[GLLUG] Dying Hard Drives

[Benjamin Minshall]

It's not for certain, but power quality can really do a number on PCs. 
Overheating would still be my number one suspect.  The fridge is a 
biggie however; the motor in the compressor of the fridge draws a huge 
current during start-up which may happen several times an hour.  The 
high current draw causes the voltage to drop significantly for about 3-5 
seconds.  This is long enough to effect your PC power supply.  A surge 
protector cannot remedy voltage drop.

The only surefire way to get better power is to put the computer on a 
UPS with built-in voltage regulator (most UPSs have this).  The only 
downside is the $100 or more for a UPS.  The next best thing to do would 
be to put the PC on a different circuit.  Simply switching plugs won't 
make a difference if they are on the same circuit.

This isn't necessarily critical; I just think it's a good idea for all 
PCs and expensive electronics.  You have some problems that _could_ be 
voltage related, so investigating that angle might help.

Good luck,
-Ben