by Patrick Darski

Created on: November 20, 2009

Static electricity can be a serious problem for computer users, especially those of us that open up our systems on a regular basis in order to upgrade, clean, or fix our computers. It is also a large threat to those who are in the process of building their own computers from scratch. However, while static electricity can cripple a perfectly good system, it is important to know how it does so, the precautions you should take, and the precautions already taken by manufacturers.

Computers are all based on electrical magnetism. Hard drives are nothing but a disc with sectors charged either positively or negatively. They are all combined, of course, with many different integrated circuits, as are most of the componenets in your computer. Static electricity could potentially flip these charges, causing major problems both on the technical and "user" levels. A good static shock could also potentially disrupt or re-rout a circuit, possibly causing major damage.

This of course, is all very concerning. After all, you've probably spent at least a good $500 dollars on the computer. It'd be terrible to attempt to improve it, and in the process, destroy it. By being aware of the risk of static induced damage, you've already lowered your chances for doing so. However, it is very important that you "ground" yourself before working on computers. Static buildup can occur within your body, and could theoretically damage your system if this electrical energy is transfered to your components. Carpet is a major contributor to static buildup, especially if you are wearing socks. Try to do your work in an area that doesn't incude carpeting. Wearing non-synthetic material is also a good idea. However, in almost all cases, simply touching a metal object before working on your computer should be enough. Wearing anti-static wristbands is also a good idea. Following these procedures should prevent you from accidentally frying your computer.

Despite all the hype however, the chances of actually damaging your hardware (especially if it is modern) is very, very low. Most computer devices contain electrical shielding components, compromised of other magnets. I won't get into the specific physics of this, but it is sufficient to know that this shield is usually more than enough. In fact, I have tried to damage a Hard Drive by creating a powerful electromagnet and rubbing it along the Hard Drive, for a project in physics. No matter how strong I made the magnet, there was no effect on the Hard Drive. It is very unlikely that static buildup would be more powerful than said magnet. It is important to know though, that a computer has many other componenets that won't be nearly as protected, such as RAM. Despite many manufacturers implementing anti-static devices into their products, it is still a great idea to make sure you take precaution against possibly frying your devices.

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