Most monitors will behave that way if they don't get a signal from the computer so there's nothing to display. A quick check of the monitor itself is to disconnect the signal cable from the computer and then turn the monitor on. Most monitors will display some kind of a message that there's no input and to check your cable connection. Then the power indicator changes color as the monitor blanks out.
You will probably find that your computer isn't starting up when you turn on the power. A common computer problem is that it will turn on when you press the power button, showing a power light and you'll hear the fans inside start running, but it never actually starts running. Then there's no video to the monitor and you see the trouble you described.
The monitor may still be bad. If everything seems to be starting normally and you hear the Windows startup sound through your speakers, but the display stays blank, try another monitor. If that one works, you'll need to have the bad one serviced or replace it. If the test monitor is also blank, the video circuitry in your computer has failed. If the video is built into the motherboard, you can install a plug-in video card as a replacement.
If the computer is turning on but never starts running, that can be a pain to figure out because several things can cause the trouble. The most frequent causes are a bad power supply or motherboard. Bad RAM or a defective drive or other device connected to the motherboard can also keep the board from starting up. The processor itself can fail, but that's not common. I start by removing everything except for the power supply, processor and fan to see if the motherboard is starting. If the motherboard doesn't give a "no memory" error (usually a long beep), you need a power supply or motherboard. Otherwise, the basic hardware is fine, and you can start replacing parts until the trouble comes back, and then you'll know what caused it.
Good luck, and thanks for using Fixya!
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