Gateway nv78 will not boot

Try booting up without the laptop battery; Sometimes a bad battery will prevent the laptop from turning on.

Hello sknauer03;

Make yourself a bootable CD and see if you can get that to start up.
Ubuntu Desktop a complete OS that will run off a CD - without needing the HDD.

If CD won't autoboot try using the F12 key at power on.
Use the TRY IT option and not the install option.