[AccessD] Strange happenings (Rather OT, but Advice is appreciated)

Electrical motors put enormous spikes (back emf) on the power lines.  It can even be from the 
factory next door or down the road.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-electromotive_force

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting

Reality is what refuses to go away
when you do not believe in it

On 4/29/2012 8:41 PM, Jim Lawrence wrote:
> Power issues have been blamed on many things and myself and a few hardware
> suppliers agree that, in some cases, there is no other logical reason.
>
> The hardware in a computer is very delicate and can be easily affected but
> surges but the worse is brown-outs. Brown-outs are not something that a
> surge protector can block, for this you have to have a UPS.
>
> Had a client who was continually complaining of corrupted files but when we
> had attached a UPS to the computer's power supply the problem was solved and
> shortly there after the cause was discovered. Every time some one started
> the copier the UPS would beep so they moved the copier to another circuit.
>
> I have another client who has a group of computers in a warehouse. Every
> couple of years we had to replace the units and they always failed and it
> was some weird problem on the mother board. We finally put a UPS on every
> new computer and some of the units are now four years old. It turned out
> that a large refrigerating unit was drawing huge amounts of power and
> hammering the computers.
>
> Now of course this may not be the problem but it is the first place I would
> look...especially if the cause is not consistent or apparent.
>
> Jim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Darryl Collins
> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 4:21 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Strange happenings (Rather OT, but Advice is
> appreciated)
>
> Thanks Guys,
>
> Agreed, it doesn't seem to be either disk failure or virus attack based on
> the tests I have done.  And so far the brute is running beautifully again
> and is just purring along nicely as before.  But like having an unfaithful
> girlfriend I am trying to be believe all will be good again, but deep done I
> am still distrustful.
>
> Now... Jim, I am very curious about your local electrical issues angle.
> This is a contender for sure - the area I live in is oddly '2nd world power
> supply' quality from time to time - especially during stormy weather - I
> have a basic surge protector, but perhaps something with more grunt and UPS
> maybe in order here.
>
> Either way I am curious about this - I have heard about folks having this
> sort of thing (and there is plenty on Google about "The computer eat my
> files"), but never experienced - or in this case, witnessed it.  I actually
> saw the files starting to be flagged as missing from iTunes as it was
> playing tracks.  Freaky!!
>
> Cheers
> Darryl.
>