🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <959@pbhyc.UUCP> jdf@pbhyc.UUCP (Jack Fine) writes:
>...  Micro computer systems (IBM PC XT) from certain users will 
>suddenly blank the screen and freeze up requiring a cold boot to get
>started again.  We have tried various things...
>It seems to be happening in one or two very specific areas of the building...
>A person sitting working never noticing a problem
>before will have a screen die and system lockup with data loss.  Then it
>begins to repeat on the same person...
>Someone sitting a couple of feet away doing the same
>things (apparantly) will not have a problem.  Sometimes the problem goes
>away and we have attributed it to one of the things we have tried....
>Anyone else run into this kind of problem?

I have indeed seen this as a participant.  In my case I have narrowed it
down to fabric of clothes vs. fabric of chairs.  It seems when I wear
pants with any polyester content to them, and sit in a chair which has
(I think) polyester in the cover -- the computer gets shocked when I stand
up (including an audible pop).  A different chair or pants fabric and there
are no problems.  (Carpet on the floor rubbing on shoes could cause this too.)
If I take the same chair and put a cotton towel on it, no problem.

This could explain why you find it happening to certain people, in certain
locations, but not reliably.

I've tried a few approaches such as touch pads, anti-static spray, all to
no avail.  I'm not about to plunk down the money for an anti-static chair
mat and find it doesn't work either...

What I have found to work, though, is this:  Backing the chair up about
five feet from the equipment, then standing up.  Still pops, but nothing
gets hurt.  (I also tend to avoid certain clothes in my wardrobe...)



-- 

Andrew Burt 				   			isis!aburt

              Fight Denver's pollution:  Don't Breathe and Drive.