I'm going to open my inspiron 580 to upgrade the power supply and video card - is it absolutely necessary to wear an anti-static wristband while handling the innards of the machine? if i don't, do i need to keep a hand on the exterior of the case all the time in order to ground myself? are there any other precautions not covered in the manual?

I try and keep my hand on the chassis, but apart from that I generally don't bother with other precautions. I have a collection of computers and it's unusual for a part to fail.

Any Grounding Strap should have a 1 Meg Ohm Resistor to prevent electric shocks.

You should NEVER directly ground yourself as this can be deadly.:emotion-3:

www.uline.com/.../Personal-Grounder-Wrist-Straps

[quote user="help_needed62"] I'm going to open my inspiron 580 to upgrade the power supply and video card - is it absolutely necessary to wear an anti-static wristband while handling the innards of the machine? if i don't, do i need to keep a hand on the exterior of the case all the time in order to ground myself? are there any other precautions not covered in the manual?

I try and keep my hand on the chassis, but apart from that I generally don't bother with other precautions. I have a collection of computers and it's unusual for a part to fail.

[/quote]

err this is probably a stupid question but do you ever run into any problems doing everything with only one hand free?

I don't keep a hand on the chassis at all times. What's important is not to touch slot leads, header pins, ICs, and other potential paths to ESD.

again please excuse my ignorance but is there a diagram or something to point out where those things are?

The purpose of a wrist strap is to prevent static discharges between your hands and sensitive components inside the case. You are not acting as a ground. That's why they are properly called "anti-static straps". What they do is equalize any potential between the case and the user.

Under normal circumstances they are not needed, but in the winter I recommend them.

help_needed62

If you are standing directly on floor carpet while working on a computer, you definitely need to use an Anti Static wrist strap.

Bev.

if i decide to clip the thing onto the computer chassis is it ok if the outside is painted? i've read somewhere that it only works on bare metal, just making sure. would attaching it to the removed case cover work?

help_needed62

Clipping the strap to bare metal is best, as paint could be an insulation between strap and the computer chassis.

Bev.

will any piece of metal do, e.g. a wrench?

Hi Help_needed62,

I believe Bev was referring to bare metal inside the case of the computer you are working on. That's where you want to connect the wrist strap.