Boot Problems

When I power up my Inspirion 8600, the usual DELL screen comes up.  Then, as usual, I get the mildly lit background and cursor in the upper left corner.  And that is it.  Normally, it would pop into Windows XP and then it's on its way.  I've booted under F12 - Diagnostics and everything passes.  I've tried repair from the DELL system disk I got with the computer.  I go around in circles.  If I tell it to reinstall Windows it goes through the motions and I get nowhere.  I've tried booting from the DELL CD --- I keep going around and around.  If I try a repair with the DELL system CD it asks for my Admin PW.  I had re-entered that PW with the F2 --- it still doesn't take it.  I've tried repair with my Windows XP disk and nothing happens.  No matter what I try, I can't boot beyond the cursor with the hard drive and I can't boot into Windows with the CD.

Something's crazy because when I turn the computer on and it hits the cursor the Dynex card that I use to hard-link to my Fios source does not light up.  When I am going through the motions with the restore functions, it is connected and the lights are on.  So, somewhere, something seesm to be working.  I get no error messages ANYWHERE.  I have no problems under the F2 functions and as far as F12 goes, I can't boot from HDD' no NIC functions available, it looks like it works from CD but then we go into Catch 22; Diagnostic works fine but after it's done it's job, there's a void.

Does anybody have an idea?  It's my wife's computer and she is going nuts and driving me the same.  Thanks.