PC won't start, prob some mobo troubles

[GareRaap]

Hi people,

Last Friday when I wanted to start my PC, it didn't react. I shut the PC down just like I always do the day before, so nothing went wrong there. So I checked the power supply but that was all functioning well. I opened up the computer and saw that 3 of those tiny things that should connect to those pins on the motherboard were loose. They're all black/ red wired. Two say 'I' and 'II' and the other says 'HDD'. I think the PC won't start because of these wires being loose, 'cause it seems that they come from the direction of the starting button on the front of the computer. I tried to put them on some pins but there are so many and I don't have a clue what they're all for. Sometimes the 'I' or the 'II' on the front panel of my computer lit up orange when I had put the connectors somewhere but nothing else happened. I already replaced the battery on the mobo (and I held it the right way, so it didn't ran empty or anything while I was holding it) but that didn't fix the problem.
I guess it's really these 3 connector-thingies that cause it. I downloaded the manual of my mobo (which is an Asus A7N8X) but I didn't understand much of it. I downloaded it somewhere here: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us .
Sooo... does anyone know where to put these 3 connectors or whatever they are? I'm female, an alpha and a complete computer n00b so any help is more than welcome on this matter!

 

[PC eye]

It sounds like you could use a Welcome to the Computer Forum! http://www.computerforum.com/70672-official-welcome-thread.html and the reminder to new members to review the http://www.computerforum.com/off-topic-chat/announcements.html

The problem you are having isn't difficult as you may think. The hardest part is actually plugging the small plugs onto the pins without bending any of them. In the manual for the board whether the paperback form or downloaded PDF file you will see a page with a diagram for the board. The small plug as well as the block of pins on the board will have things abbreviated like PLED for power led, HLED for the hard drive led, RS sometime for the reset, and PSW or PS for the power button/switch.

When looking at the diagram and the board too you should pairs of pins marked off sometimes with a different color for each pair on the block itself. Or you may simply see a white line going around a pair with an RS or PLED printed on the board. You simply match each plug with print on that to the correct pins on the board. Note the plus(+) or minus(-) sign seen on the plug with red being positive and black wires there for ground. When you plug them in on the wrong pair or reversed things simply own't work.

It helps to have a small flashlight and a pocket sized magnifying gless when you are new in order to spot the correct pins for each plug coming from the front panel. You also don't want to confuse the wires for power or led lights with any for front audio jacks or usb ports on the front or top of the case there.