UPS and Software

[Howard]

This may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway. Just bought an
APC UPS for the computer I plan to build. It comes with software that
shows UPS usage etc. Is it OK to use the UPS with a computer with no
OS before the UPS software has been loaded. For that matter, is it OK
to permanently use the UPS without the software..just plug in the
computer and forget about it. I mean, the software shouldn't in any
way control the circuits, power delivered etc does it...is there any
danger in using the UPS without the software?

Howard

 

[philo]

This may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway. Just bought an
APC UPS for the computer I plan to build. It comes with software that
shows UPS usage etc. Is it OK to use the UPS with a computer with no
OS before the UPS software has been loaded. For that matter, is it OK
to permanently use the UPS without the software..just plug in the
computer and forget about it. I mean, the software shouldn't in any
way control the circuits, power delivered etc does it...is there any
danger in using the UPS without the software?

Howard

it is totally unnecessary to use the UPS software...
it will funtion just fine without it

from what i understand, the software will simply shut down your apps
then turn the computer off in the event of a power failure

 

[Will Dormann]

This may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway. Just bought an
APC UPS for the computer I plan to build. It comes with software that
shows UPS usage etc. Is it OK to use the UPS with a computer with no
OS before the UPS software has been loaded. For that matter, is it OK
to permanently use the UPS without the software..just plug in the
computer and forget about it. I mean, the software shouldn't in any
way control the circuits, power delivered etc does it...is there any
danger in using the UPS without the software?

The UPS will work fine without the software. But the benefit of the
software is that it will shut down your computer cleanly before the
battery fails.

=-WD

 

[Craig]

This may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway. Just bought an
APC UPS for the computer I plan to build. It comes with software that
shows UPS usage etc. Is it OK to use the UPS with a computer with no
OS before the UPS software has been loaded. For that matter, is it OK
to permanently use the UPS without the software..just plug in the
computer and forget about it. I mean, the software shouldn't in any
way control the circuits, power delivered etc does it...is there any
danger in using the UPS without the software?

Howard

If your running XP it has UPS shutdown software built-in.

Craig

 

[JAD]

If your running XP it has UPS shutdown software built-in.


same with 'ME' nothing sophisticated of course

 

[HMSDOC]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I am running XP and it seems to me that software will be
useful, be it XP or UPS to automatically shut down, so I guess I will use it
once the system is built.

Howard

 

[Fitz]

When you do install your OS, read the directions for the UPS
carefully...mine does not use the built in XP software to monitor the and
control settings for the UPS. The first install instruction is to turn off
the XP UPS software. Mine is manufactured by CyberPower. The software is far
superior to the imbedded XP program.

Fitz

 

[hxbarney]

Used mine for years w/o software.

Have another that supports an AT&T telephone system. No software.

The computer only knows that the UPS is there when you connect a
communications link (serial or USB), otherwise it cannot tell and does
not care where the power comes from.

 

[Matt]

This may be a dumb question, but I will ask anyway. Just bought an
APC UPS for the computer I plan to build. It comes with software that
shows UPS usage etc. Is it OK to use the UPS with a computer with no
OS before the UPS software has been loaded. For that matter, is it OK
to permanently use the UPS without the software..just plug in the
computer and forget about it. I mean, the software shouldn't in any
way control the circuits, power delivered etc does it...is there any
danger in using the UPS without the software?

Howard

Completely draining the UPS battery is a bad thing.

The computer can send to the UPS a message to shut down the UPS after a
certain time delay. So the computer sends such a message, then shuts
itself down, then the UPS shuts itself down. In that way the UPS
battery is not drained. Then when power is restored, your UPS is again
ready to protect against short power outages.

 

[Timothy Drouillard]

Yes you can use the UPS just fine all by itself without installing any
software.

Most UPS's should have a series of lights on the front indicates the current
status of the UPS as well as a series of lights indicating the load on the
UPS. These lights will tell you if you are trying to power more systems than
the UPS was designed to supply power for.

When the UPS loses input AC (when the power fails) it should beep at you
indicateing it's now running on it's internal batteries, ands you should
gracefully shut down whatever is plugged into the UPS before the batteries
run down.

As long as you pay attention to the various indicators on the front panel
and any beeping coming from it , you don't 'have' to run the software.

The software is a very nice way to keeps tabs on the workings of the UPS as
well as a way of using a signal (usually sent via a serial cable to the
system) from the UPS to the system to automatically trigger a graceful
system shutdown when the UPS loses power.

Please keep in mind that your average UPS is only meant to TEMPORARILY
supply power to whatever's plugged into it. It is not meant to aloow you to
run your system for hours on end when your primariy power fails.

A properly sized UPS will keep your system alive for perhaps 20 min or so.

It's only meant to keep your system alive long enough for you to get to the
system and shut it down properly.