I KNOW this is very hard to diagnose online but I will do my best explaining, and if you cannot answer, give your best guess and, on a scale 1-10 (1=least 10=most) on how correct you think it is.

I have a Gateway... old gateway, sorta irrelevant, sorta due to the fact I do not know what type of gateway it is.

I have this red-light on my motherboard that says "usb front panel". I am assuming red means bad.

The monitor will not turn on, but the power light and processor light on the front of the case turn on. There are three connectors that look like this:

oooo
xooo

xooo
oooo

oxoo
oooo

each o represents a pin, each x represents a "blank" spot.

the first and last wires CONNECT to identical ports on the little 2x1 in. "usb front panel"

the middle connects to the on/off buttons, which, obviously cannot be removed.

due to the unique-ness of each cable, they cannot be swapped.

if I completely remove both first and third cables (that connect to the usb panel) the light remains on. I have tried all combinations of first, third, etc)

I have removed all the cards in the system (that would be RAM, wireless card, old modem/phone card, CD drive, and hard drive) and LEFT the slots blank, hoping to get something on the monitor.

when I power on the system, the FAN on the processor starts spinning and generates heat after a few minutes.

I have tried the monitor in other machines, so I am sure it works.

I am --NOT-- sure if the cables work or not, since I do not own a machine like this. I would really hate to go into a building like Best-Buy (circuit city was better!) and replace cables 1 and 3 and still have the problem.

please mention all possible problems, sorted from most likely to least.

this is not my only pc, and not my most powerful pc, but it is my only desktop, and having a desktop was enjoyable.

~Liam

P.S. I will TRY to provide photos later if I find my camera or install some web cam drivers.Try pull a model number off that motherboard and Google it....with any luck you'll get a manual for the board with an explanation of the lights.....Red light on the motherboard was a power indicator I believe.No, my power indicator is green. I am sure. --

and I will try.sorry for double post --

Hah! first three seconds of searching I find the patent ID -- http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d845epi/


EDIT: http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/D845EPI/PI_English.pdf  -- that PDF file -- search in it for "usb front"

the only result there mentions the front panel... nothing else found.

EDIT TWO!:  The red light started BLINKING

EDIT THREE!:  The red light stopped blinking when I put the power-wattage(?) on the power supply up to 230.

when I connected an auxillary cable to the "headphone" section of the front of the non-working pc to the "mic in" slot on my working PC, the working pc detected sound, going to try and record it

EDIT FOUR!: it was just a popping noise that the machine makes when starting