Silly question-how does one switch off a laptop

[mgh]

Have an IBM thinkpad with XP home edition, which has on button and on rare occasions when it crashes ctrl+alt+del works.
Today it crashed badly-with a message that windows was switched off to avoid damage to my laptop.
Nothing worked-looked for power button-none-finally thought of removing battery and turned it upside down -it switched off!!
Any better way?!

[Forum Troll]

Hold the power button down for 5 seconds and the machine will power off.

[mats.hogberg]

On occations, I've found removing the battery to be the only way out, yes.

/Mats

[drjtech]

Which Thinkpad model? There should be a reset switch near the power button. You'll need a paper clip or pen point to press the switch since it is recessed in a small hole.

-drj

[mgh]

Glad to know,i'm not the only one who has faced the problem.
Could not find reset switch of any kind
Think held down power button for some time, not sure-will try next time.
The alarm was on loud,could not turn it off,volume buttons were not working, was desperate.
Foryunately, no damage to laptop-still working OK

[Snakebyte1]

We had this DIGITAL laptop at work (top of the line when it was new), that had a port replicator attachment that fitted to the bottom of it. You could only get the attachment off when the machine was powered down. Naturally the attachment covered the battery bay.

When the laptop crashed (and that was often) you could only power it down by yanking the battery, but if the replicator attachment was on you were screwed and just had to let the battry drain!!!!!!

[mgh]

Located my manual.
It says to hold the power button down for four seconds
If that fails, to remove battery!!
Guess that means I have to move around with a laptop and a screwdriver

[mats.hogberg]

you were screwed and just had to let the battry drain!!!!!!

Cool - I had a Dell, that could start squealing like a pig, completely catatonic, with the only option left to remove the battery. Luckily, that was a simple operation. I see (and hear) before my inner vision this happening on the train, off to work, and having to wait for the battey to drain...

/Mats

[mgh]

you were screwed and just had to let the battry drain!!!!!!

Cool - I had a Dell, that could start squealing like a pig, completely catatonic, with the only option left to remove the battery. Luckily, that was a simple operation. I see (and hear) before my inner vision this happening on the train, off to work, and having to wait for the battey to drain...

/Mats

Perfect poetic description of the sound-drove me mad