PC hardware problem
 

I'm building my mother in law a PC for Xmas......all she does is play solitaire, surf and email. I got a cheap case with a cheap power supply ( I know, my bad ) and when I plugged it in the power supply started to smoke. Nothing turned on, not the fans or anything. All I saw was a light where the network cable was.
I went to Comp USA and bought a new 400 watt power supply and installed it. When I turn it on I get nothing, the fan in the power supply doesn't even rotate. How can I test to see if the new power supply is good and it's not the switch on the cheap case?

Test the power supply by using a flathead screwdriver to touch the contacts on the motherboard together. (Where the switch wire connects to the motherboard) This does the the thing as the switch. If it doesnt turn on, the PS is toast.

Taht was probably power supply, but when its smoked, it coul've give shock to your motherboard/devices... so bye bye PC

Should the power supply fan turn if I pull it completely out of the puter and plug it in?

Don't think so, you still need to turn it on.

But wouldn't the new power supply fan turn?

Due, you're getting a Dell....

This won't help your tech problem, but its not worth it to build a system if its not going to be a "high performance" machine....ie gaming, or high end 3d work.

just buy a cheap little 300 dollar pre-built rig. It's actually cheaper and more convenient to buy a PC for the very casual, non-power user.

best idea all day..

Craigslist or ebay you can get machine for 300 dollars..

you can also always buy her a cheap PC from Dell ( don't usually recommend them ) but for what she needs as you describe check this out

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topi...hs1&l=en&s=dhs

Brand new system for $289.00
Can't go wrong if it's just for simple stuff and you don't have to mess around trying to figure out what may or may not be working.
Your time and new replacement parts also cost money.
You probably will end up saying money going with the new system from Dell.

No, ATX style power supplies (practically all are "ATX style", including what You have) don't start up until they get a signal FROM the MoBo, via the Motherboard connector.

That's why the easiest way for You to test it is to connect it to the motherboard, and then short the motherboard's pins (where the case pwr connector plugs into), as suggested earlier here.

You'd know the PSU works then, and can connect the case power connector to the MoBo (to test if that's what's broken).

Agreed.

For people who just do e-mail, and simpleton things. I would never build them a machine.