Has my laptop died?

GotToChange

Is there a reddish tinge to what /the little you can see? If so.... you need to try to connect to another monitor and see what happens. Power failure (due to faulty power cable) will not have any image whatsoever; the fact that you can see a dim image is a warning sign.

I had this problem - in my case, it was the back light; various attempts at having it repaired (there is a step by step method on an old thread of mine) and I gave up and put up with a free-standing monitor, mush as I disliked the set-up. Costs to fix were around the £100 mark; the part has to come from the Dell. Still under warranty? They seem to be built to have this happen the week after the warranty expires.

Nevertheless, I have still purchased another Dell.