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Failed to connect to MySQL: (1203) User howardkn already has more than 'max_user_connections' active connectionsPath: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!i2pn.org!i2pn2.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Justisaur Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Subject: Re: Can static electricity kill your mouse? Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:32:21 -0800 Organization: i2pn2 (i2pn.org) Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:32:22 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: i2pn2.org; logging-data="4077652"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@i2pn2.org"; posting-account="Qhe2PUx7m0g9bYSXAivnRF/BNu0vlRR08ycHrj9WPKg"; User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 Bytes: 3548 Lines: 56 On 2/12/2025 12:27 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote: > On Wed, 12 Feb 2025 09:12:58 -0500, Mike S. > wrote: > >> I googled this and I am getting different opinions on this so I >> thought I would ask here. >> >> I got up from my computer to just take a break. I sat back down five >> or so minutes later. I put my hand on my mouse and I got a static >> shock. That itself, did not surprise me. The air in my house is very >> dry. What did surprise me is that my mouse died when that happened. >> The port it connects to is fine. I tested it. The mouse failed on >> three different computers. Another mouse works fine on that same port. >> >> So my question is, did a simple static discharge kill my mouse or was >> something else at play here? My mouse, is at the very least, five >> years old. > > I mean, theoretically it can. Your modern mouse has a chip in it, and > a surge of electricity --whether it's down the wire from a lightning > strike or via a concentrated static burst-- can burn out the delicate > traces within. > > That said, I think it's unlikely. There's a lot of nonconductive > electricity between those chips and the surface and it would have to > be a pretty big static discharge to get through that and damage the > chip. I mean, maybe if you were touching one of the metal contacts on > a wired mouse, but even then I think the odds are against it. And a > lot of electronics are a lot more resistant to static electricity than > you might expect (not that I suggest you test it, but take it from > someone who has sparked more than a few boards while repairing them > and had them survive the experience). > > Were I wagering sort, I'd put money more on capacitor failure, or a > flexing of the circuit board damaging some trace, or just some general > mechanically induced fault. > > Either way, it's not something I'd worry about. If it WERE static > electricity, it's probably once-in-a-million event and not anything > I'd worry about happening soon again. Especially not regarding a > device you can replace for a few bucks. Seconded. More likely would be something failing internally - a capacitor perhaps - and shocking you, though again through the plastic is pretty unlikely (unless you happen to have a shiny metallic mouse.) As it's dead you could always open it up for curiosity's sake and see if there's anything loose or burned. -- -Justisaur ø-ø (\_/)\ `-'\ `--.___, ¶¬'\( ,_.-' \\ ^'