Jump Start
an ATX Power Supply
When working on computers, many times a machine's failure to work or work properly is due to a failing (or failed) power supply unit. Luckily, it is easy to find out if a PSU is dead. This little trick is one of the easiest to learn, and possibly one of the most useful, as it does not require any special tools.
Instructions
Powering Up
1. Unbend the large paper clip in such a way that it resembles a pair of tweezers.
2. Grasp the ATX PSU connector in your hand. If the PSU is installed in a case, you will need to remove it.
3. Identify a solid green wire in the bundle of wires going to the ATX connector. The shade of green does not matter.
4. Locate a solid black wire near the green wire.
5. Hold the ATX connector with its plug facing you. Take the paper clip and place one end into the hole corresponding to the solid black wire, and place the other end into the hole corresponding to the green wire. If the PSU is not completely dead, the cooling fans in the unit will spin up and the PSU will supply voltage to the various colored leads.
Tags: green wire, black wire, hole corresponding, into hole, into hole corresponding, Jump Start, Jump Start Power