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What caused it? A lightning strike causing a power spike is all it takes.
But you can protect your computer from this in the future and even go so far as
to give your computer 5-10+ mins of extra time even if the lights have gone out,
to quickly shut-down that machine. How? By using a surge protector or a UPS
(Uninterruptible Power Supply). Depending on the model, it can protect your
phone line and your computer, if not your monitor as well. That way, you can
rest easy knowing that in case that storm decides to rear its ugly head back
your way, you'll be prepared, your computer will be safe and protected and
you'll have time to react properly, save your work, shut your machine down and
unplug it for maximum safety. Or, the simpler way, though I love UPSs myself,
is to get a simple surge protector that doesn't provide battery backup, but will
protect your computer in case of power surge, spikes and brown outs. You can
plug your standard power adapter for your modem or ADSL line, your computer and
your monitor into it and be assured that it's in good hands. A word of caution,
you can find a surge protector for a few bucks, or up to $100 or over. With
surge protectors, you get what you pay for. Look at the details for response
time. They're counted in ns, nanoseconds. It measures the amount of time between
a strike happening and how quick the protector is to "react" to protect your
computer. The lower the time, the better. Keep in mind though, that some
protectors can get quite pricey, almost to the point of matching the price of a
UPS with a fast surge protector in it, so shop around or ask your computer user
friends if they have one and where they got it from to get a good idea.
All in all, if you get the plain surge protector, you'll be safe. If you
decide to go the whole hog and get a UPS (they are definitely worth it, but it's
entirely your choice of affordability), then next time that storm heads your way
and blows out the power, you might be able to finish that game of solitaire
after all.
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