This time the monitor on MY desktop has quit working (after I spent hours working inside the case.
![HairOut :hairout:](./images/smilies/hairout.gif)
This all started when I tried to put an SD memory card in the card reader built into the 3.5" floppy drive. It wouldn't read. I've never used the card reader before. I popped the case and realized that the card reader requires an internal USB header but there is not one on this old Dell Dimension 4700 mobo. I remembered then that I had been through this when I installed the floppy drive. Looking inside, I realized that one of my internal hard drives was not connected; so I connected it. I got a bit frustrated because there are too many cables inside.
I got a good deal on a 650W PSU some time back and bought it thinking that I'll be buying a new mobo and chipset sometime soon (another tale best saved for later). The 650W PSU has lots of spare cables that this little Dell doesn't use. I had not been a very careful tech when I installed it. The cables had come to look like a rat's nest ; so . . . I disconnected ALL cables and cleaned and vacuumed the dust bunnies. When I reconnected all the devices and fans, I paid a good deal more attention and even used cable ties to neaten things up a bit inside. I looped and tied off cables that were unnecessarily long and looped and tied off the unused power cables (several molex for non-SATA devices, a spare SATA power cable and several IDE power connectors.
Of course, before I dove under the covers I disconnected all the external cables to make handling the tower case easier. Before reconnecting the external cables, I connected the power cable to check that the fans all spun and that the BIOS hit all the drives. I then reconnected the external cable saving the power cable for last. I connected the power and all was well except that the Dell flat screen monitor indicator light went from green to amber and I never got a display.
The monitor is getting power (indicator light is on and diagnostics and adjustment switches work) but is not getting signal. The monitor is DVI cabled. I disconnected and reconnected that cable several times (after disconnecting CPU power) to no avail. The after-market graphics card has 2 DVI connectors; so I tried both. Again, to no avail.
I would welcome and greatly appreciate suggestions for further trouble shooting. I have already suggested to myself that well-enough should be left alone but it is far too late for me to heed that advice.
TIA