Hi, I have an inspiron 1100 everytime i turn it on a black screen that talks about "safe mode" "safe mode with networking" "safe mode with command prompt" or "start windows normally" pops up after a minute or so the microsoft window screen comes on an then the dell it looks as if it will end up working but it jux goes back to the black screen,what i want to know is how to fix it without losing the memory.

Hi. I have a friend who recently got a laptop running windows xp last christmas. A few days ago it was running fine. Then one day, she went to start it, the start button on the right side lights up, but the screen stays totally black. The windows logo doesn't show upon startup, no login, no tool bar, no desktop, no nothing except black. I didn't ask, and don't know if the sound was turned down, but I didn't hear a chime either.
She wants me to look at it this morning (Easter Sunday). I am a Mac person myself, but even on Windows, there has to be a function key or combination of keys to try to get the desktop back, start in safe mode or something? I only tried starting it with the battery power, and asked her to bring the extension to plug it into the wall to see if that helps.
Could you please send me some possible troubleshooting I can try this morning before she has to take it in with a possible hardware problem? Like I said, the laptop is only 4 months old. Like macs, there has to be a way to try to bypass the black screen and lack of startup icons and lack of tool bars etc. to try to jump start this thing to work. If you could please send me a few things to try this morning, it would be much appreciated. You can email me at home at: svladoiu@sbcglobal.net

Thank you very much, and I'll be going over there around 10:30 or 11am. It's 8:45am now (midwest-Indiana time)
Thank you.