Question : Problem: Flashing lights in front panel.

My wife has a compac computer P3 500Mhz 128MB ram and for some  reason both lights in the front panel are flashing. They are the power light and drive access light. The computer runs fine except for the flashing lights. The question is what does the flashing lights mean and how do I fix it so it is not flashing anymore?

Answer : Problem: Flashing lights in front panel.

From a Compaq troubleshooting guide for deskpro and workstations:  (http://www.bio.ifi.lmu.de/~steiner/linux/120205-002.pdf)
"Power is continuous to the sytem board and power supply even when the power switch is turned off."

What model of Compaq do you have?  There should be a sticker or label on it somewhere that says whether its a deskpro or pressario, and which model number it has.  With that model number, the web page I listed above should be very helpful.