What is this little ah heck I found bridged in my motherboard?

have you read the manual on your motherboard????? it's a jumper

RTFM

it's called a jumper. they're common computer parts, and even though you may not notice anything different removing it may have changed something.

Hmm, I believe it to be a jumper although your picture is very difficult to see. On my MOBO, I believe there is a set of 3 pins for resetting the CMOS or something like that, the jumper stays on the left pin and the middle pin during normal operation, and you move it to the center and right pin to reset the CMOS. Look it up in your MOBO manual or at least post some specs.

That is a jumper block. Just put it where you found it and leave it alone.

With the make/model number of the motherboard or system (assuming it is a pre-built/OEM machine) it should be possible to find an appropriate manual or diagram and figure out what that jumper affects.

Lots of times the motherboard is labeled on specific parts. And lots of times the individual contacts are labeled. It'll be REALLY small text. If you can make it out and type it in, we can prly tell u what removing or keeping that jumper on did.

Most likely it was a bios setting, maybe reset the the bios or something. If you didn't notice a change, you probably won't, but just leave it on there so you have the option to use the feature you unknowingly used.

See these links for system info:

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01883664/c01883664.pdf

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01870938/c01870938.pdf

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01869745/c01869745.pdf

Here's an example of what I'm guessing you removed, and the text beside it. Like I said, if you can tell us the text, we can tell you what you did.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/ewfrf-JAVA/Doc/images/111/c00638523.jpg

That would be the jumpers to reset the BIOS.

Okay, yeah it was prly ur BIOS password reset jumper. You didn't access ur BIOS, or even have a password set in the first place, so you wouldn't notice any difference in removing that jumper.

However, if you have a BIOS password set and you forget it and need to reset it, you simply move that jumper and hold the power button and the password is gone.

From Maintenance & Service Guide (page 236) of the 3rd link I sent earlier:

Resetting the Password Jumper
To disable the power-on or setup password featur
es, or to clear the power-on or setup passwords,
complete the following steps:
1.
Shut down the operating system pr
operly, then turn off the comp
uter and any external devices,
and disconnect the power cord from the power outlet.
2.
With the power cord disconnected, press the power
button again to drain the system of any residual
power.
WARNING!
To reduce the risk of personal injury fr
om electrical shock and/or hot surfaces, be
sure to disconnect the power cord
from the wall outlet, and allo
w the internal system components
to cool before touching.
CAUTION:
When the computer is plugged in, the power supply always has voltage applied to
the system board even when the unit is turned off. Failure to disconnect the power cord can result
in damage to the system.
Static electricity can damage the electronic co
mponents of the computer or optional equipment.
Before beginning these procedures, ensure that yo
u are discharged of static
electricity by briefly
touching a grounded metal object. See the
Safety & Regulato
ry Information
guide for more
information.
3.
Remove the computer cover or access panel.
4.
Locate the header and jumper.
NOTE:
The password jumper is green so that it can
be easily identified.
For assistance locating
the password jumper and other system board comp
onents, see the Illustrated Parts & Service Map
(IPSM) for that particular system. The IPSM can be downloaded from
http://www.hp.com/
support
.
5.
Remove the jumper from pins 1 and 2. Place the jumper on either pin 1 or 2, but not both, so that
it does not get lost.
6.
Replace the computer cover or access panel.
7.
Reconnect the external equipment.
8.
Plug in the computer and turn on power. Allow th
e operating system to start. This clears the current
passwords and disables the password features.
9.
To establish new passwords, repeat steps 1 throu
gh 4, replace the password jumper on pins 1 and
2, then repeat steps 6 through 8. Establish the
new passwords in Computer Setup. Refer to the
Computer Setup (F10) Utility Guide
for Computer Setup instructions