Compaq V3000Z stuck battery, and replacement RAM

I got HP Compaq V3000Z laptop with 12 cell battery a few weeks ago. I was trying to remove the battery so the laptop can easily fit into my bag, and alas, the battery won't come out. The battery latch is stuck at "release" position, but the battery won't pop out.

I contacted HP through web chat, and their solution was sending me the service manual, so basically they want me to disassemble my new laptop?!

Any help would be appreciated.

Ambi
PS.
I have upgraded the memory to another 512mb using this ram and it works great with Prime95 running five hours without an error.

Kingston Technologies 512MB DDR2 SDRAM Notebook Memory (KVR533D2SO/512R)

KGT KVR533D2SO512

 

I would suggest calling them up and sending it for warranty repair. If the battery latch is in the release position and the battery wont pop out suggests that the internal locking/unlocking mechanism might be broken. It is probably something HP has to fix. They shouldnt expect an end user especially if it is covered under warranty to fix suff, HP should fix it free of charge.

 

This seems to be a known issue (though based on the lack of google hits, a not too common one).

From this forum:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1583915&highlight=battery+latch#post1583915

Some google hits: http://davidlcz.freeprohost.com/review-compaq-presario-v2000/