jdf@pbhyc.UUCP (Jack Fine) (02/22/88)
Static electricity would seem to be the problem although I don't know this for sure. 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 such as static sprays, static dischargers, better grounding and so on but the problem seems to persist. It doesn't happen to everyone and not to all building locations. It seems to be happening in one or two very specific areas of the building and it comes on suddenly. 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. Replacing systems and other pieces of hardware doesn't seem to help and as I have said the static solutions do not stop the problem. 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. I am beginning to wonder though if that is the case or the cause of the problem simply went away. Anyone else run into this kind of problem? Anyone find a viable solution to it? Thanks Jack