Aaaaarrrrrrggggghhh!!!!!

[denny]

So as my main mood-lifter of the weekend was getting the three screen set-up working on my home PC, obviously the gods sent a power surge to fry my motherboard while I was out yesterday evening. At least, I'm assuming that's what's fried... the machine powers up as far as the 'Press DEL to enter setup' screen, identifies the CPU but doesn't get as far as mentioning the RAM or disks. Holding down the delete key as it boots will get you the 'Entering setup' message instead of the 'Press DEL' message, but other than that it doesn't make any difference. Argh.

Incidentally, the machine was plugged into a surge-protector extension lead - a Belkin SurgeMaster II - which I can't say that I'm currently inclined to recommend. It theoretically has a warranty on it which will pay for any equipment damaged due to failure of the surge protector, but I'm guessing it has sufficient weasel words to let them slide out of it one way or another*.

simont recently had a machine fried while it was attached to a surge protector as well - does anybody else have any reports of brands to avoid? Is there any way anyone can recommend a protector - it's pretty obvious when they fail, but how do you know when they're working?


* having read it, you need the receipt for the extension lead. Which obviously I threw away several years ago. Nice lifetime guarantee there.

Comments

[msdemmie.livejournal.com]

Call Belkin ............

Use the international number - as they answer that quicker ........

Have the warrnaty - make , model PC etc all to hand ........... use it - thats why you paid for Belkin in the first place.

Phone takes a bit of persistance ..........

I used to have a light on mine ........ that signified when it was working

I now have a big black box that not only surge protects but has a battery which it constantly charges which gives me 20 minutes *rescue* time as well. ( Dont ask me what it is called - LOL )

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

It's called a UPS (uninterruptible power supply).

The Belkin warranty says it's not valid unless you've got the original receipt, which I don't have.

[msdemmie.livejournal.com]

Might be worth giving them a ring anyway .......... my friend didnt have his and they replaced his unit and what got fried ..... ( this was two years ago ) and the model number on the unit/model of teh unti indicated its age.

It has to be worth a phone call ?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Aye, I'll give it a go.

It looks like they ask you to send all the damaged equipment to them at your own expense, and then they decide whether or not it was anything to do with them. I can see this all being an expensive pain in the arse, but we'll see.