Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Power Gone - All that hard work GONE!

PCSOL Tip of the Week

Power Gone - All that hard work GONE!

WHY THE NEED FOR UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES

Visualise for a moment what happens when power supply to your computer system fails. Even for just a fraction of a second...

Gone!!!

That file you had open....... Were working on......... Had not saved recently.....

Your school assignment........ Your MYOB entries for the day...... Your quotes...... Your thesis.....

Your novel........ Your club records.... Your point of sale transactions.... Your Eftpos transactions....

Gone!!!

Any interruption of the electricity supply will stop the operation of your computer system.

This can lead to loss of data, potential hardware damage and .... inconvenience.

Major understatement!!! Let no man judge the value of another’s work.

That school assignment is no less important than the banking records of an international organisation. Well, not to the student writing it anyway! Despite their very best efforts, our electricity providers cannot prevent power outages and interruptions. These events occur on a daily basis, sometimes without you even knowing.

How can you protect against unexpected power interruptions?

You can plan for and prevent power interruptions by installing a UPS. A UPS is an Uninterruptible Power Supply. UPS’s protect against loss of the electricity supply by providing battery back-up for a period of time. The UPS can be utilised to provide short-term power during an outage, or until a standby generator is started for longer term power back up as is more likely the case in larger industrial critical power applications.

The UPS will also protect against a number of other power quality problems common in your electricity supply such as surges, sags, brownouts, spikes, RF noise etc.

But what if I am not at my computer when the power interruption occurs?

What? You dared to leave your work station without shutting down your computer.....

Actually this is not a problem! Chase Power’s UPS’s come with very clever software that ensures your piece of mind. When a power interruption occurs, your work is saved and your computer is shut down in an orderly manner. No heartbreak!

What level of protection does a UPS offer?

The level of protection is where the various UPS technologies differ. There are three UPS technologies available and selection of the most appropriate technology for your application is of vital importance.

Off-line (Standby) UPS’s

When mains supply fails, the offline UPS will switch the load across to a battery fed inverter supply (normally with a delay of 4 to 10 milliseconds). When operating from battery power many offline UPS models produce a square wave voltage (also called pseudo sine) which is acceptable for most computer switchmode supplies, but may not be suitable for some loads. These UPS’s are designed to protect a single PC or workstation and only offer back up in the event of a total power interruption. They do not incorporate any significant power conditioning.

Line Interactive UPS’s

These UPS’s are similar in topology to off-line except a voltage regulating circuit is incorporated which boosts the mains power supply when it fails. These UPS’s regulate power without the use of a battery during brownouts or surges in the supply voltage and have a sinewave output, enhanced software and connectivity options. They provide a high level of protection at a very affordable price.

Double Conversion (On Line) UPS’s

For critical power applications Chase Power recommend true On-Line Double Conversion technology UPS’s. These UPS’s provide the highest level of protection, usually only required by businesses operating from a server or in industrial applications. For more technical information about the role of the On-Line Double Conversion UPS, contact us.

How can I be sure what technology the UPS I am considering purchasing is?

PCSOL recommends care be taken to check this information to ensure you get what you are shopping for. Don’t just read the box it comes in - ask for a technical data sheet. Your supplier can and should be able to provide this.

Check out our new range of CHASE UPS

Thank you for your interest,
Steven Veltmeyer
Managing Director
PCSOL PTY LTD


don't forget to check out www.pcsol.com.au

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

MSCONFIG - PCSOL Tip of the Week

MSCONFIG

Ever wondered how to stop all those little icons starting up near the clock?

All versions have a simple tool that you can choose your programs

Built into Windows is a special tool called the "Microsoft System Configuration Utility" or simply "MSCONFIG."

Designed to help you troubleshoot problems with your computer, MSCONFIG can also be used to ensure that your computer boots faster and crashes less.

Most people know that the more programs you have running on your computer at once, the more likely it is that your computer will either run slowly or even crash.

What most people don't know is that every time you boot your computer a whole mess of "hidden" programs load in the background.

Some of these hidden programs are essential, but most aren't.

Turning off some of these hidden programs can significantly increase your computer's performance and reliability.

How?....

First you need to know your operating system. This could be Windows 7, Vista, XP or Windows 98

Once you know your operating system - CLICK HERE - this link will take you to NETSQUIRREL which has "How To" for all the versions of Operating Systems.

Choose your Version and follow the instructions... Make sure you keep the Start Up File for your Virus Scan!



Thank you for your interest,
Steven Veltmeyer
Managing Director
PCSOL PTY LTD
Disclaimer: PCSOL is providing this information as advice only.

Don't forget to check out www.pcsol.com.au