Hi Castellen,
you wrote:
"As for the advice of never "poking around in the computer" while powered up...
Geez, I'd never get anything repaired!"
i 100% agree :-) but remember to remove your metallic bracelet before . . . .erm!!!! beleive me :-( (a VCR is gone here, some years ago)
Remeber also, that the 90% of the premature dead of many "consumer level" boards, is due the bad quality of the elctrolitic capacitors.
Ciao