On my Gateway tower the power switch will not stay on. It's not getting the blue backlight either. The fan tries to start but doesn't make it all the way either. It happened a week or so before that but after a while if I pushed the button lon enough it came back on. Now it doesn't anymore.

This sounds like the symtoms of a power switch that may have failed and need to be replaced, or the power supply may be bad. (It could be both; don't keep trying to make a bad switch work, if it's shorting out.)
You can have the power supply load tested by a local computer tech if you take it in to them, and a new one is usually about $30.00. If the switch itself is bad, there is a way to jump the connection on the motherboard to check this, and in that case the machine will boot normally, and the power switch will have to be replaced. You can sometimes get these used from recycled systems, at a considerable discount. Just make sure you get the correct part number before searching online.
In either case, it's a relatively simple fix, once you have the parts in hand...
Enter your serial number at Gateway support and you should be able to look up the part numbers for your system. Make sure if you search 'power switch' you order not the plastic bezel button but the actual switch component. If you're handy, you can replace this yourself.

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
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I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!