saw the aftermath of a lightning strike on a house. It killed everything that was plugged in and blew out all the light bulbs that were on. Most of the light switches and receptacles had to be replaced. It was an older house without the third wire and there probably was something wrong with the wiring somewhere.

 

[Murloc]

never lost anything even in big cracking storms. I don't turn off the computer.

I wouldn't open the windows and stay there though, lightning may enter the window and cook you because the humid air from outside comes inside.

 

[stargazr]

HP 4L Laserjet. The power kept going off and on, fried the board.

That printer was one of the best products I've ever owned. It was 16 years old and very cheap to use.

 

[jlee]

Never lost anything due to storm.

+1

 

[PottedMeat]

I lost a Realtek NIC a long time ago. After the storm it stopped connecting to the router. I think the input transformer got fried. It was the only thing in the house that was destroyed.

 

[MrChad]

A few months ago we had lightning strike fairly close to our house during a storm. The surge was powerful enough to trip the breaker in our living room. It damaged my AV Receiver, one of the HDMI ports on my plasma TV and the AC adapter to my Linksys router (all plugged into a decent home theater surge protector). The storm also knocked out the FIOS wireless router / modem in the basement.

Denon repaired the AV receiver under warranty (even after full disclosure of how the damage occurred), and I simply use the other HDMI port on my TV now. I had to replace the AC adapter to the Linksys, and Verizon provided a new wireless router / modem.