Re: House on Fire... Do You Rescue the Computer?
- From: D from BC <myrealaddress@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:02:04 -0700
On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:18:17 GMT, Ecnerwal
<LawrenceSMITH@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In article <57d414lmvgj5rus89ohoa1p1saikpesouc@xxxxxxx>,
D from BC <myrealaddress@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
What can I do to protect my PC from a house fire?
Your PC, or the data on it?
Step one is to take actual steps to reduce the likelihood of fires -
reduce clutter, especially clutter that burns. Live the Danish Modern
lifestyle, and fire has a hard time getting a hold. Difficult for most
real people to manage.
Step two along that line would be to absolutely minimize or eliminate
burnables (paper, upholstery, drapes, carpets, wood etc.) in the
particular room where the computer is, replace the door with a 2 hour
fire rated door, and add an extra layer or two (fully mudded and taped)
of 5/8 inch fire code gypsum board to the walls and ceiling. DO the
floor in ceramic tile or something like that. Also do the same to any
rooms below that room, and install sprinklers in the rooms and hallways
outside and below that room. There are comparatively low-cost
residential sprinklers on the market, though retrofitting is always
going to be spendy, while adding them to new construction is not too
bad, cost-wise - especially if you get a break on your insurance because
of them.
While you're spending your millions, might as well put a halon system in
the room itself, though in point of fact, local authorities might not be
happy with that in a residence. As the resident, you should question the
advisability of it as well.
So, build a little concrete shack out in the yard and move the computer
there. Put nothing that can burn in the shack.
Some people try running an external hard drive inside of a data-rated
fire safe. I don't know how much compromise the cable makes on the fire
safe's function, and do choose only a data rated one - the paper ones
get very hot and humid inside in a fire, as I understand it.
----
Iffen it's the data more than the PC itself, and you have something like
a separate garage (or a concrete shack in the yard...) you could set up
a server out there. It should be possible to mirror the content of a
server in the house and a server in the garage, so that both structures
would have to go to lose your data. Doesn't help that much if they are
the same building. Perhaps a "doghouse" set away from the house, or a
storm cellar, or that fallout shelter your parents put in in the 1950's.
Offsite backup copies are also good if you do them religiously, and
check that they are readable religiously. If your offsite backups
consist of 3 weeks of data from 1993 when you got the backup bug, and
then lost it again, they are not very helpful. Consider all sorts of
issues in choosing a place for them - flooding, fire, etc. A safety
deposit box at the bank is one possible place that offers a range of
security against many disasters, but if the bank floods, it's not such a
great choice.
---
If you're dead, the PC and/or the data on it are largely immaterial. So
if it's a question of getting out, or messing about trying to grab
computer, disk, external drive, backup CDs, whatever - get out. If that
stuff is on the way and takes essentially no time to grab, sure, grab
it. Otherwise, leave it and get out. If leaving it would upset you, get
the offsite backup bug and keep it. Make a habit of putting your on-site
backups in a place they can easily be grabbed on the way out the door.
The hardware is replaceable.
I briefly thought of attaching handles to my monitor and desktop
computer so it can be carried like luggage. :)
D from BC
British Columbia
Canada
.
- References:
- House on Fire... Do You Rescue the Computer?
- From: D from BC
- Re: House on Fire... Do You Rescue the Computer?
- From: Ecnerwal
- House on Fire... Do You Rescue the Computer?
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