Monsoon Checklist

In many places summer is confined to heat, humidity, and sunshine. For most of the summer this is true for us also, but we have the extra element simply known as the monsoon. With the monsoon season practically knocking on our doors, this seemed like the opportune time to review some monsoon tips for your computer.
The first place to start is with a full backup. You may find it as a hassle or time consuming, but you will appreciate it if things turn south. Once you perform the backup, remember to store it in a safe and easy to find location. Speaking of location, ensure that your computer is both off of the floor and not near a window. This is done to prevent or limit damage due to rain. The optimal location would be one that is both cool and dry. This will decrease the chances of your computer overheating from the heat.
The next thing is to make certain that your computer and other accessories are plugged into a surge protector or a UPS. Plugging your computer and all of it’s accessories such as printers into one surge protector will protect them and also provide an easy method to control the power to them. A UPS or uninterruptible power supply will provide you with enough time to properly power down your system in case of a sudden power failure. They can be slightly expensive, but are well worth their price if you have frequent power loss during storms. Surge protectors are an adequate substitute if you feel a UPS may be more than what you need. The thing to keep in mind with surge protectors is that they can only take about one good hit then they are no more than an extension cord. That is assuming of course that they will continue to function. It is more difficult to determine if older surge protectors are still good, but newer ones normally have a red light located on them to let you know that they are still working properly. Most surge protectors worth their salt include a damage guarantee and start out at about $10.
One often overlooked item on the checklist is unplugging phone lines. Not the cables that connect to your phone, but the ones that connect to your computer’s modem or to DSL filter if you have DSL. Power surges through the phone line can damage your computer’s modem in the same manner that a surge through an outlet can damage the rest of your system. This leads me to the last option.
If you happen to find yourself without a surge protector or UPS, but in the middle of a monsoon storm or a thunderstorm, then simply unplug your system. Ideally, you would want to at least shutdown your computer properly. Once the storm has passed, I would recommend plugging everything in and making certain that your computer is functioning as before and that you have not lost any information.