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The 4 PM laptop rush taught me a lesson about backup power
I work at a repair shop in Austin and every time the grid dips around 4 PM, people bring in laptops that won't boot. They always say it's a hard drive issue, but half the time the charger is plugged into a surge strip that's dead. I started checking the power source first after a guy paid $80 for a new SSD that he didn't need a month ago. Now I tell folks to test a different outlet before blaming hardware, saved a few people some cash. Has anyone else seen this pattern with older power strips failing silently?
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hunt.nora21d ago
That "failed silently" part hits home... I've seen power strips where the little light still glows but the surge protection is totally shot. They look fine, you plug in, nothing happens, but people swear it worked yesterday. I always tell customers to plug straight into the wall first, not just a different outlet on the same strip. Also, check if the strip feels warm, that's a dead giveaway it's struggling. Old strips are like old batteries, they just give up without making a fuss.
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