BleepingComputer.com: Need Help, Please. Vista on Laptop Frozen using External Monitor, So I Can't See In Order to Troubleshoot

Hello my friends:
I have a serious issue that I hope someone can help me with.

While in the middle of checking my e mail remotely in Microsoft Outlook Web access, and attempting to exit to an external link in a message, Mozilla Firefox stopped responding, would not close, and I experienced a lock up that would not rectify. Even upon attempting a reboot, the laptop obviously remained on the cause of the issue and did not even give me the password prompt, and the same thing occurred after several stints of removing the battery for short periods and then attempting to reboot.

Here is the real kicker, though. Due to a cracked screen on the laptop, I have been using an external monitor in conjunction with the laptop. As a result, I cannot see anything that is actually going on. Previously, when all was perfect, the system would immediately progress to the password prompt screen in order to proceed working through the initialization of Vista. Now, everything remains dark, although it appears that I can still see the laptop stuck on a website at the very corner of the cracked screen, in addition to the computer still appearing to be in the constant state of processing info.

What I need, if someone is kind enough to assist, is a walkthrough on a system restore and diagnostic process utilizing the keyboard only in order to get me to a point where I can see something displaying on my external monitor that will allow me to see what is going and try to fix the problem, as I am in the blind at the moment with a locked up laptop.

Thanks in advance for anyone's assistance, and I hope to hear some expertise soon, as I am frustrated and concerned. Take care,
BBB

I have fixed the problem via an F8 system restore. All is good. Take care,
BBB