Electrical safety
Static inside a computer, and live-dead-live before touching household wiring.
Electrical safety: static and wiring
Fitting a stick of memory. Start by shutting down.
- 1Shut the computer down properly.
- 2Switch the power supply off at the back and unplug the cord.
- 3Hold the power button for five seconds to drain what's left.
- 4Put an anti-static strap on your wrist, against bare skin.
- 5Clip it to bare, unpainted metal on the case.
- 6Take the part from its anti-static bag, holding it by the edges.
- 7Fit it, then close up before plugging back in.
Safety
- Never open a power supply, a microwave or an old CRT monitor: capacitors inside can hold a lethal charge long after unplugging.
- A wrist strap is for static only. Never wear one while working near mains wiring or anything plugged in.
- The manuals for the board and the part come first.
General information, not professional advice: your manual and local rules come first. You use this at your own risk; see our Terms.
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