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I T Computer problem

M

menotti1

Guest
have client using basic computer system with USB external harddrive,both on UPS.had a power glitch the other day, the computer rebooted back to simian, but would not recognize the USB drive, until the drive was turned off and then turned on, then it recognized it.Not good, especially if the studio is not being manned. any input is always appreciated.thanks
 
Time to check the UPS...batteries may need replacing (they are only good for 3 years usually).....
otherwise, maybe an autoexec dos file would boot the PC, mount the USB drive then boot the OS....
I have had similar problems with USB drives and they can be a pain to get back up sometimes.
 
I concur with checking / replacing the UPS batteries. The fact the computer rebooted, likely means it lost power. UPS units are designed to supply constant power, during spikes and short brownouts. Sounds like the batteries in your unit are bad.

R
 
USB

Older systems often had problems recognizing USB devices that were plugged in when the system rebooted. I suggest that you look for a BIOS upgrade for your system. It MAY solve the problem.

BE VERY CAREFUL. You MUST get the EXACT BIOS for your motherboard, direct from the manufacturer, and be sure that you know the EXACT Model Number and Version of your motherboard. Go to the motherboard manufacturer's website and look for "Support" or "Downloads".

If you don't have the documentation for the motherboard, open the case and look for make & model number etched directly into the motherboard. Also look for a version number for the motherboard. Put whatever numbers you find into Google and hope that it leads you to the manufacturer.

If you locate the correct download, follow the installation instructions VERY carefully. A mistake or power disruption during a BIOS update can render the motherboard useless - which might not be a bad thing if it's more than 3 years old. It may just be time for an upgrade.
 
Remember, some offline UPS's, even though they pick up very quickly, may sag enough during the transition to glitch a PC power suply enough to cause a reboot. Ferrups are good at this, especially if the batteries are a little low.l Find an on-line UPS, feed it fresh batteries, and your problem should go away.
Given the very low cost of internal disk drives, why not just put a large one in the computer in question, and then simply copy the external one to it each day or shift as appropriate? Then, if the machine reboots, the files are on the C: drive which it will recognize.
 
More Power

Littlejohn makes an excellent point. Make sure that you have a UPS with line conditioning. Many low-end devices are battery back-ups - they only act if line voltage drops below about 93 volts. Since most P4 computers will dump or lock up at about 112V, a brownout may take your system down.

UPS units with power conditioning monitor line voltage and keep the voltage within acceptable parameters. In most cases, you're actually running off battery all the time, and the battery is constantly recharged, or the unit monitors line voltage, and draws additional current if voltage drops, then supplements with battery power if there's not enough current available.

Power conditioning is essential with the power companies using rolling brownouts to reduce load during hot weather.
 
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