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
>
>  
>

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