This may seem silly simple, but I had a computer do that once. No one in the coffee shop could figure out why it kept doing that. I got disgusted and decided to pack up and leave. That was when I realized that the cord had detached from the machine, and the computer was hibernating to save the end of my battery.
Hate to ask this, but is it plugged in?
Good one Andy, but if the battery is not locked into place using the slider locks all type of issues. Pull out the battery make sure the power supply cord is not connected either. Push back in the battery then make sure the sliders for the battery are in the lock position. You should be able to press and release the power button and the unit should be okay now, just make sure you have the battery fully charged.
tipstir, I have an Acer Netbook and the CMOS battery is not removable. That's why Acer put the memory erase feature into the power button.
-- Andy