Protecting your computer before a hurricane
Hurricane season here is not optional, and neither is thinking ahead about the machine on your desk. Most of what protects a computer costs nothing and takes ten minutes — the trouble is remembering to do it before the storm is already close.
Before the power actually goes
- Unplug the tower or desktop from the wall. Switching it off is not the same thing — a surge can still travel into a machine that's powered down but still connected.
- Unplug the coax and ethernet cables too, and the phone line if you still have one. A surge doesn't need the power cord specifically — cable and phone wiring carry it just as well.
- Don't trust a surge protector that's already absorbed a hit before. Once one has taken a serious spike, there's no way to know how much protection is left in it.
- If flooding is any possibility at your address, get the tower up off the floor — a shelf, a table, anything above where water would reach first.
Get your files out before you leave
- If you're evacuating, don't leave the only copy of your photos and documents inside a machine that's staying behind in the storm's path.
- Copy anything you'd genuinely miss to an external drive you take with you, or to a cloud backup — and do it today, not the night before landfall, when the stores are picked over and the internet is slow.
- If you don't already have a backup habit, hurricane season is as good a reason as any to start one.
- This applies to your phone too. It's often the newer, more irreplaceable set of photos in the house.
Photograph it now, for a claim you hope you never file
- A clear photo of the serial number and model tag, usually on the back or underside of the machine.
- A photo of the whole setup — computer, monitor, accessories — where it normally sits.
- Keep receipts or order confirmations somewhere that survives the storm too, not only on the computer they're proving you bought.
- Insurance adjusters ask for exactly this after a loss, and it's far easier to produce five minutes before a storm than to reconstruct afterward.
Straight answer
Everything above is free. A backup can be an external drive you already own or a no-cost cloud account, and photographing your own equipment doesn't require us at all. Bring a machine in afterward if it stops working — there's no reason to bring it in before that.
The service this usually lands on
- Data Recovery — situations we recover from
- Computer Repair — problems people bring us every week
Common questions
Do I need an appointment?
Nope — walk-ins are welcome during business hours (Mon–Fri 10 AM–5:30 PM, Sat 10 AM–2 PM). Want to plan ahead? Request a time online and we’ll confirm it with you.
Is my data safe with you?
Your data stays private — we only access what’s needed to complete your repair. Have specific questions about your files? Just ask when you drop off and we’ll walk you through how we handle everything.
Where are you located?
2320 S Tamiami Trl, Unit 7, Port Charlotte, FL 33952 — on US-41 (S Tamiami Trail) in Port Charlotte. We proudly serve Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port, Englewood, Venice, Rotonda West, Murdock, Harbour Heights, Placida.
More questions? See the full FAQ or call 941-625-TECH (8324) — a real tech answers.
Stop by, or get in touch
2320 S Tamiami Trl, Unit 7, Port Charlotte, FL 33952 — on US-41, serving Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port, Englewood, Venice, Rotonda West, Murdock, Harbour Heights, Placida.