Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Recently, long time chatter CamBlack came to me for help with his mom’s laptop. I was able to hook them up with HP, who replaced the laptop for her. Now, Cam is wondering about whether or not a laptop needs a surge protector.

The bottom line is YES. If a laptop is plugged into the wall, it needs a surge protector. The power brick in the middle of your cord is not a surge protector, as many people think. That little black box is mainly to keep the laptop from overheating. It filters the electricity that is running through your power cord.

Anything plugged into a wall should have a surge protector… and not just those cheap $1.00 ones, either. The more you pay, the more protection you’ll get. What a surge protector does, basically, is to provide an interruption between the outlet and whatever may be plugged in to the surge protector.

To go one step further, a UPS (or Uninterruptable Power Supply) is an even better idea. This will provide surge protection, and also has a small battery. If the power should unexpectedly go out, the UPS battery will give you time to save your data and program states so you don’t lose any of your work.

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