Electrostatic Discharge is your ENEMY!

So I have noticed a few posts in which I belive the problems people have faced was with ESD issues.  So I thought I would give a post on what I would do before entering the guts of any computer.  I have, personally, had formal computer repair training, but please feel free to add things if you so desire as I am not an 'expert' in all things ;-).

First off, lets say you want to install a new hard drive or RAM into your Desktop or Laptop.  For the most part, this is easy enough to do, but you need to make sure that you are properly discharged of static electricity.  You may not feel it, but if you discharge static electricity into your computer (motherboard, processor, graphics card, memory area, what have you), you could damage or destroy the components and possibly make your computer unusable.  So what I do when I am installing new components for a friend or family member, is gather up all the components I will need to do the job like screwdrivers, the memory or hard drive or new add on card, and clear off some desk space to work.  I then go ahead and open up the computer, leaving it plugged in.  Yes you read that right!  See when your computer is plugged in, your computer and its components are essentially grounded.  Please note that you should not touch anything while the unit is plugged in as you may shock yourself or damage your computer.  What I have always done, is touch a piece of metal inside the computer, either being the inside of the case, or the power supply itself.  Any static will discharge and go out the ground and you should be fine from there. 

Now unplug the computer.  Some Dell models have a green (or other colored light) on the motherboard that tells you when the board has a charge to it.  After unplugging the power cord, wait for the board light to go out.  If your computer does not have a light, wait approx 20 to 30 seconds for the board to discharge of any power from the power supply, and then get to work installing whatever.

Also to note, depending on the humidity and other factors of where you are, try not to move around to much, as moving around (especially on a carpet) can build up static electricity.  If you are really really worried about it, you can always get an electrostatic wrist strap from an electronics store like Bestbuy, possibly radio shack, etc.  That will constantly discharge any static buildup from your body, keeping you 'grounded'.

Again these steps have worked for me, and some of you may have others.  Please feel free to share!