Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged during a typical
electrical storm or whatever other common electricity surge? (I'm not
talking about a lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole
computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and a USB flash
drive could be destroyed at the same time, given the flash drive is
always attached to the USB port, and whether that has in fact ever
happened.

Thank you.

John Doe wrote:

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

and whether that has in fact ever happened.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.



Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than likely the
usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source as the PC and
therefore also be effected by the by the power surge. Would it not?

- Mike

"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
. ..
It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.



Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than likely
the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source as the PC and
therefore also be effected by the by the power surge. Would it not?

- Mike


Wall warts have pretty good safety measures.

I had a lightning strike near the house and it blew out several things in
four houses total, mine got the worse of it.

However, my computer was on a UPS and the network connection went to a
router then to the modem.

The UPS, cable modem, and router were fried (along with other things in the
house) but the computer itself was unaffected.

So, I doubt a normal electrical storm, etc. would blow out a drive or USB
drive.

-g

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than likely
the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source as the PC and
therefore also be effected by the by the power surge. Would it not?

- Mike


Wall warts have pretty good safety measures.


And computer SMPS dont?

"JAD" wrote in
:


"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
...
It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.



Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than
likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source as
the PC and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.
Would it not?

- Mike


Wall warts have pretty good safety measures.



not!

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Michael Kennedy wrote:
Rod Speed wrote
John Doe wrote

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion?

For the reason I mentioned in the quoting you snipped and I have restored.

More than likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source as the PC

Yes.

and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.

Nope, not when its a simple wall wart plug pack for the powered hub.

Would it not?

Fraid not.

Michael Kennedy wrote:

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than
likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source
as the PC and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.
Would it not?


Wall warts have pretty good safety measures.

And computer SMPS dont?

Nope, quite a few of the cheap ones die very spectacularly
indeed, over voltaging what is powered from them.

Transformer based wall warts are much less likely to be
damaged by the sort of lightning damage he was asking about.

me wrote:
"JAD" wrote in
:


"Michael Kennedy" wrote in message
. ..
It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.



Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion? More than
likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical source
as the PC and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.
Would it not?

- Mike


Wall warts have pretty good safety measures.



not!

Corse the transformer base wall warts do with the sort of lightining
damage that was asked about, just due to the transformer alone.

geoff wrote:
I had a lightning strike near the house and it blew out several
things in four houses total, mine got the worse of it.

However, my computer was on a UPS and the network connection went to a
router then to the modem.

The UPS, cable modem, and router were fried (along with other things
in the house) but the computer itself was unaffected.

So, I doubt a normal electrical storm, etc. would blow out a drive or
USB drive.

Pity about those used without a UPS.

hmm.. I would have thought otherwise. I guess you learn something new every
day.

- Mike

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...
Michael Kennedy wrote:
Rod Speed wrote
John Doe wrote

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion?

For the reason I mentioned in the quoting you snipped and I have restored.

More than likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical
source as the PC

Yes.

and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.

Nope, not when its a simple wall wart plug pack for the powered hub.

Would it not?

Fraid not.

"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...
Michael Kennedy wrote:
Rod Speed wrote
John Doe wrote

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion?

For the reason I mentioned in the quoting you snipped and I have
restored.

More than likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same electrical
source as the PC

Yes.

and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.

Nope, not when its a simple wall wart plug pack for the powered hub.

Would it not?

Fraid not.




That makes sense when I think about it... You're saying the SMPS will
essentially blow up and allow unregulated current through where as the
transformer will continue to reduce voltage although not all the way to 5v
it will still probably be in the safe range for the flash drive.

Michael Kennedy wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Michael Kennedy wrote
Rod Speed wrote
John Doe wrote

Anybody know of a USB flash drive being damaged
during a typical electrical storm or whatever other
common electricity surge? (I'm not talking about a
lightning strike close enough to destroy the whole computer.)

I'm wondering about the possibility that a hard drive and
a USB flash drive could be destroyed at the same time,
given the flash drive is always attached to the USB port,

It can happen if the lightning strike kills the power
supply and massively over voltages the 5V rail.

It would be safer to put the flash drive on a powered USB hub.

Just wondering Rod, how'd you come to that conclusion?

For the reason I mentioned in the quoting you snipped and I have restored.

More than likely the usb hub will be plugged into the same
electrical source as the PC

Yes.

and therefore also be effected by the by the power surge.

Nope, not when its a simple wall wart plug pack for the powered hub.

Would it not?

Fraid not.

That makes sense when I think about it...

Yeah, its more subtle than it looks initially.

You're saying the SMPS will essentially blow up and allow unregulated current through

No, I am saying that that CAN happen. ATX power supplys are supposed
to be designed to not let that happen, but it does happen, particularly with
the cheapest power supplys that are pared bad component wise.

where as the transformer will continue to reduce voltage although not all the way to 5v it will
still probably be in the safe range for the flash drive.

No, its more complicated than that too. A transformer based wall wart
wont usually get damaged by that sort of lightning strike he asked about,
essentially because the spike has to get thru the transformer to damage
the voltage regulator. That isnt likely because of the massive impedance
of the transformer to the spike. And even if the voltage regulator does get
zapped, the most that you can get on the output is the unregulated voltage
which wouldnt normaly be more than about 10V at most with a 5V plug pack.
Whereas with the ATX SMPS that has been killed by the lightning strike,
the unregulated over voltage would likely be a lot higher than that and
with much more current available too.

Rod Speed wrote:

where as the transformer will continue to reduce voltage although not all
the way to 5v it will still probably be in the safe range for the flash
drive.

No, its more complicated than that too. A transformer based wall wart

Well, but most wall warts are SMPS based too these days. On the other hand,
even SMPS use transformers. So I doubt there´s a difference.

Sebastian