Anyone still using their P7811FX?

Decided to dust off my P7811FX. It still runs very good. It's running a T9900 @ 3.06 and I added a Samsung 1TB SSD a while back and installed Windows 10 Pro. I have it on a 3-fan cooling pad which keeps it reasonably cool. I have newer laptops and a gaming PC I built, but I still can't part with my P7811FX.

 

Just saw your post, I finished restoring mine a few weeks ago. Earthquake dropped a fire bottle on the screen and completely destroyed it. I got a replacement screen and two Samsung SSD to replace the spinning Western Digital hard drives I have had in there since 2008. I also just upgraded the processor to a P9700 (I have a T9900) on the way. Amazing how a laptop this old is still very useable. Only problem I run into are games that require a DirectX 11 graphics card. Hopefully I can keep the 7811 running for a good long time! I've got other system also, but there is just something about this 7811 I can't let go!

 

Glad you were able to replace your screen. I also upped the memory to 8 GB. I replaced the wifi card with an intel 7260ac bluetooth/wifi card which doubled the download speeds.
My only problem now is it runs a little hot (40 c. idle) so when I get time I need to blow it our good and replace the thermal compound. Other than that, it runs great.

 

That's awesome! I literally just pulled P7908 from a box in the closet 5 days ago. It's very similar to the 7811. I'm wrapping up restoring it. New palmrest and back cover, new hdd covers, 2nd caddy, SSD, HDD. Have all that installed (bought the case pieces several years back but never did anything with it)

My only problem right now is that it hangs on restart.

Are you using MBR or GPT? I'm wondering if it has to do with that or a random driver issue.

 

Mine is using MBR. It could be a driver issue. See if one of these tips solves it too.
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/windows-10-stuck-on-restarting-try-these-fixes/

If nothing works, try posting in this forum. These guys are really good and should be able to solve it.
https://www.tenforums.com/

 

Thanks for the tips / links.

Disabling fast startup fixed the problem! The good news is that it still boots pretty damn fast due to the SSD as the primary OS holder.

https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/windows-10-stuck-on-restarting-try-these-fixes/?__c=1

 

Glad you got it sorted. I have newer laptops, but I still like my P-7811FX the best.

 

I'm noticing that the wifi has an on/off switch in the front right

However the button on the mobo is spring loaded, so when I move it to on, it pushes back to off. Problem is when I let go and it goes to off, the wifi shuts off. I'm going to have to sort that problem next.

There are a bunch of cooling pads out there. Which one are you using?

 

That is odd. Mine moves freely between on and off and stays wherever you set it. There must be something binding in the switch, It wouldn't make sense for it to revert to off on its own. Not sure how easy it would be to get to the switch even if you could find a replacement switch on eBay. It is designed to move freely between on and off. That being said, there is a second mini PCI-E slot next to the wifi adapter that came with the laptop. The second slot does not use the on/off switch. I'm assuming you would turn it off (or disable it) in network settings like more modern laptops without a switch. A last resort would be to use a usb wifi adapter. There are some tear-down videos on YouTube, but I couldn't find one that specifically shows removing the wifi switch.

The cooling pad I bought is:
havit HV-F2056 15.6"-17" Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad - Slim Portable USB Powered (3 Fans), Black/Blue

It's only $17.59 on Amazon right now which is a steal. Good luck!

 

OK That's good to know. I have mine torn down where I have the palmrest off and I can see the switch on the board itself (see photos). The external switch component isn't the issue. It's the internal piece that springs back to its starting position.

I do like your idea of adding a wifi dongle. Perhaps I will do that. Thanks for your ideas / help. I'm lucky that someone has a similar laptop and is still using it.

 

I don't like dongles, but it may be a viable solution. Another thought would be to contact this firm to see if they might have the internal switch.
http://www.laptopinventory.com/Laptop_Model.php/Gateway/FX SERIES/P-7811FX
Barring that, occasionally parts show up on eBay such as this MB.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283553667969?hash=item42051d9b81:g:N9YAAOSw35ZdMfc-
(looks like someone already removed the switch on that one though)

 

Does your SD/MMC card slot work with Windows 10?