[Techtalk] OT but I'm desperate.... Windows....!

[Maria Blackmore]

On Thu, 17 Oct 2002, Alvin Goats wrote:

> > It is true that a monitor is usually the most power hungry component of a
> > computer, however it is drawing its power from the mains, so doesn't
> > affect the computer

> To some extent that is true. However, as I recall from an earlier
> message, all of your hardware is running off of one outlet. The power is
> shared between outlets, so a power consuming object on one plug is
> sapping some power from the other plug.

Uhm

no.  sorry.  I think not.

> This can still lead to a brown out type condition (before tripping
> circuit breakers/blowing fueses).

If the voltage drop caused by additional load on the same circuit is
sufficient to cause problems, then I would suggest that the house wiring
needs to be looked at in some depth.

Mains voltage is very well regulated, and has a lot of oompf behind it to
back it up.  The voltage drop across properly installed cables when
addition load is applied should be pretty much negligible, and the voltage
droop caused by the additional load should be easily corrected by
regulating transformers after a short delay.

The time period that the mains voltage droops for doesn't matter anyway,
since if the power supply is correctly regulating its output rails then it
should have no effect, in fact a well designed power supply should be able
to cope with no power coming into it at all for at least half a cycle of
50 Hz or 60 Hz, usually much more (the hold over time).  Power supplies
should be able to cope over a range of voltages at least as far apart as
100 and 120 V or 220 and 240V.  I believe (though I'm probably wrong) that
the acceptable range of voltages to find on a mains outlet in the USA is
90-130V, and in the UK/europe 210-250.  There is a percentage range
defined, though I can't remember it off hand.


As to the original problem, if it crashes every time you go to print, I
would be rather suspicious.  Though the error pasted in another email
would seem to suggest that windows is experiencing its equivalent of a
kernel panic.

Sorry this gets you no further...

Maria