Got zapped by a static shock, then my board died in the worst spot

Was swapping RAM in a customer's office near their big carpeted conference room in Austin, touched the case and got a visible spark, then the machine wouldn't post. Pulled the board, found a dead capacitor near the socket, had to order a replacement and eat the $35 part myself. Anyone else carry a grounding strap after one bad static hit or do you just gamble on the luck?

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1 Comment

linda50013d ago

Gamble on the luck, but that's because I've only gotten zapped maybe three times in twenty years and never lost a part. The real issue here isn't the static, it's that you were working in a carpeted office without a mat or strap in the first place. That's like walking into a job site without a helmet and blaming the brick when it hits you. The $35 part is cheap tuition for a lesson most techs learn the hard way once. Keep a cheap strap in your bag, but honestly, the bigger fix is not working near shag carpet without touching the case first.