Static Electricity - Does it really hurt that bad?
Another computer
myth is if you work inside of your computer you are bound to break something with
static electricity. Static is less of a factor then people realize. Static electricity carries little actual charge and will barely even effect a computer. If you think about it what makes your computer run? Electricity!
Electricity is flowing through your computer all the time. However if static does enter your computer it may cause some minor changes to things like your bios and RAM settings because both of these hold information all of the time from a constant source of electricity. That is why your
computer has a
battery. The only time when
electricity really comes into play is when a person works on a
computer while it is still on
(not a good idea). Even tasks as simple as
upgrading your computer's
RAM are thought of as dangerous, and only to be accomplished by
professionals charging outrageous rates to do
simple work.
If a person is still worried about static electricity there are a few steps one can take to prevent it. First a person can ground all static on the case of the computer by touching any metal on the case. This works because the case is protected from the motherboard and all peripherals. In essence the motherboard and the case are two different pieces connected only by a fews screws in plastic holders. By grounding the static electricity you are removing it from your body and the computer case brings it to the ground. Think of yourself as a battery holding a small charge, when you touch the case your charge runs out and you're a dead battery cell. Hence the static will be discharged and you can work freely. A person can also go out and buy a cheap wrist band that connects to the person, and the computer to ground them. The wrist band works by allowing the static electricity to freely travel from your body into the computer case whenever you recieve a static charge, from wherever. Say you even rub your feet along the floor, it will transfer that static.
STATIC CAN BE DAGEROUS The one major component in your computer that can be screwed up with static is your bios. This can cause major problems. But as far as discharging onto the motherboard itself that usually won't happen. As long as you ground yourself on the case first.