Monitor problem my Dell E176FP won't turn on. when the power is plugged in, the power button keeps flashing green light. what is that mean?

Your monitor has a self-test feature. Have you tried using it? The link below will give you directions on how to do this. It will also give you information on common problems.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E176FP/En/index.htm

Here is the user instructions:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E176FP/En/setup.htm#Using%20the%20OSD

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E176FP/En/index.htm

If you have already turn off the Lock function and it still comes on, then you may have problem in the logic bd. (EPROM is scrambled, or bad power +5vdc feeding the logic bd.).

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well that could be because the screen is going bad. you might want to get another one or take it in to get it fixed, no more than 100 to fix your screen.

you might need new ram memory or reinstall your ram cards.

See if the set has some sort of reset button. If none do a hard reset on monitor to hopefully clear the cobwebs in monitor electronics and see what happens.

If the Tower has a blue light, then it appears to be working, I'd check the cable connection to the video port on the tower and the INPUT Select Button of the Monitor (I've seen people change the input select to DVI when connected analog for example)

Well first off if its that old the warranty is up im sure. Second they won't deal with you since you are not the one who bought it. I'm sorry I had a similar problem to that altho I had bought the screen and it did the same thing a week after the warranty was up.

Dell will not give you a replacment since you were not the one whom purchased it...if you were they would only give you one if it was still under warranty.

Can you try hooking it upto another tower to see if the monitor is at fault and not the PC.

Did you friend show you that it was running before you bought it. Perhaps he sold you a monitor that was about hit the end.

Yeah, I called Dell yesterday, and they said it was a problem that I could not fix myself. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but my monitor was still under warranty, so they shipped me a replacement right away. I already got it this morning. 

FYI: Their monitors carry a three year warranty. 

The inverter power supply logic board has probably goe out. You can get it here or have it fixed.
http://www.lcdrepair.us/e176FPf-inverter-power-logic.html