Standy By Option is grayed out

Perhaps this article explains your problem:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q307525
Windows XP and Advanced Power Management (APM) Support (Q307525)

I will check these tonight cheers...

Will be waiting!

Ok, bios is ACPI Compliant, no option to turn this off in the bios... I will look at modding the bios this week, i know this feature can be enabled...

ACPI is showing in the device manager under hidden devices.

No APM in the power management panel at all..

Check again to turn off APM in the Bios. It has to be there in order to be acpi compliant. When you find it, turn it off.

I had the same issue. Microsoft solved it (too bad I didn't realize I was wasting 1 of my 2 support options). Try this:
Based on your information, you might have a legacy driver called "THP878" loaded in Windows which is blocking normal advanced power management operations. To solve the problem, I suggest you perform the following steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type "devmgmt.msc" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and click OK.
2. In Device Manager, click the View menu, click Show hidden devices, expand the Non-plug and Play Drivers branch, and check to see if the THP878 is listed. If so, right click the THP878, click Uninstall to remove it. Restart the computer to test the problem.

If the problem still occurs, I suggest you perform the following steps:
1. Restart the computer.
2. When the Boot Menu appears at startup (or, if you don't dual boot, immediately BEFORE the XP logo shows up), press F8.
3. On the Windows Advanced Options Menu, select Safe Mode and press Enter.
4. In Safe Mode, locate the C:\windows\system32\drivers folder, and check to see if the THP878.sys file exists. If so, rename the THP878.sys file to THP878.old. (Note: I assume that you install Windows XP in c:\windows folder.)
5. Restart the computer and test the problem.

Ill try this on thursday as i am away tonight...

Hey Guy, THP878 not listed and no sys file for it on the system at all...

Hopefully you've already been helped by these great experts, but thought this to be of value, if you've not already checked WindowsUpdate.

WindowsUpdate just delivered IE 6 Service Patch 1 which also includes fixes to Outlook Express
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q326489
The following link shows you the list of fixes included in IE 6 SP1
http://support.microsoft.com/common/canned.aspx?R=d&H=List%20of%20Fixes%20in%20Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer%206%20SP1&LL=support&Sz=kbIE600sp1fix&Fr=&DU=&SD=GN&LN=EN-US&CND=1&VR=&CAT=&VRL=&SG=&MaxResults=150

WindowsUpdate just delivered Windows XP Service Patch 1
This shows you the items/problems fixed in this release.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q324722

":0) Asta

Ok after a re-installation and bios update the issue is now solved.  The bios that was installed had the option disabled.

regards

As it was the bios you have been awarded the points, thanks for all you help...

Thank you, and I'm glad I could help!