This does not sound to be a Windows problem at all...if it stops before Windows is called to start, you are still in the BIOS mode and than it is a serious hardware / BIOS failure...check your BIOS and the requirements for your ZIP drive, the setting for the printer port (ECP etc...).
If your printer card is an add-on (a PCI or IDE card) take it out and reseat it after cleaning (dusting with brush) the contacts. Try it on another printer port. That the printer works does not necessarily confirm that the port works correctly for other peripherals.
The clicking of your monitor is the sound of a contactor which just lost power, i.e. the signal from the VGA card.
One more thing (I hear some others laughing already...) is your monitor plugged in to the power supply unit of the computer? If so, remove the cable, use another power source and start the monitor a couple of seconds before you start the computer, there is a fair chance that the power surge while starting everything up gives a break somewhere and it is very well possible that even your motherboard does not work anymore (you said the fan is the only thing working....no noise from harddrives????) and this means that the PSU does not supply power to anything, this in turn switches your monitor into standby mode and your zip drive does not work . Now you want to tell me...but the printer...well, the power consumption of the printer is by far not as high as the one from the ZIP drive (unless you are talking about a laser....).
Let us know...I guess you are running close to the maximum possible power consumption ...
Last edited by FL310; 1st April 2002 at 19:59.