Interesting Computer Problem--Smart Phone Static Shock

[Mynock]

Came home, plugged phone into USB on tower.

Grabbed food, came back, PC is non-responsive. Hard reboot.

Posts, but comes up with the message "Keyboard Error No Keyboard Present". Weird.......

Check plug, power off/on again, same error.

Try another USB port, power on/off again, same error.

Try two other keyboards that I know are functional in EVERY USB port on the machine......same error.

At this point I'm at a loss because I can't do anything to troubleshoot the machine, because, press delete to go into bios. Called our IT guy at work, first thing he asks me was if I plugged my phone in. Yup, I did. Told me to Power off then turn off the PSU to do a full BIOS reset. Powered back on, machine back to normal.

Static discharge when plugging the phone in. Does different things to different machines, apparently mine's reaction is to clench all it's USB ports tighther than a dolphins butthole and refuse to respond until fully reset.

[kham]

Huh
Well, it's at least operational after a restart. It must be a sort of "save-me-from-stray-voltages-by-curling-into-a-ball" mode
Never seen that happen yet. You'd think smartphones would have the interface set up to shield static discharges, since they get unplugged and plugged several times a day - minimum.

At least it didn't try to self-immolate

[Mynock]

Yea I just put a $400 video card in the thing like 3 months ago, I'm really happy I didn't fry that.

Apparently this is common knowledge among IT guys but I had never heard of it. Had the machine 6 years now been through 3 phones and it never happened before.

[kham]

I've always been aware , of the thing, in the back of your mind really since it never has became an issue

What with a half-dozen cameras of multiple types, portable drives, readers, smartphone, dashcam (new) it's not like there are few opportunities for static discharge *somewhere. The technology is supposed to be idiot proof after all. And being the average user, sure Let's be honest, none of our desks would pass muster in a clean room. Or even white glove silliness

[dlodoski]

Yea I just put a $400 video card in the thing like 3 months ago, I'm really happy I didn't fry that.

Apparently this is common knowledge among IT guys but I had never heard of it. Had the machine 6 years now been through 3 phones and it never happened before.

I would momentarily plug the phone into a 'wall' charger to discharge it on low humidity days. Or any time you have your phone jostling around in your pants or coat pocket.

The charger won't provide a true path to ground, but there would be enough electrical mass there to draw off the static buildup.

[Mynock]

That's exactly what I was doing, taking it right out of the pocket and plugging it in. I think I'm just going to use the wall charger exclusively now unless I have a reason to plug the phone in and upload pictures or something.