Is there any risk involved in putting possibly damaged components into another mb? Couldn't a fried cpu or memory damage the mb or a bad cpu damage memory? What about a bad PCI card - a NIC, a video card, tv tuner card, etc. - couldn't they damage a mb, memory or cpu if it's shorted? Paul Hachmeyer AAA-Onsite Computer Repair wrote: >Russ, > >Yes the usb/audio and the power switch panel are I/O (Input Output). I >call them that because that is what the Dell support tech called them. I >just recently had a Dell in my shop that that we were having a heck of a >time tracking the problem down. The power had 2 panels and a ribon cable >between them. The first was at the actual switch, the second panel went to >the motherboard. It also had the usb/audio panel. It had three panels in the >front of the case, I forget which model it was now. I remember not being >able to short the pins for the switch, I tried taking of the ribon from the >switch and shorting the pins, nothing happened. Everytime time we ordered a >part, we call Dell support and for asistance with trouble shooting. First >they sent us mother board, then a power supply, then a fan, then and other >motherboard, finally they sent us both panels to the switch and the related >ribon cables. This really did happen! The switches, were about $22.00 for >both parts plus shipping. I also believe the diagnostic lights on the back >panel of the dells do not show a normal power on sequence/diagnositc if the >the IO panel is bad. What are the lights in the back doing? The last Dell >support tech asked me about the diagnostc lights right away. A second Dell >came shortly there after same problem, we fixed it first try! Dell took all >the other parts we ordered back as well. Reference the CPU, Sometimes I have >unclipped it and 1/2 tension on the socket lever and pulled the CPU sraight >up and it has cleaned the pins enough to fix a PC that powers on, but with >noting to screen. (A long shot, but it has worked). I knew it was not the >CPU on this one, because I had CPUs to try out on it. Email me when you find >what the problem finally turned out to be. > >Good Luck > >Wayne Ware > > > The NOSPIN Group is now offering Free PC Tech support at our newest website: http://freepctech.com