Question How to get over fear of PSU exploding?

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JamesC01

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Mar 7, 2022
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My PSU failed (I think, PC is not turning on), but it didn't explode or anything, just some strange sparky sounds coming from near the plug and it not turning on. I'm looking for a new PSU, but it seems like no matter how expensive of one you buy, it has the chance of exploding and taking your SSD, HDD and other components with it. All of my files are on my ssd, and I haven't backed it up in months. I'm scared that I'll buy a new PSU, and during the process of backing up my files, it'll explode and take everything with it. How do I get over this fear? I'm planning on buying a Corsair RM750e, but I've seen videos of corsair RM's exploding and taking someone's harddrives and ssd.

I'm not afraid of losing money on the PSU, since corsair has a good warranty, I'm just afraid of losing data. I have an m.2 ssd, and 2 hdds.
 
"I haven't backed it up in months".....

Why not?

Getting over fear is not a PC/computing issue.

Any and all power supplies can fail at any minute and may or may not damage other components. Regardless of brand, model, age, price, etc.
 
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I only see 2 ways to proceed.

1) Install new psu and backup data
2) Remove drives, connect to another pc and backup drives.

Probably equal chance of having issues with either option. Either only way forward has risk either way because you don’t have your important data backed up. The real problem is you have data you don’t want to loose but have not been backing it up frequently.
 
Lafong said:
"I haven't backed it up in months".....

Why not?

Getting over fear is not a PC/computing issue.

Any and all power supplies can fail at any minute and may or may not damage other components. Regardless of brand, model, age, price, etc.
Click to expand...
Just didn't get around to it. My files are scattered in different places on my harddrive, and backing up is quite slow, usually takes most of my day due to using a HDD to back it up. And because of that, I would only back up once every few months, and because I've had my PC for 6 years with no issues, I got kind of lax. I'll definitely take it more seriously once I get up and running, and try to keep my important files close together so backing up is easier. Would it be better to install the PSU with the ssd/gpu/hdd disconnected, just to see if it works, and then connect them up once I've confirmed it doesn't explode within the first few minutes?
 
Trying a new PSU with drives disconnected I guess would be marginally useful......but you wouldn't be able to boot or put any significant load on components.

Even with everything connected, all could be fine for the first 100 hours and then disaster 3 minutes later. It's all speculation.

How are you backing up when you do?

1; using mouse and keyboard, picking certain folders and files by hand?

2; using a program specifically designed to back up personal files?

Method 2 is far superior. I back up 2 or 3 times a day with a single mouse click. Takes about 2 minutes for 140,000 files, but I can continue to use the PC during those 2 minutes.

I think you can configure most backup programs so they run automatically, although I don't use that capability myself.
 
Lafong said:
Trying a new PSU with drives disconnected I guess would be marginally useful......but you wouldn't be able to boot or put any significant load on components.

Even with everything connected, all could be fine for the first 100 hours and then disaster 3 minutes later. It's all speculation.

How are you backing up when you do?

1; using mouse and keyboard, picking certain folders and files by hand?

2; using a program specifically designed to back up personal files?

Method 2 is far superior. I back up 2 or 3 times a day with a single mouse click. Takes about 2 minutes for 140,000 files, but I can continue to use the PC during those 2 minutes.

I think you can configure most backup programs so they run automatically, although I don't use that capability myself.
Click to expand...
Are you using cloud backup or do you have an external hdd/sdd plugged into usb? I've been selecting and dragging files manually to an external hdd, and it's painfully slow. The fear I have with automatic backup software, is what happens if I'm modifying the files while it's trying to back them up? Will it know, and just back them up next time? It wouldn't corrupt anything would it?

If I got my PC to boot, the first thing I think I'll do is organise and back up the important stuff, as long as the ssd isn't already dead. A problem is that my files are not only on my main ssd, some of them are also on a HDD, it's quite disorganised and hard for me to remember which stuff I need to back up.
 
JamesC01 said:
Are you using cloud backup or do you have an external hdd/sdd plugged into usb? I've been selecting and dragging files manually to an external hdd, and it's painfully slow. The fear I have with automatic backup software, is what happens if I'm modifying the files while it's trying to back them up? Will it know, and just back them up next time? It wouldn't corrupt anything would it?

If I got my PC to boot, the first thing I think I'll do is organise and back up the important stuff, as long as the ssd isn't already dead. A problem is that my files are not only on my main ssd, some of them are also on a HDD, it's quite disorganised and hard for me to remember which stuff I need to back up.
Click to expand...

A backup program might give you an error message if you were working on a file when the backup was running. It would just say "file xyz was not backed up". I've never had a file corrupted for that reason. They are just skipped and would be backed up the next time you ran it.

I do NOT run backups automated....I want to keep my head in the game and run backups on demand ONLY.

You have a significant complication if your "original" files are on multiple drives. I've got all of mine on a single 2 TB internal SSD.

Get your original files better organized. Identify stuff by folders in categories. Maybe a primary "data" folder with subfolders for MP3s, pictures; video; work-related; etc......whatever appeals to your sense of organization.

I back up several ways.

1; "everything" to an internal ordinary spinning hard drive. This is 100% of my personal data. Takes 2 minutes. I run this 2 or 3 times a day. About 950 GB of data.

2; "everything" except video files; using a USB cable connected to an external enclosure that contains a 500 GB M.2 drive. About 350 GB. I run this monthly. Takes about 20 minutes.

3; my most important critical files. About 20 GB. To an ordinary USB 32 GB flash drive. Takes about 15 minutes. I run this monthly.

4; "everything" to an ordinary spinning hard drive attached by USB cable to an external dock. About 950 GB. Takes 3 or 4 hours. I run this 2 or 3 times a year.
 
Lafong said:
A backup program might give you an error message if you were working on a file when the backup was running. It would just say "file xyz was not backed up". I've never had a file corrupted for that reason. They are just skipped and would be backed up the next time you ran it.

I do NOT run backups automated....I want to keep my head in the game and run backups on demand ONLY.

You have a significant complication if your "original" files are on multiple drives. I've got all of mine on a single 2 TB internal SSD.

Get your original files better organized. Identify stuff by folders in categories. Maybe a primary "data" folder with subfolders for MP3s, pictures; video; work-related; etc......whatever appeals to your sense of organization.

I back up several ways.

1; "everything" to an internal ordinary spinning hard drive. This is 100% of my personal data. Takes 2 minutes. I run this 2 or 3 times a day. About 950 GB of data.

2; "everything" except video files; using a USB cable connected to an external enclosure that contains a 500 GB M.2 drive. About 350 GB. I run this monthly. Takes about 20 minutes.

3; my most important critical files. About 20 GB. To an ordinary USB 32 GB flash drive. Takes about 15 minutes. I run this monthly.

4; "everything" to an ordinary spinning hard drive attached by USB cable to an external dock. About 950 GB. Takes 3 or 4 hours. I run this 2 or 3 times a year.
Click to expand...
How on earth can you back up 950GB in 3 minutes? Does it essentially make an full copy of the drive, so it doesn't have to scan through the files, so it just treats the entire drive like one giant 950GB file?
 
JamesC01 said:
How on earth can you back up 950GB in 3 minutes? Does it essentially make an full copy of the drive, so it doesn't have to scan through the files, so it just treats the entire drive like one giant 950GB file?
Click to expand...
My system backs up each drive individually, every night.

AN Incremental takes but a minute or two.
The initial Full Macrium Image does take 30+ minutes, but after that, the nightly Incrementals are very very quick.

Why full drive images? Can't forget something.
 
Ultimately, though...you NEED to do some sort of backup.

Your fear of the PSU exploding during the backup and taking out the drive(s) is irrelevant.
If it is going to explode, it will do it in normal ops, or during this backup.

But it probably won't explode.
 
JamesC01 said:
How on earth can you back up 950GB in 3 minutes? Does it essentially make an full copy of the drive, so it doesn't have to scan through the files, so it just treats the entire drive like one giant 950GB file?
Click to expand...

JamesC01 said:
How on earth can you back up 950GB in 3 minutes? Does it essentially make an full copy of the drive, so it doesn't have to scan through the files, so it just treats the entire drive like one giant 950GB file?
Click to expand...

It works something like this:

Assume the backup drive is new and empty. First backup on say September 30 might take hours, copying say about 900,000 files from original drive.

Backup is therefore a replica of originals.

A day later, Oct 1, you run it again. The backup program first compares what is on the original drive on Oct 1 to what is on the backup drive as of Sept 30. It looks at file names, folder locations, and exact times. Might take a minute. Just scanning, very quickly.

The comparison might reveal that you have created 20 new files on the original drive since the previous Sept 30 backup and 10 more that are on the backup but no longer on the original because you deleted them.

It would then copy ONLY the 20 new files to the backup drive and it would delete the same 10 from the backup drive that you had deleted from the originals.

Result: backup once again is a replica of the originals. Only 30 files have been copied or deleted.

The other 900,000 were skipped over and ignored entirely by the backup process.

Files that were modified between backups are treated as if they were newly created and are backed up.

Some people choose to NOT delete files from the backup if they have been deleted from originals. The backup programs are typically configurable to do that if you prefer. I don't.....if I delete my original, I want that file to be deleted from backups also.
 
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JamesC01 said:
My PSU failed (I think, PC is not turning on), but it didn't explode or anything, just some strange sparky sounds coming from near the plug and it not turning on. I'm looking for a new PSU, but it seems like no matter how expensive of one you buy, it has the chance of exploding and taking your SSD, HDD and other components with it. All of my files are on my ssd, and I haven't backed it up in months. I'm scared that I'll buy a new PSU, and during the process of backing up my files, it'll explode and take everything with it. How do I get over this fear? I'm planning on buying a Corsair RM750e, but I've seen videos of corsair RM's exploding and taking someone's harddrives and ssd.

I'm not afraid of losing money on the PSU, since corsair has a good warranty, I'm just afraid of losing data. I have an m.2 ssd, and 2 hdds.
Click to expand...
1. How do you know for sure it's the PSU, and not simply a bad electrical outlet? Have you done any kind of troubleshooting to eliminate anything else causing this?

2. If you're that afraid of losing data, as others have suggested, the only real way to protect yourself from this is to back the data up. Once you get your issues resolved, go down to your local computer hardware store (I don't know where you live, so I can't recommend anything) and get one (or more if you need them) external backup devices and back up your data. Do this sooner rather than later.

3. Lots of things besides a bad PSU can and will make a PSU explode, so I wouldn't put much stock in a YouTube video unless you know all of the circumstances behind the incident you're watching on video. Could be a bad PSU, it could have internal corrosion you're not seeing (salt air makes this happen real quickly), it could be a brownout or surge, or about 3 or 4 other things besides that. Just get a quality PSU you can actually afford and hope for the best. As long as your data is backed up, you've done all you can and there is no sense worrying about things you can't control.
 
You can't live in fear of what if's

Every part has a chance of not working... do you just not buy anything?

No, you just assume it won't happen. Its not that common if you buy good parts like that Corsair PSU or maybe Seasonic.

Only had one PSU go bang in 25 years. And it was old.. All it killed was itself. And make a loud noise. It sure woke me up.

If the current PSU is under warranty, its not as old as mine was... it was out of warranty but I didn't know any better back then.
 
A few things you can do to mitigate the possibility of a PSU "exploding" on you:
  • Buy quality PSUs. If you believe in tier lists, then get something in the top tier or the one below that
  • Don't overload the PSU,
  • Make sure the mains power is fine (i.e., you're not in a place with rolling black outs or brownouts)
But there's always still the possibility of failure, because nothing is built perfectly. However the chance of that sudden failure will happen on a well built PSU is like at least <0.001%. If those odds are still not something you can't swallow, then really, I don't know what to tell you other than stop using computers.
 
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I did watch a PSU "explode" once. There was a very loud popping noise and a small plume of smoke emitted from the system. This was a PSU that was very cheap, my Dad got it bundled with a case for like $30. It took out the motherboard as I recall but the drives were fine.
 
Getting over abnormally oppressive fear...
Flayed said:
Benzodiazepine?..Seems a bit extreme.
Click to expand...
Alprazolam is Xanax,
Fluoxetine is Prozac.
most benzos are quite a bit more extreme, but these specifically are designed to allow normal interactions on a day to day basis.

if regular thought process and daily activities don't subdue your fears;
how else do you propose getting over a ridiculous anxiety other than medication,
psychotherapy, meditation, etc..?
 
Flayed said:
This was a PSU that was very cheap, my Dad got it bundled with a case for like $30
Click to expand...
its a good thing that a vast majority of cases now don't come with PSU. In the dark ages, before I knew anything about PC, I used to use PSU like the ones described. That came with the case... I think one killed a series of HDD I had... for a long time I blamed the drives, now I blame the PSU.

I am sure some cheap cases might still come with them... but thats a reason to avoid cheap cases.
 
Get an external hdd CASE with its own power wart, stick your storage in that and connect that to your smartphone, tvbox, or anything you like, even a PC would work, back up everything important to any storage you like.
No PSUs anymore to get anxious about.
Since it will be powered on its own there will be no fear of your PSU harming it even if you use it with your PC.
 
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