At 5/11/00 12:39 PM -0400, Chris Niles wrote:
<snip>
>It was not the monitor - I used a known working monitor on the same computer,
>and the same thing happened.
>
>No, the computer will barely turn on. The case lights will not light up, the
>LED on the MB itself (an old SuperMicro P5STE socket 7 board) will not light
>up. The drives spin up okay. No beeps are heard.
>
>When the computer does turn on, the image is all messed up, like a tv station
>that keeps coming in and out - the picture is skewed back and forth, comes in
>for a sec, then stretches diagonally across the screen.
>
>I'm wondering what the problem is. Power supply, video card, or motherboard?
>The PS is 5 years old, a 200 watt, from an old Acer Acros. The MB is 3? yrs
>old. the video card is 2 years old - a 6MB Intense3d Voodoo 1, with TV out.
>
>Any ideas of what to try?

I would first checking the power supply.  The disk drives motors may be
operating ok if the regulated 12 volt supply is OK but I suspect that the
regulated + 5 volt supply is not working.  That power is used to power most
of the cards, motherboard (and LED's on the motherboard) and drive logic
circuits.  The same  +5 volts gives the beeps too!

If you have volt meter you can check the power at one of the drive power
connectors.  If you don't have a volt meter, the power supply is one of the
cheaper items to replace ($30 - 40 US).

Good luck,

Doug

        The NOSPIN Group provides a monthly newsletter with great
       tips, information and ideas: NOSPIN-L, The NOSPIN Magazine
             Visit our web site to signup: http://nospin.com