Dell XPS15/L501X: Static Shock and Windows USB Noise. Temp rising?

It's winter here, and the air is try. When I touch my XPS15 I often get a static shock, and when I do so the Windows USB noise plays (the noise you play if you unplug a device).

Question 1:
Why does this happen? Of course this isn't *good* for the laptop, but is it necessarily bad?

Maybe it's just my paranoia, but after this happened it felt like the laptop was getting hotter... can this happen from a few static shocks? I figure if any damage occurs, I would notice immediate functionality problems; i.e. rebooting, loss of connectivity from USB devices, memory faults, hard-drive crash, etc.

Question 2: Can static shocks raise the temperature of your laptop somehow?

Thanks in advance!

 

I have been experiencing the exact same thing recently (static, and device unplug sound). I am worried this might be bad for the laptop - should I be concerned?

I don't think it raises the temperature of my laptop though.

 

Same on L702X -- but it's barely noticeable and only with my forearm.

Solved by plugging the unit into a real outlet with ground (I'd been using a 2-prong outlet with a 3-prong adapter, silly me).

 

Use a grounded outlet for your laptop. Do not plug three-prong into a two-prong outlet. If it's three prong and you still feel shocks, test the outlet to see if it's actually grounded.

Ungrounded outlets can be bad news for you and your laptop.

 

+1 on what toronto and George said. A properly grounded outlet will not result in the user getting shocked. The fact that the laptop malfunctions when you get shocked is a REAL good indication that something is wrong. Check the outlet.