Desktops forum: No video signal to monitor

I have a Gateway FX510S, Core 2 Duo 2.13 ghz, 320gb, Nvidia 7300TC 64 video card, XP media center (I have to have XP for my work). Last night I powered down a perfectly good computer. This morning to start working, when I powered it on, there was nothing on the monitor. Monitor power light was yellow/orange. Desktop power button was blue. This computer is two years old and still in warranty. Called Gateway. Gateway had me unplug everything and hold the power button for 30 seconds, then reconnect, which did not change anything. (After reading on the web a bit, it sounds like a bad video card to me.)

Gateway said send it for repair because it's not getting the signal. I get the email for repair return. Lots of statements about wiping the hard drive. So, now I am leary of sending it to Gateway, even if it is in warranty. Then I realize my work invoice and all the data that created it in the last 10 days is on that hard drive --- the invoice that has to be turned in Tuesday. Obviously, it will not be back from Gateway by Tuesday and if it were, the hard drive is probably going to be wiped.

My panicky thoughts are ....

Buy an external hard drive and get my computer guy to clone the Gateway harddrive before I send it to Gateway. If I need my data for my work invoice, could I just pull that onto my laptop from a cloned hard drive?

Get the computer guy to just install a new video card? Any estimates on the cost of that? This would take Gateway out of the picture.

I am a self-employed person who lives by the computer. I have my laptop almost as a clone to my desktop, but have not updated the laptop since 11/02/08. Alot of data has been put on the desktop since 11/2.

Any thoughts (other than, dummy, you should back up every day)?