Do I really need an anti-static glove or wrist band to change my DVD drive ?

sirmarcus

Hi all,

I need some advise and help.

I have been advised that I need an anti-static glove or wrist band to change my DVD drive on my PC. Is this correct and, if it is, are there any alternatives to buying a glove or wrist band?

Any advise and help would be much apprecaited.

Thanks

Lokolo

Alternatives, touch a radiator or a water tap to unstatic yourself, and make sure you don't rub against anything (like crawl around on carpet) before touching the computer.

I don't tend to wear gloves or anything and never had a problem, but thats not to say I couldn't get one.

kwikbreaks

Just touch the PC casing with each hand to discharge any static and away you go. I've changed all sorts of bits far more susceptible to static damage than a drive without ever using a wrist band and also without ever having a problem. Of course ymmv (but I doubt it).

Spank

Advised by a salesman I take it?

Have the compute plugged in, but switched off so it's earthed (& touch the case) & it will be fine.

prowla

No, you don't.
As kwikbreaks said, you can make sure your are touching/leaning on part of the PC's metal case during the operation, and a wrist strap is really just a way of ensuting that happens all the time.
A DVD drive is probably the most robust part anyway, and it's onle really memory that you need to get paranoid about.

John_Gray

prowla wrote: »

A DVD drive is probably the most robust part anyway, and it's only really memory that you need to get paranoid about.

And I've never ever killed a memory stick when inserting it, having touched the earthed cabinet. I wouldn't even dream of earthing a DVD drive when inserting it!

Richie-from-the-Boro

Total rubbish, if you count memory / drives / builds I must be nearer millions than thousands of component changes, absolute rubbish, tell your friend s/he is daft !

If you are a nylon person, wearing nylon socks, walking on a nylon carpet, in nylon underwear you may wish to go Kevlar with [ plugged in metal case ] #4 Spank's suggestion of Today, 5:44 PM

Hammyman

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Total rubbish, if you count memory / drives / builds I must be nearer millions than thousands of component changes, absolute rubbish, tell your friend s/he is daft !

+1. Been doing it 20+ years, not killed anything yet. Modern stuff is more resistant to ESD damage than in days of old.

As has been mentioned, leave the cable plugged into the wall but turned off and just touch the case. That will be more than enough.

tronator

Do NOT leave the power cable connected when changing any part of your computer. It takes only one dropped screw or any other metal piece to touch the motherboard to destroy it. Modern computers are not powered off completely when you switch it off (you will notice a lit LED on the motherboard while the power cable is still connected).

So before doing anything inside your computer, disconnect the power cable and then press the power button to discharge all capacitors on the motherboard.

Trinitrotoluene

tronator wrote: »

Do NOT leave the power cable connected when changing any part of your computer. It takes only one dropped screw or any other metal piece to touch the motherboard to destroy it. Modern computers are not powered off completely when you switch it off (you will notice a lit LED on the motherboard while the power cable is still connected).

So before doing anything inside your computer, disconnect the power cable and then press the power button to discharge all capacitors on the motherboard.

Not if you throw the switch on the back of most PSU's to 0.

banger9365

load of tosh ,anti-static glove or wrist band

just turn pc off ,
unplug it,
press the start button on case ,
open case ,
unplug leads and power cable from drive ,
undo the four sscrews that hold the drive in ,
you might have to remove the front off the case too ,
replace drive
replug the leads and power ,
put case back together
job done ,and turn on
never used a anti-static glove or wrist band to play with stuff in a pc for over 20 yrs plus