Computer frezzes after dell Splash screen i am left with a blank screen

[kerrynpermell]

Computer frezzes after dell Splash screen nothing happens i am just left with a blank screen, i check the monitor to see if thats the problem but that is working fine, i try to use f8 to boot into safe mode can't get there i have a dell dimension 8400 i also try to boot using a CD it will get as far as press a key to boot from cd then screen goes blank and nothing happens. At frist i thought it was the video card but how can that be it is displaying the dell splash screen i can't even go into the bios and the dell utilities. I ran the diagnostic tools and ever thing is green so now i am at a lost can't anyone help, can the problem be that the drive is about to fail? or is it the video card thats bad, even if the diagnostic say other wise. Additional info this happen 4 hours after i install some new software for my game controller and second the frist time i ran my diagnostic for the video card it did complete and i got no results i had to run each process by itself and they all passed. help please!

[DJ77]

what kind of hard drive do you have ???

[kerrynpermell]

80g sata on raid0 i think the brand is western digi

[dj_alien]

unplug all unecessary stuff from your computer, and try again see if you can isolate the problem.

[kerrynpermell]

I unplug all expect for the video card and 1 cdrom drive still no luck i can't even swap the video card out because the spares that i have to long for the dell case. what was dell thinking by putting the slot so close to the case

[dj_alien]

unplug the cd too, I had one laptop not turn on cause of the cdrom. You can reseat the cables for stuff too, ram etc...

[kerrynpermell]

ok i give that a try and let u know

[winsong]

Have you tried bringing it up in 'safe mode'?

Do you see any lights flash?
Keyboard?
diskette drive?
hard drive?

Do you hear any 'beeps'?

[kerrynpermell]

can't get to safe mode screen goes blank right after dell splash screen the keyboard is the only thing that lights up but if i turn off the num lock key for example i can't turn it back on once the screen goes blank

[kerrynpermell]

i tried pressing f8 before but will get the keyboard error so have to wait till the dell splash screen goes away before i can start pressing but nothing happening

[DJ77]

hey i know whats wrong it happened to me be4 i think your bios settings reset so im guessing that since most bioses have sata ports turned off i think u shud check it ....

[kerrynpermell]

yip that did happen but after turning it back on still nothing

[DJ77]

then i think your raid setting is messed up ........ OR try choosing your boot device and choose your hard drive ...

[kerrynpermell]

yeah it is set to boot off the hard drive no luck with that or booting off a XP cd

[winsong]

With the power off and the AC cord removed:

Check your system (inside) make sure it is clean.
Reseat all cables, connectors, video card, memory sticks
with the side cover still off, reattach the AC cord power the system on and make sure all the fans spin.

You should be able to get into the BIOS/Setup

Check your drive settings

I'm more inclinded to think it is a video issue, though.