DiscussionComputer malfunctions at the same moment every hour due to faulty power strip?
DiscussionComputer malfunctions at the same moment every hour due to faulty power strip?
Hello, I recently resolved an issue that was causing me significant frustration, and I wanted to share my experience to assist others in the future. I started using an old computer I assembled a decade ago and discovered it was experiencing random BSODs with varying codes approximately once a day. The machine was running Windows 10, equipped with an i5-4670 CPU, a single 8GB RAM stick, an SSD, an HDD, a small graphics card, and a 500W PSU, all from brands known for their quality.
I updated the BIOS and drivers but couldn't identify the problem. I removed the graphics card and switched to the integrated GPU, which seemed to improve the situation? However, it reoccurred, so I reinstalled Windows 10. The random BSODs disappeared, but now the computer frequently froze with vibrant flashes of colors on my screen before automatically shutting down after about a minute. I suspected it was a graphics driver issue, but after installing various drivers and adjusting several settings, nothing improved.
I was convinced it was a hardware problem, so I attempted to retrieve event logs and memory dumps. Regardless of the settings I adjusted, I could not obtain a memory dump or event log for crash analysis. I suspected a memory issue, so I utilized the memory check tool in Windows and HCI memtest, both of which returned clean results. Then one day, the crashes became more frequent, and I noticed a pattern; they seemed to occur at XX:48, regardless of the computer's runtime or active applications. A new type of crash also occurred, featuring a complete black screen followed by a one-minute auto shutoff.
Initially, I thought my PSU was failing and pondered whether a repetitive ultra-short voltage sag event in the local power grid was triggering these crashes. I dismissed this theory, believing too many others in my city would be complaining as well. It was then I realized the issue was likely with my power strip. Although my monitor, modem, router, speaker, and phone charger were also connected to this power strip, I had not noticed any issues with them. I replaced the power strip, and my computer's crashes vanished.
The culprit was a programmable energy-saving power strip; even though I never utilized the clock program features, I always used it as a basic power strip. The power strip also contains a coin battery, likely intended to maintain programmed clock settings in memory. I believe this cell battery failed, which isn't immediately obvious since the power strip display remains powered by AC. I suspect that somehow this dead cell battery triggered the circuits to initiate a voltage sag event, initially randomly, then later at XX:48.
The power strip model in question is Woods-049690; I found an old Walmart link here.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/New-Wood...9?...=101024090
I plan to replace the coin battery and see if the original power strip still causes crashes. The lesson learned is not to connect your PC to fancy power strips. Additionally, if you experience random crashes (BSOD/flashing colors on screen/black screen) or oddly repetitive crashes, consider replacing your power strip.
I wanted to provide an update; it turns out that switching the power strip or its batteries did not resolve my issue. I managed to make my computer crash with a new power strip.
I discovered that my computer crashed whenever a phone charger was plugged into the same power strip as my computer while charging a phone, and possibly with other devices as well? I could replicate this behavior with different power strips, various USB chargers, different USB cables, and different phones too.
This peculiar behavior seems to have been documented previously as well.
Extremely unusual behavior: charging a phone causes the PC to crash...?
This isn't a significant issue I need help resolving...but rather a curious behavior I've been observing with my new Samsung Galaxy S4. I initially attempted to charge the new phone using the USB port on my Windows 8 PC. Since my PC is situated on the ground, it seemed convenient to place the phone on...
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I am perplexed by this strange behavior.
I would recommend purchasing a new phone charger from the manufacturer's brand. Is it a high-power charger or an old-fashioned trickle charger?
I am not aware of any phone chargers that exceed a nominal 120W, which is minimal compared to the power requirements of a large computer. A small PSU should not 'crowbar' the mains supply.
Without disassembling the PSU and subjecting it to various tests in a lab, diagnosing the fault remotely is challenging.
If the charger came with a premium high-end phone, you would expect the manufacturer to provide a high-quality charger. However, if the charger is a low-cost, no-name unit purchased as a replacement, it could be a fire hazard waiting to fail.
I have dissected cheap (fake) battery chargers and compared them with OEM units. The counterfeit PSUs are poorly designed, utilize low-quality components, and often lack safety protection circuits. But, they frequently cost one-tenth of the price of the OEM unit. I wonder why?
I replicated this issue with a high-quality OEM phone charger and a generic USB charger that came with a Bluetooth speaker. Both chargers are under 25W.
Do you think the interference travels through the power supply? I initially thought the interference was some form of EM waves that traveled through the air. I believe I can conduct some tests to determine.
No, you experience "conducted" interference (along wires) as well as "radiated" interference (through the air) from most electronic devices.
Switched-mode power supplies and computers generate substantial amounts of both conducted and radiated interference. This interference can affect nearby devices.
Computers are also vulnerable to interference from external sources. If you place a mobile phone next to a computer, there is a slight chance of the phone impacting the computer, for example, producing strange noises from the computer speakers when the phone connects to the local base station.
Try to physically separate the phone charger and the phone from the computer. The classic "inverse square" law applies here regarding radiated interference. Doubling the distance results in the radiated interference diminishing to one-quarter. Tripling the distance reduces it to one-ninth, quadrupling it reduces it to one-sixteenth, and so on.
Conducted interference travels much farther before it is attenuated. If possible, position the phone and charger at the opposite end of the house and see if the interference diminishes.