Hi, TheQuij.
1. Do you have more than one user on the computer? I'd like to confirm that the behavior is not specific to
your Windows user account. Be sure the other use is in the Administrator security group. If you don't have a second user, you can add one or use the default Administrator user. At the Welcome Screen, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to display the classic log-in screen. Type in Administrator as the user name and its password (it may be blank unless you remember setting one during the initial install of Windows).
Does this problem exist under the other user? If not, then you need to create a new User account for yourself and copy your profile settings. I can provide additional instructions if this is the case.
2. Do you have a Windows CD? If so, try running System File Checker (SFC). It can fix certain issues in Windows where specific system files get corrupted, deleted, or infected. Basically the System File Protection watches the system files and checks their integrity against it's knowledge of what these files are supposed to look like. Generally if a system file get's "messed with" windows will let you know and give you the option to dissallow the change, sometimes you don't get this option though. The System File Checker is a command line utility that will initiate a scan of all the system files to make sure they are in their original state, present on the system, and or working properly. It's an easy tool to use but the user HAS to have an XP disk for it to work.
- Place the Windows disk in your CD ROM drive
- Start > Run > cmd then type
- sfc /scannow (note the space), allow this to run until you get a message saying it is complete.
SFC - system file checker, retrieves the correct version of the file from %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file. If you want to see what was replaced, right click My Computer > manage, expand event viewer > system.
Did that fix the problem?
3. If not, can you determine which software (or device driver, software update, etc) you might have installed around the time you noticed Standby and Hibernation were no longer options? Try uninstalling that software.
4. It may be time to install a Windows fresh. If you received a Windows disk with your system, you should be able to reinstall with no problem. However, if IBM places the reinstall files on a hidden partition of the hard drive, you'll need to use their restore procedure.
Be sure to back up your data and files first.