No use cause a power supply to fail?

[ms]

Question arises due to keeping a spare computer, not normally used.

I sometimes acquire a used computer at a garage sale. Sometimes a person
says "it works, but I haven't used it in a year". They are free. Recently
from my dentist's office, where they know they will see me again.

I get them home, apply power, some have a dead power supply, where past
history is not used for a long time.

I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to be run or
eventually batteries go dead. Etc.

Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?

If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?

ms

 

[Jeff Richards]

A power supply will not die as a result of not being used, however
components deteriorate over time. The most stressful time for any power
supply is immediately it is turned on, so anything that has deteriorated
over time is likely to fail at the moment of turn-on. Turning it on
regularly will certainly give you a more immediate indication of the
failure, and will avoid a surprise twelve months later But whether or not
it will hasten or postpone that event cannot be answered in the general.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"ms" <ms@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:5rav0hF13htp1U1@mid.individual.net...
> Question arises due to keeping a spare computer, not normally used.
>
> I sometimes acquire a used computer at a garage sale. Sometimes a person
> says "it works, but I haven't used it in a year". They are free. Recently
> from my dentist's office, where they know they will see me again.
>
> I get them home, apply power, some have a dead power supply, where past
> history is not used for a long time.
>
> I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to be run
> or
> eventually batteries go dead. Etc.
>
> Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?
>
> If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?
>
> ms

 

[philo]

"ms" <ms@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:5rav0hF13htp1U1@mid.individual.net...
> Question arises due to keeping a spare computer, not normally used.
>
> I sometimes acquire a used computer at a garage sale. Sometimes a person
> says "it works, but I haven't used it in a year". They are free. Recently
> from my dentist's office, where they know they will see me again.
>
> I get them home, apply power, some have a dead power supply, where past
> history is not used for a long time.
>
> I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to be run
or
> eventually batteries go dead. Etc.
>
> Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?
>
> If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?
>
> ms


I go through well over 100 used computers every year...
many of which have been sitting a long time.

Other than dead cmos batteries the most often failed portion is the
harddrive.
It's often got a lot of bad sectors or is unformatable...
get very few bad power supplies though

 

[ms]

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in
news:eLLKtk4MIHA.5360@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

> A power supply will not die as a result of not being used, however
> components deteriorate over time. The most stressful time for any
> power supply is immediately it is turned on, so anything that has
> deteriorated over time is likely to fail at the moment of turn-on.
> Turning it on regularly will certainly give you a more immediate
> indication of the failure, and will avoid a surprise twelve months
> later But whether or not it will hasten or postpone that event cannot
> be answered in the general.

Thanks, Jeff.

I live in Oregon, lots of moisture in the air, and know that if people
store a computer in the garage, that will be a problem the next time it's
turned on. Any thing else that is transformer- operated, has the same
situation.

ms

 

[cb236@XXXXwebtv.net]

ms <ms@invalid.com> wrote:
> "Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in
> news:eLLKtk4MIHA.5360@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:
>
> > A power supply will not die as a result of not being used, however
> > components deteriorate over time. The most stressful time for any
> > power supply is immediately it is turned on, so anything that has
> > deteriorated over time is likely to fail at the moment of turn-on.
> > Turning it on regularly will certainly give you a more immediate
> > indication of the failure, and will avoid a surprise twelve months
> > later But whether or not it will hasten or postpone that event cannot
> > be answered in the general.
>
> Thanks, Jeff.
>
> I live in Oregon, lots of moisture in the air, and know that if people
> store a computer in the garage, that will be a problem the next time it's
> turned on. Any thing else that is transformer- operated, has the same
> situation.
>


When an old pc is turned on and nothing happens. Totally dead. Is the
power supply the first suspect? Again one not used for ages. Turned on
an old 386/33 at a thrift store and that's what happened. The inside of
case looked extremely clean. Must have been well maintained. If one
wanted to test what would be the procedure? I hoping the group will
humor me as I'm sure this is at least somewhat off-topic.

Thanks.....

> ms

--
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[Jeff Richards]

The stored power supply is in a state of superposition, like the cat. You
can't know whether or not it is working until you turn it on. The turning
on causes the failure (collapses the superposition), not the storage. The
storage may affect the likely collapsed state (as I suggested), but that's
all.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"ms" <ms@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:5rbat0F12melcU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in
> news:eLLKtk4MIHA.5360@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:
>
> snip <
>
> I live in Oregon, lots of moisture in the air, and know that if people
> store a computer in the garage, that will be a problem the next time it's
> turned on. Any thing else that is transformer- operated, has the same
> situation.
>
> ms

 

[philo]

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
news:%23WdVN09MIHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> The stored power supply is in a state of superposition, like the cat.



<snip>

this one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrodingers_cat

 

[ms]

"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in
news:#2RcZE5MIHA.5360@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl:

>
> "ms" <ms@invalid.com> wrote in message
> news:5rav0hF13htp1U1@mid.individual.net...
>> Question arises due to keeping a spare computer, not normally used.
>>
>> I sometimes acquire a used computer at a garage sale. Sometimes a
>> person says "it works, but I haven't used it in a year". They are
>> free. Recently from my dentist's office, where they know they will
>> see me again.
>>
>> I get them home, apply power, some have a dead power supply, where
>> past history is not used for a long time.
>>
>> I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to be
>> run
> or
>> eventually batteries go dead. Etc.
>>
>> Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?
>>
>> If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?
>>
>> ms
>
>
> I go through well over 100 used computers every year...
> many of which have been sitting a long time.
>
> Other than dead cmos batteries the most often failed portion is the
> harddrive.
> It's often got a lot of bad sectors or is unformatable...
> get very few bad power supplies though
>
>
Maybe it's the rain here, but the few dead ones I see (compared to you)
all had bad power supplies.

ms

 

[philo]

> >>
> >> I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to be
> >> run
> > or
> >> eventually batteries go dead. Etc.
> >>
> >> Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?
> >>
> >> If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?
> >>
> >> ms
> >
> >
> > I go through well over 100 used computers every year...
> > many of which have been sitting a long time.
> >
> > Other than dead cmos batteries the most often failed portion is the
> > harddrive.
> > It's often got a lot of bad sectors or is unformatable...
> > get very few bad power supplies though
> >
> >
> Maybe it's the rain here, but the few dead ones I see (compared to you)
> all had bad power supplies.
>
> ms

Of course I do get some with bad power supplies ...
(just had one last week)
and one more thing I thought of...
if it's an Emachines...then I see plenty of dead mobo's!!!

 

[ms]

"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in news:#q767$ONIHA.5400
@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:

>
>
>> >>
>> >> I know tube radios need to be used or they are dead. Cars need to
be
>> >> run
>> > or
>> >> eventually batteries go dead. Etc.
>> >>
>> >> Can the typical computer power supply die from not being used?
>> >>
>> >> If so, assume booting up monthly should be enough?
>> >>
>> >> ms
>> >
>> >
>> > I go through well over 100 used computers every year...
>> > many of which have been sitting a long time.
>> >
>> > Other than dead cmos batteries the most often failed portion is the
>> > harddrive.
>> > It's often got a lot of bad sectors or is unformatable...
>> > get very few bad power supplies though
>> >
>> >
>> Maybe it's the rain here, but the few dead ones I see (compared to
you)
>> all had bad power supplies.
>>
>> ms
>
> Of course I do get some with bad power supplies ...
> (just had one last week)
> and one more thing I thought of...
> if it's an Emachines...then I see plenty of dead mobo's!!!
>
>
I notice (limited sample size) Compac 5-7 years old, bad PS more than
other brands.

Comment?

ms

 

[philo]

> >> >
> >> >
> >> Maybe it's the rain here, but the few dead ones I see (compared to
> you)
> >> all had bad power supplies.
> >>
> >> ms
> >
> > Of course I do get some with bad power supplies ...
> > (just had one last week)
> > and one more thing I thought of...
> > if it's an Emachines...then I see plenty of dead mobo's!!!
> >
> >
> I notice (limited sample size) Compac 5-7 years old, bad PS more than
> other brands.
>
> Comment?
>
> ms
>

I haven't seen any bad Compaq supplies...
mostly the cheapie (off brand)
However the last two bad ones were the supposedly good quality Antec
(one was replaced under warranty)

 

[Jeff Richards]

That would be letting it out of the box.

I don't think it really matters what answer is provided. They are all
ignored.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:%23Y5td8CNIHA.4712@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> "Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
> news:%23WdVN09MIHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> The stored power supply is in a state of superposition, like the cat.
>
>
>
> <snip>
>
> this one
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrodingers_cat
>
>