The other day i plugged my mp3 player into the usb port in the front of my computer and my mouse suddenly disappeared, then i couldn't shut down so i had to just manually reset it to come back on, well then i noticed after it booted that i had no usb because i didnt have my internet which is a wireless usb card and my hard drive (external) didn't get recognized. Well at the time i didn't have time to mess with it cause i had to goto work so when i got home i opened up the case and noticed dust so i took the computer outside and got the dust out of everything and came back in and hooked everything back up and now it's dead like it won't power or anything so my first thought is it has to be the Power Supply (350watt) i thought maybe the mp3 player must have been to much...but it wasn't in the past i don't know so here's what i tried so far...thanks for any help. I started thinking my mobo or ps was dead so i took the mobo out of the case (hoping it was just shorting out because of the standoffs) and placed it on a thick phone book, then proceeded to try and post. i just had 1 stick of RAM, my Processor and heatsink, my graphics card, and my monitor to the graphics card and then hooked the ps connections up then i turned on the ps. The motherboard light came on and then I took a small screwdriver and touched the power led prongs it then started the fans but only for about 3-4 seconds and then it would go off, i tried it numerous times and it still would only last like 3 or 4 seconds. is that normal and does this mean my mobo and ps still work? I haven't tried it back in the case yet because i did notice that my monitor didn't come on it acted like it had no connection. thanks for any help guys...i'm desperate in finding out this problem.

My opinion: Static electricity from your body can ruin the electronic components in computers. MoBo's need mounting posts to provide a circuit to ground, not in a phonebook. Watch for help from others.

Try clearing the CMOS.

How's the best way to do that? I know you can just take the battery out and wait a few seconds and put it back in, is there something else that would clear the CMOS? sorry i'm kinda new at some of this.

If you check your motherboard manual some have jumpers that can be used to reset it but first why dont you try to borrow a psu from somebody then that can be ruled out first Chuck2 motherboards dont need mounting posts I always mount my processor and heatsink and put in ram and a graphics card leave it on the foam it came in the box with and use a screwdriver across the pins and enter the Bios to check all is ok before mounting the board etc If any advice helps, please post back as it might help others.

smifff When troubleshooting, ALWAYS do the easy stuff first. Clearing the CMOS is one of the easy things.

"is there something else that would clear the CMOS? sorry i'm kinda new at some of this." Those that dont understand the Bios settings should leave them alone dont you think ? If any advice helps, please post back as it might help others.