let me try this here:

over the past few weeks my puter has been loosing time and days - so, i know it was the battery - was just trying to get life out of it until i had time to go get another good one.  well, over the past weekend, the kids kept playing thier neopets all through the "tropical pain in the butte" that we had here.  I never lost power (one of the lucky ones), but did have a few surges.  After the 2nd-3rd one, made the kids turn it off - just  didn't want to fry anything.  

when we went to boot up on Tuesday, I can't even get through a post test.  turn it up and you can see the fan spinning and the PSU is fine.  sometimes the HD even seems to start.  once a day - i can manage to get past a post - once got into the bios but all settings looked fine - even though i changed out the battery - but then the screen garbled up and froze and couldn't get back in.  the next day - my kid thought it was ok - booted up, even got to her neopets - but alas - the screen garbled up and froze.

I have unplugged things, plugged back in one at a time.   tried a "working HD" in there, switched BATTERIES, pulled the cmos jumper, pulled out various cards.  so far - nothing.  theory has it I may have fried something - but not sure what - does anyone have any ideas?  any there any beeping when booting?not a soundgo back into the bios...and chose setup DEFAULTS...option..save and exit..if you can...what ram have you got and mobo/bios/graphics card..Did you replace the CMOS battery? i know its and AMBIOS, AMD, not sure of the MOBO, and Diamond Stealth video card.  but the question remains - when i turn it on - i only have one shot at it - after that - nothing will happen - no video, no post beep - nothing, nada....also tried pulling out memory - one stick at a time - (64 and a 128 stick repectively) - so i don't think the memory fried.  My only thought so far is that maybe something fried anyway - but am a bit confused - because it originally was the battery - which i changed...(all this coming from a network support tech - lol!) you metioned powers surges i wonder if you have damaged this>http://www.fact-index.com/v/va/varistor.html in your psu....definately and interesting idea - nothing i ever learned tho - where would that be located?  i am at a point where i have changed / TRADED / unplugged everything except the cpu itself - which i guess i will try over the weekend - if no other ideas come to mind.

on the other hand - i have an old presario that i could try to get up and running....another question - another day..   just a question  or two when you installed this video card did you upgradeand how long has this vid card been installed for..video card has been in there for a while - no bios flashing going on here either.that maybe the main cause of you problem....but not flashing the  bios...you said it was an oddie pc?maybe it was not cmos battery but it needed a bios upgrade...maybe worth looking into.......TAKE out the vid card...go into the bios if you can and enable onboard graphics...try it..this may or may not work..thanx - will try these things next and post more tomorrow - or tonight should i get back on!   i think the problem is the graphics card...have a good look a the graphics card for tracking/scorch marks or any burning.....to add more to this did the keyboard lights stay on >num lock.didn't pay attention to the keyboard, and will check graphics card tonight.  but - i went home last NIGHT and managed to get through post, get to the bios and reset default settings - then when the screen went back to continue booting - nothing.