[RESOLVED] ipconfig is blank?

[Al42]

Whoa...lightening?

I have toasted a number of computers (dropping them, spilling coffee on them, getting hit with a spike surge, fried one hard drive with static electricity (never put your computer on the floor on a rug ) but I've never had one hit by lightening. Wouldn't that fry everything not just the BIOS?

Welp ...

A direct strike would fry everything - computer, room, house ...

An induced spike from a nearby strike could toast the CMOS chip, or a modem or some other single component, without causing any other damage. Which is why it's so foolish (not to mention dangerous) to assume that we really understand anything about lightning. Unipotentially ground everything, protect everything else and make sure your insurance policies are up to date and paid. That last one is about the only thing we can really control.

[schoolbusdriver]

Nearby lightening . By nearby I mean < 2 miles. It struck a house and destroyed the roof +++. (No one at home at the time). I had a telephone modem plugged in at the time. The modem and, wierdly, a dvd drive "disappeared". Not recognised anywhere. Basically, I disconnected ever cable and removed every card, removed the cmos battery. Rebuilt it, one bit at a time, rebooting at each stage - all OK eventually. Ironically, 3 months later the PSU failed. You can't win 'em all.

[Greyskull]

Nearby lightening . By nearby I mean < 2 miles. It struck a house and destroyed the roof +++. (No one at home at the time).

whew, i was going to say you were lucky that it only damaged a few devices and bios and not your whole house. As for your nearby neighbours i guess i could say dat was kinda lucky that no-one was around...