Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt (
More info?)
Michael Salem wrote:
> There has been a lot of comment here to the effect that you need to
> chain yourself to your work before daring to let thoughts of opening the
> carton containing memory, cards, etc. OK, I exaggerate; and I do agree
> that precautions should be taken against static, and machines totally
> powered down before plugging things in. The danger is not just of
> totally destroying things (not too serious, just replace), but of
> causing more subtle damage which doesn't show up immediately.
>
> But we've all seen fairly careless handling of bare electronics, and
> working on the innards of plugged-in ATX machines, with little trouble.
>
> I am reminded of the book, years ago, about the development of a new DEC
> machine ("The birth of a new machine" or something similar). There was a
> desperate rush on, and everyone regularly plugged in and removed
> ordinary DIL chips with no precautions. While CMOS chips may be more
> static-sensitive than TTL, I don't know whether they are more vulnerable
> to plugging in like this. My own experience is only of removing and
> inserting PC BIOS chips into running machines (after a failed BIOS
> reprogramming); never any trouble.
>
> And there is a PCI standard designed to allow specially designed cards
> to be plugged in and removed from a running machine (24/7/365.25 server,
> typically).
>
> I don't want to take the risk, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to
> find that (un)plugging ordinary PCI cards live, and other things, are
> only slightly hazardous.
>
> On the other hand, I have heard of PC motherboards that were blown by
> plugging in a keyboard (DIM connector).
>
> I'm not advocating that these things should be done, but don't feel that
> you have necessarily caused irreversible damage if you make a mistake.
>
> Best wishes,
Fortunately, no one in here ever accidentally drops a conductive object
inside, cocks a card, tries to plug memory in backwards, or any of the
other 'oops' things that happen only on other planets.