It's alive! :-)

I bought and installed a new PSU and everything works beautifully again. Thank you all for your help and Rharv you nailed the problem :-)

I monitored the voltages on the new supply and they were quite stable, none of them went below the rated value at all although a couple of them changed a little (.01 volts +-). The original PSU voltages almost all went below the rating but would drift across the correct value. They changed constantly but I had to watch the new supply voltages closely to see any change at all. The 12volt line on the old supply never reached 12 volts... highest was 11.97. The new supply is 12.22 and it changes .01 volts down and back up once in a while.

Just for the record the failure of the M-Audio 2496 to initialize was not the only symptom. On two occasions over a week period the monitor lost video and I could hear loud clicking in the speakers like a high voltage discharge. It lasted for a few seconds and everything went back to normal. Yesterday before I changed the supply I turned on the PC and it booted part way and suddenly started over. The second boot completed and the audio card even initialized.

But now it works and I am a very happy camper <LOL>

Thanks again,

Gale

Mr. G