What should I do to prevent static shocks in the winter?

[orkweh]

Hello, I've never had this problem before but since I moved to a new house I noticed that during the winter I build up static electricity very easily. It can be enough to just roll back on my chair and my feet glide over the floor just a few centimeters and I'll get a shock on my aluminium keyboard.

Last winter I shocked my usb port and after that my internal sound card was damaged. I bought a new cheap ASUS Xonar DG sound card and it has been working good since.
But now that it's winter again I'm starting to get shocks on things again, mostly around my computer.

Do you think my keyboard or anything else could take damaged from this? When I leave the room and come back I shock my keyboard very often, the case of it is aluminium. I've probably shocked it a few hundred times over this and the last winter. Often that's it, and as long a I sit at my computer I won't get another shock.

My computer is on the second floor and the flooring up there is all parquet, downstairs is parquet and tiles. I walk around in socks.

Do you have any tips on how to protect against static electricity damaging anything more.

If I'm doing anything inside my computer I always use an esd wrist strap.

My computer has been working without any issues since I damaged the motherboard, but I still sort of consider it damaged, though I can't buy a new Asus Z97-A that I have right now and I'm not sure if I would want to since it technically still is working without a problem. I just hope nothing more will happen suddenly.

Thanks.

 

[gdmaclew]

First stop walking around in socks if you can avoid it. Fabrics have a way of building up static charges.
Next, if you have a metal desk lamp on your desk you can get in the habit of touching the metal part before you touch anything on your computer.
Generally if you can get in the habit of touching any grounded metal object that would solve your problem.
You could also buy a humidifier and try to get your humidity level up to about 40%. That would also solve the problem.

 

[J_E_D_70]

Yep - either humidifier in the room in question or a whole home humidifier can be added to your central heat.

 

[shrapnel_indie]

I'll third the humidifier suggestion. It will help with static buildup (ESD) and make the air easier to breath. You want just enough to cut through and cancel (short out) ESD, but obviously not so much as to make your place a sauna or a tropical jungle. If you have pets, they'll appreciate it too.

You could go out and buy an anti-static floor mat for under your desk and chair, but they can be expensive.

Not wearing socks, and/or making sure they're cotton and not wool or man-made fibers, can help stop the static build-up too.