Is Your UPS Really Protecting Your PC?

If you're worried about a power failure taking down your PC, you probably have an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) connected to your computer. But just having a UPS plugged in doesn't really buy you much, if any, real protection. There are a few things you should do to your UPS to ensure you don't lose your data the next time a thunderstorm strikes.

Connect the data cable and install the UPS software. I've talked to a lot of people who never bothered with this critical step. If you install a UPS but don't complete the setup, the UPS will provide limited protection -- it'll kick in during a power loss, but if power doesn't return promptly, eventually the UPS will run down and your PC will lose power anyway. The data cable and software allows your UPS to tell your PC to shut down gracefully.

Configure the software. This isn't a difficult step, but it is important since it lets you specify how long the battery backup should run before shutting down.

Test your battery occasionally. Every few months, you should start the UPS software and run a self-test. This lets you see how healthy the battery is and determine if it's time to replace it. If the battery's capacity is so low that it can't carry your PC for even a minute, for example, it'll do you no good in a power failure and you'll lose data anyway.