I'm hoping you can help me with a problem I'm having with one of my company's IBM ThinkPad T20 notebooks. I can't start up the unit after a hibernation under Windows 2000. All of my efforts—pressing the power button, using a paperclip in the unit's reset button, pounding the notebook with my fist—have failed. This problem occurs regardless of whether the unit operates under battery power or AC power. How do I wake this system from its hibernation?
An IBM technician informs me that your problem isn't related to Win2K or hibernation but is the result of an overcharged capacitor inside the unit. To remedy the problem, first remove any batteries (i.e., the internal battery and the Ultrabay battery, if installed) from the unit. Next, you need to drain any remaining charge from the capacitor: With the batteries removed, hold the power button down for at least 90 seconds. The overcharge should completely drain, and you can then reconnect the batteries or AC power and turn on the unit.