Two types of damage can occur. A catastrophic failure will damage the component beyond use, while an upset failure can degrade the performance of the component, thus making the problem more difficult to detect.
To protect your computer against ESD damage, you need to ground yourself before touching any electronic components, such as the hard drive, memory modules, processor, motherboard, or expansion cards. This is done using a ground bracelet or static strap, which is a strap you wear around your wrist. The other end of the strap is attached to a grounded conductor, such as the computer case or the ground connector of a wall outlet.
During a repair or upgrade procedure, components that you remove from the computer should be placed in anti-static, or static shielding bags to protect them against the effect of ESD. When you purchase a new device, it will be packaged in this type of bag. Be sure to save the bag. Otherwise these bags can be purchased at your local computer supply store.
Here’s what you need to do to reduce the risk of ESD damage:
Remember, you can’t ‘see’ the damage caused by ESD, so it’s important that you take these safety precautions.