When turned on (either with battery only or with both battery and utility power connected) the laptop displays nothing except a blend of colored vertical lines. And, it doesn't seem to power up at all, without the battery inserted (with only its utility power connected).

First check that your memory ( RAM) are firmly seated.Press on the memory sticks to make sure they have good contact.
Also The issue could be related with the operating system, as for instance in some cases the OS causes computer turns on, and turns off again. what I can suggest is that you re install the operating system again, or reboot computer to the factory defaults from the rescue CDs that you made. If the problem still exists , then there must be some hardware issue. In which I recommend you contact Dell support.

The following troubleshooting guidelines are basic troubleshooting steps. Battery Charging It is recommended to charge the battery while the system is off for faster charge times. Users may notice longer charge times when the system is powered on and running graphics extensive applications.
No POST If the system does not perform a Power On Self Test, there are various things to look for:

1. Check to ensure that the system has a power light.
2. If the system has no power light, ensure that it is plugged into AC power. Remove the battery.
3. If the system has power but is not performing a POST, check to see if the keyboard status lights flash to indicate a successful POST, but no video, or that the keyboard status lights are lit in a sequence indicating a system problem.

1. With the power off and the system unplugged, remove all CRUs from the system and reconnect that AC adapter to the system and try again.
2. Run the On Board Diagnostics (OBD).

Video If the LCD on the system shows no display, or has other LCD problems, there are some basic steps to take:

1. If the LCD is not displaying video or the video is garbled, run the BIST Test.
2. If the LCD is not displaying any video, connect an external monitor to eliminate a no POST problem. A good image on the external monitor eliminates a video card problem or a POST problem.
3. Connect an external monitor when possible for all LCD related problems, to help eliminate a software possibility or video card problem.
4. If the LCD has extremely dim video, attempt to adjust the brightness or connect an AC adapter to eliminate a power management conservation setting set in the BIOS.
5. If the LCD has lines on the screen, check the system during POST as well as system setup to verify if the lines are present in all modes of operation. Run the BIST Utility.
6. If the LCD has color problems, run the BIST Utility.
7. Run the On Board Diagnostics (OBD).

try to power drain the laptop,turn it off, removed the battery and unplugged the charger then press and hold the power button or the on and off button for one minute the connect the laptop directly to the power outlet without using the battery for the meantime,then power it on, if nothing happens,contact manufacturer for LCD issue

1. Check your power cord & adapter.
2. If its working then check the battery, reseat the battery & check.
3. If available then check with another battery
4. If no, then remove the battery & switch on the PC in AC mode.
5. Check if battery charging indication or AC power on indication is glowing. if not then need to change ur motherboard.
6. If indication is OK, but could not power ON then check ur RAM for any loose connection or dust. clean & reinstall.
7. If still no display, connect an external monitor, check if display is comming.
8. If Display is coming then your LCD need to replace.

is it a laptop or a desktop? for laptop,try to removed the battery and connect the laptop directly to the power outlet,then try to turn it on,if nothing happens,try to power drain the laptop by unplugging from the power outlet then press and hold the power button for at least one minute then try to connect it again to the power outlet,for desktop,check wire connection,try power draining the desktop

in stead of alt crtl del try pressing F8 key on keyboard after you turn it on, it will display a few options. go from thee.

in case it does not stars, you may have a faulty memory ram. it needs to be replaced

hi.there...don't worry.. what happens with your new cellphone..is normal..why? when your battery is low and there a pop up screen at the display "battery low...please recharge" that's mean you must charge the battery soon.
when connect your phone to charger adapter and your battery is very low / weak condition the display only showing "hellomotto" and nothing else. but it's normal! diplay need more power from you battery to showing all information.after the battery reach the minimum power to display it ( usually after 15-20' charging) try to push red bottom at your keypad phone and the display will showing again..good luck..

take out the battery and boot laptop purely on power without power.

If its successfull then put the battery in and it will be fine.. Later on get the battery replaced

I sounds like the display inverter is bad (it provides the backlighting for the display); except for the part about the internal power shutting down. power it up with the battery removed and use a flashlight, shine it at an angle at the display and see if you can make out what should be on the display. if you do see something on the display, look on line for a display inverter for your model. [email protected]