Hey.

I'm just wondering if there is a way in which to test some of my computer components (processor, video card, memory chips, hard drive, etc.) which have been handled in the buff recently for any possible ESD (electrostatic discharge) damage.

There is something not working on my Dell Inspiron 5150 and without cracking it open and replacing each part with a part I know works, one by one, I have no idea how to find which piece I most likely fried.

The notebook turns on, has power, the fan spins, and any discs inside the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive spin...but nothing, absolutely nothing shows on the screen.

I've hooked it up to alternate monitors, thinking maybe my LCD just went to ****...but once again, no picture. So that leads me to believe it's something internal. Most likely my Pentium 4 or my hard drive...but the hard drive works in my Dell Latitude 510, although I had to reinstall the OS right away. Which means the hard drive crashed, correct? Even so, that's not a big problem to me, as long as it still works. When I put the drive back into the Inspiron, however, no changes.

Any ideas as to what the problem likely is? And, for my own reference, is there any way to test individual pieces, such as my motherboard, for possible ESD damage? I was hoping to sell off some parts, but without knowing if they're destroyed or actually in operating condition, I can't really do that. You know, not ethically.

Best regards and thanks,

M. Riordan