Seems like a good time to post a brief answer to “What can I do to take care of my computers when there’s a storm coming?”

The weather here on Cape Cod doesn’t get too extreme too often, but even a thunderstorm can wipe out your investment in technology (and maybe all your data, too, if you don’t have backups offsite).

Here are a few simple storm preparation steps that can save you a lot of grief.

Preparation isn’t hard, and here’s my “short version,” which will be useful for the average home owner or very small business. This isn’t meant to cover all the possible scenarios, or a complicated business set up (I’m not a network guy), but you’ll find it covers the basics:

1. Turn off your computer the regular way.
2. Unplug it.
3. If you also have a UPS of some sort, turn off and unplug that.
4. Turn off and unplug any and all peripherals (monitor, printer, modem, router, etc.)

When the danger has passed, you can essentially reverse the order. In particular, plug in and boot up the modem or router before turning on your computer.

If you’d like to read a longer version (if, for example, you’re on a network), then please read this doc, titled How to Prepare for a Hurricane, from our friends at Secure Business Networks in Hyannis.

One of their simple suggestions is to move your expensive equipment away from windows.

Image credit: Evgeni Dinev