My ACER ASPIRE 3000 PC NOTBOOK SCREEN BLANK

I'm a student who is currently home for the holidays and I'm having a problem with my laptop. When I first tried using my Acer Travelmate 2600, the computer would freeze in the middle of using a program and I would have to restart. This happened several times until finally, the screen just remains completely blank when I turn it on. The computer starts up, but the screen is just dead.

The last time I was home, I had the same problem with the laptop freezing up, but the screen never went dead (not from what I can remember). For some reason, when I took it back to school, it started working again. I thought at first that it may have something to do with the battery pack. I left the computer unplugged while using it for awhile, and as soon as I plugged it back in, it froze up. I'm wondering maybe if it is a simple virus? I really cannot afford to get it fixed if it's a major problem, the warranty just ran out. I would really appreciate any advice you can offer!! Thanks so much