[Lakusus]

I live in a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with my fiancé. We use the master bedroom for our bedroom, of course, and the second bedroom for the computer room. We both have complete computer systems in that room, plugged into different outlets on different walls. The whole side of the apartment that the second bedroom is in is attached to the same circuit and circuit breaker. Her case is a plastic one that sits off the floor in a compartment on her desk. Mine is a metal case that sits on two flat shelve boards (presswood) on the floor. The two boards slide easily against one another which makes it easy to get to the backside of my case, which is a fairly good-sized mid tower. I have a medium-end surge protector that I had my entire system plugged into. It has three light/status indicators on it: ON - Protected (Green), Overload (Red), and Building Wiring Fault (Red). With this SP plugged into any outlet in the computer room both the Green (O-P) light and the Red (BWF) light are lit. When I plug the SP into any other outlet in the rest of the apartment, only the Green (O-P) light is lit. I also have an outlet tester (two orange and one red lights) that I've used to test the outlets. No matter what outlet, in the entire apartment (even the computer room), that I plug it into, only the two orange lights light up indicating a properly wired circuit. Now that I've explained the set-up, I'll explain the issue. We have very dry air, here, in Kansas where we live and this causes us to easily build up static charges, especially when we get up from one of our two micro-fiber couches. If we touch anything that is in someway connected to the circuit of the house (light switch, cover plate screw, light bar built onto my computer desk for the keyboard (metal panels), USB cable attached to my computer, or even one or two of the metal door jambs), there will be a discharge spark. Not uncommon, at all. What is uncommon is that this discharge will cause my computer to reset. Only mine... her's is fine. This happens quite frequently. I am able to discharge it on the front door jamb without incident or on the screen of a screen door that I built and installed in place of the second bedroom door (to keep our cats separated, but still allow them to see each other). But I often forget to do this and end up making my computer reboot. This is not only annoying for the fact that I then have to reload Windows and wait for everything, but also, of course, presents a danger to my computer system. Does anyone know what could be causing this issue and, more importantly, how to fix it?? PLEASE HELP!

[tkrussell]

I trust the surge protector, and not the tester. The red light on the protector tells me the circuit or receptacle is not grounded.

A surge protector must be plugged into a properly grounded receptacle to operate properly.

A properly grounded receptacle would drain static charge.

I suggest having the outlet checked by an electrician to insure it is wired and grounded correctly.

[Lakusus]

I was thinking that, myself. It seemed to me that, even with today's miniaturization of technology, the surge protector still has a better testing circuitry in it than the tiny outlet tester. My only issue, now, is trying to get the apartment to get a licensed electrician out here to run it down. I would call one, myself, but I can't afford $60+ /hour and the apartment management company won't pay for it without their prior authorization. Oh well... looks like I've got a lot of bugging of the office to do. Lol Thanks.