*HP EliteBook 2540p Owners Lounge*

I had HP overnight me a new keyboard so I replaced it this morning. What's weird is the new keyboard is also slightly raised on the left hand side of the keys. It is the strangest things I've ever seen in a laptop! I can't figure out what is causing it because everything underneath the keyboard looks fine. It's a flat surface. I suppose I'm going to just to have to live with it.

In regards to the 3.5mm speaker jack, mine works fine.

 

Audio failed on 2540p. 64bit WIN7 Pro, 8gb, 160g SSD Intel G2
Audio failed after 2 months and motherboard replaced by HP. 4 days after motherbord replacement, Microphone/Headset jack was not switching from on board Mic/Speakers with iphone headset plugged in. Updated IDT audio and video drivers, plugged in headset, briefly heard audio then all audio failed again. Sent it back to HP for repair. Not sure what is going on with this one.

1-23-11 THandks HP for fixing this one.
Ok got it back and the issue fixed with another MB. I noticed the audio "pop" when the power button was pressed is gone on this repair. Could be a coincidence that this noice was present on previous MB's before the failure.

 

Hello, I have a 2540P and noticed a mini pcie slot when I replaced/upgrade the wifi card. Does anyone know if the mini pcie slot is compatible with a mini pcie SSD? I have searched around and found an Intel 80 GB SSD located here

Newegg.com - Intel Soda Creek SSDMAEMC080G2C1 mSATA 80GB Mini PCIe (SATA) MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

If anyone knows if this will work or not I would appreciate some feedback. If it will work, do you know how to install it (I know how to physically o install it, but will it need some drivers or a bios update?)

Thanks

 

Same failure and replacement also on my 2540p,the combo jack for microphone and headphones looks like a fragile component.

The same on my 2540p, the area around 'W' and 'E' keys is slightly raised,
seems a problem that affects more than one keyboard.

 

Nando4 or anyone else,

Is there a modded bios anywhere for the 2540P that will quiet the fan? The fan comes on about every 5 minutes (sometimes sooner) and will run for about a minute but it's extremely loud. Are there any options that I can do to change this?

 

First, I have only now discovered this thread and, as an owner of the 2740 - the tablet version of the 2540, more or less - it is most welcome. Unfortunately the sister forum to this for convertible tablets, TabletPCReview.com, has very little traffic on the Elitebook threads.

Noticed the exact same thing on my 2740p when I was changing a bad wifi card. That find, at Newegg, looks really interesting, especially for 2740s which are restricted to 1.8" drives, currently capped at 160GB. And the price/GB is not bad at all.

I have to admit, I've never quite understood the difference between pcie and ExpressCard ports, other than the size/shape of course. Do they both link directly to the motherboard? Different data speeds?

Shout out to Mr. 2.0. Missed ya. You must know the answer to this.

 

Would you mind elaborating on this comment? Why do you find the Protect Tools software so odious? I did find they were loaded with security tools I do not use or want, but I was able to slim down the PT "suite" primarily to support the FP reader and it doesn't seem to bog the machine down nor put me through the ridiculous prompts for multiple passwords/smart card/mother's maiden name to make sure I am "authorized to use my own computer.

I am using a 2740p, not 2540p, but aside from obvious differences (case is all metal on the 2740, better screein options, $400 more for equivalent configuration and, uh, it's a tablet.

Am I using a computer that is having performance problems due to the Protect Tools modules I've installed without knowing it? It seems very snappy and does fine in benches; can you suggest a benchmark to use?

 

I called the HP help desk and asked, the lady I talked with did not sound well versed in the HP 2540P, after sitting on hold for a couple mins, she returned with some interesting information. She said that a SSD is not compatible with the mini pcie slot next to the WIFI card (she explained (sounded coached) that the pcie slot is located in an area on the mobo that does not recognize storage?), and that the mini pcie slot is compatible with WIFI/GPS and video card/accelerators. While I have not tried this (yet) I found and ordered a mini pcie video card (link below). It should be here within the next couple of days so I will post a reply soon.


Newegg.com - Habey HB-VD904 Broadcom Crystal HD PCI express Mini Card AVC/VC-1/H.264 Enhanced Hardware Decoder/Accelerator - Server Accessories

 

mPCIe SSDs do not work in wifi/wwan mpcie slots as they do not have sata pins on them.

HP whitelist their mPCIe slot so your Broadcom decoder won't be recognised. You'll need DIY ViDock Setup 1.x's anti-whitelisting feature to overcome that. Though those hardware decoders are usually used in netbooks with slower IGPs than the Intel HD one provided with a 2540P/2740P.

 

Thanks for that unwelcome but helpful info. And thanks to you, Trika, for searching things out - even if you did get me excited only to be brought down.

I don't understand whilelisting very much, but is this beyond any kind of hack? Know if there is a reason HP would partially disable the slot? Do most/all other mfrs do the same?

 

HP whitelists as the easy way around international communication laws. Certain comms cards are not legal in certain countries. As for example, a wifi card that uses channels 12-13 on B/G is not legal in the US.

 

I have a different take on the rea$on why Lenovo and HP whitelist their wifi/wwan slots here. Consider that Dell do not apply whitelisting and sell their systems globally.

 

Both link directly to the motherboard via PCIe. Only difference is the connector and lanes. But that depends on the implementation by the manufacturer of the mobo. Some PCie are v1.x, same as Expresscard. Meaning max through put of 2GB/s (250MB/sec). Some are V2.x. Perhaps newer mobos. Some PCIe are 16 lane.

 

That's a very astute theory! Think I'll run with that one from now on.

 

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, many of the links go to the wrong place, like an hP printer page, but I'm encouraged to know there may be a way to beat the empire. Me, I need a fairly straightforward methodology. Amazing how often device mfrs lock out real power due to arrangements with third parties to do so. Soon, the wwan function will be universal and can't discriminate for/against any one vendor, or so I'm let do believe.

On a different slant, I recently got a B+N Nook Color, which is an awesome e reader with the beating heart of an Android 2.0 OS. Many have succeeded rooting it and are enjoying, at $259, a full fledged Android tablet, ala Samsung Galaxy tab, for 1/2 the price.

It's like the consumer is in a battle of wits with the mfrs. My bet is on the consumers: we don't back off.

 

Bump.

@autonemith: would you possibly be able to elaborate on your disparaging remarks about HP Protectools? Anyone else? Refer to my post below if poss. Thanks.

 

Sorry for the late reply. I decided to try the latest HP Protect Tools. While it is annoying to have to run this extra software, it is much better than it once was a few versions back, or perhaps just because of Windows 7. I had the worst experience with Protect Tools under XP and spent far too much time installing/removing and waiting for it to decide if a network connection was there and who knows what else, so it had left me sour.

End result, I am using it now just so I can have my fingerprint reader functioning but I would much rather have native Win7 support for the reader.

 

Great to hear. Thanks for the response. I can't remember which modules I omitted, but they all had titles that didn't sound like they affected the FP reader, and it works fine and doesn't appear to be sluggish. Let me know if you have problems and I'll check to see what I deleted.

 

Thanks nand4, it took me a while to return to the forum, been busy. I received and installed the graphics accelerator, and as far as I can tell the card has been working. Before I continue I should say that I have been running Ubuntu 10.10 on a 120 GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD. I had some difficulties installing the proper drivers for Ubuntu but after a quick tweak of the files, I was able to install everything.

To your earlier point, the link that you listed seems to be for a computer running windows, either XP or sooner? Just want to make sure I don't mistake a valuable point.

Thanks

 

So, does the graphics accelerator make a difference running a Core i5/i7 with Intel HD as I presume you have? Also, does this contradict the assertion that the slot is not whitelisted for anything but comunications?

 

How is the screen options for picture viewing and editing? Which screen should one be looking at if they want to do those tasks?

 

What should the next 2540p with sandy bridge look like? What are the most likely features to be added?

 

I am considering buying the HP2540p but I first need to get clarity on its ability with Linux (preferable Scientific Linux 5.5 or later distributions). Are there issues with screen resolution as some newer integrated Intel graphics (e.g. GMA 3150) are reported to be Linux unfriendly). Can one infer from Maysoft's later comments that the HP 2540p is a poor choice for Linux users?

 

Thought I could use my tabletpcreview user name, but I guess not. Ahh...someone used the user name to make 2 posts in 2008.

Stumbled here while trying to do some research about installing intel 310 ssd into a 2740p. I've come to conflicting information.

Now, on the intel website, it says:

Lightweight for On-the-Go computing

The mSATA Intel SSD 310 Series enables a flexible, scalable and accelerated–storage solution in a form factor that is up to 8 times smaller than a 2.5” hard-disk drive, and weighs 10 times less. Supporting SATA signals over a PCI Express* (PCIe) mini-connector, the Intel SSD 310 Series provides compact storage acceleration for single-drive systems like netbooks, tablets and other hand-held devices.

Has intel has designed a product that will work for a mini-pci slot in sata mode?

 

Hi all.
How to check new 2540p before buying so there will be no problems?
Is it there is a lot of bugs-defects? Is it long life notebook?
I want it for 2008r2 with Hyper-V - so everything works great for a long time

[Updated]
i've got 2540p
the right lower coner of keyboard sits deeper, and it looks like chassis slightly deformated, because when i'm putting my right hand on palm rest there is a little movement and some little clap if do it frequently
the right lower rubber stand is near 0.5mm upper table surface

is it normal and acceptable for elitebook build quality?
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I need memory upgrade to 8GB - what i must to prefer - samsung or kingston 4gb memory modules? Is it possible replace both modules, one of which is under keyboard, by myself? Will i lost warranty in this case? Or i must buy memory and go in service center to do it?

--------UPDATED----------------------************-----------------------------------------
HP service told me that i must replace memory in Auth Service Center, not to open internal module by myself. It's better to install HP brand modules, if third-party modules damage my MainBoard it will be no warranty case.

After installing SP1 2008r2 - video drivers installed correctly, HP Webcam software starts to work too. It will be better to install OS with SP before drivers etc. But sound is still make *whack* on shutdown. When it was with drvs installed by OS it doesn't.

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I want to report on some strange screen behaviour. Sometimes, perhaps every other week or so, my screen gradually goes dim (~50% of normal setting) and looses contrast (colours appear very washed out). And then after say 20 seconds in that state the screen gradually goes back to normal again. The whole thing takes just 30-40 secs or so, and it usually happens during regular e-mailing tasks (no particular stress situations). Hence, it's not a big problem, and I'm not really worried (unless it's a sign that something will happen in the future!), but I am just curious if anyone else has had the same experience and knows why?

 

Happened with my 2530p when idling on battery. I think it reduces color to 16bit to save power or something. It was annoying but you get used to it.

 

Boot USB 32GB Flash drive problem?

Hi, I bought a 2540p last xmas.
I have one problem with it, I can not get it to recognize my 32GB usb3 Flash drive (MX-FX32 mach xtreme) as a bootable device - it just doesn't show up as an option to pick at boot time. This flash device has ubuntu on it - I tried booting it on a number of other laptops that were capable of booting flash drives (both old and new - about 13 in total) and they ALL succeeded in booting the device, plus tested a number of desktop machines and they can boot from the device as well...

I have the latest bios installed on laptop.

First time I approached HP support they finally decided it was a problem with my flash drive and to check for latest flash drive bios. I've done that, it is the latest so I've opened a new case to try to get to bottom of it as another 2540p I tried it on also fails to recognize it.

** So has anyone else experienced this problem with their 2540p?
Even better, anyone have any ideas on how to make it work? (I can boot a 4GB flash drive).

Cheers, Bryce S.

 

Hi all,

With companies like OWC launch 16Gb memory upgrades for the MacBook Pro, does that mean our machines will support 16Gb too?

I have the i7 processor, and I am sure the memory spec is the same as that detailed for the Apple 16.0GB (8GBx2) PC3-10600 DDR3 1333MHz SO-... (1333DDR3S16P) at OWC

What do you think?

 

Does 2540p have two speakers or one speaker? Can someone comment on the sound quality of the speaker(s)? I am not expecting Hi-Fi sound, but does it produce loud enough sound to make video-watching an enjoyable experience?

 

the sound is good - like on old nx6110, one speaker, i'm using it without garniture - because garniture is no available, there is combined earphones-microphone in 1 minijack.

 

Anyone notice the weight creep in HP's 25x0P series? 2560P significantly heavier than a X220. Even a 14" T420s is lighter as compared.

Item/Owner's Lounge	2510P	2530P	2540P	2560P
Weight with 6-cell+ODD	1.63kgs/3.59lbs	1.64kgs/3.62lbs	1.81kgs/3.99lbs	1.92/4.24lbs

Source: HP 2510P, 2530P, 2540P, 2560P differences

 

I'm trying to install 598787-001 hdd caddy and I'm having some problems. When I insert the caddy, it seems to get stuck at the very end. It is very hard to see what is causing the blockage. I'm using a WD Scropio Black 750gb hdd and it's 9.5mm so it fits.

Edit - got it to work, just had to push the board down to make it snap in. Booted up, recognized the drive immediately and added a 4th usb port!

 

Hello there,

I own a 2540p equipped with a core i5 540M, 35W standard voltage. With a 2.5" HDD in the ODD, i realised that, with this kind of CPU, I cannot add a 1.8" SSD because of the size of the fan/heatsink assembly. But I really love the idea of having a small SSD for the OS and a large HDD for the rest...

So, my question is : is it possible to install the 25W fan/heatsink assembly, thus leaving enough room for a 1.8" drive, without damaging the CPU ? I don't really care about the noise. The low voltage fan/heatsink is available here : 598788-001 HP 2540P - FAN / HEATSINK ASSEMBLY

 

I work for a VAR and and we have had a i7 sitting on the shelf for almost a year, customer and return unopened. I finally convinced the boss to let me buy it for $700, awesome deal!!

First thing I did was to jack the RAM to 8GB and wipe the HDD with a fresh install of Slackware64 13.37. Everything worked flawlessly, only had to install Wicd and configure my Wifi connection.

Love this laptop!

 

Congratulations on your 2540P. Though I'd caution anyone from paying $700 for a i7-640LM 2540P for the following reasons:

1. A one-gen newer i5-2xxx Lenovo X220 can be had for not much more.

2. A one-gen newer s/h 2560P (heavier, worse keyboard, 16:9 LCD, expresscard 2.0, SATA-III, upgradable CPU) just sold for US$636.

3. A one-gen older [email protected] (overclocked) 2530P delivers similar performance but has a better keyboard and less weight (though without the displayport and extra USB port). The cracker is a 2530P can be purchased for less than US$300 on ebay leaving plenty of change for a SSD or a DIY eGPU.

So it's the 2530P that's the bargain and imho is the most usable ultraportable HP have made to date.

 

A quick question, my HP 2540p physically has a SIM card slot and I can put a SIM card in it but when I launch connection manager, it does not appear and under System Information - it displays something like WWAN FCC ID NO DEVICE PRESENT

Any ideas why?

 

Do you have a UN2400 WWAN card (whitelist OK card) in the second mPCIe slot? If you do and it's still not detected then put cellophane over pin 20, 42, 44 as described here.

 

Hello nando4, How do I find this out? I have a program called AIDA64 - which tells me a summary of components/software on the system... where should I be looking? Device Manager?

 

hiya, you're looking for this device - mine is the un2420 as it's in my 8740w, but it will be in the same place.

make sure your wireless is ON before you check, otherwise it will not show.

 

Can I just ask, I have a 2540p with the standard voltage CPU Core i7 620M. I have a Western Digital WD7500BPKT 750GB hard drive installed in the optical bay. But was wondering, can I also install a 1.8" Hard Drive/SSD in the 1.8" hard drive bay??? Will my laptop be compatible?

 

My 2540p came with the Intel SSD and I installed the WD7500BPKT and it works perfectly. It is a perfect hybrid system to utilize the speed of the ssd and still have lots of storage space.

 

Thanks hammadurb, but mine comes with the standard voltage CPU Core i7-620M... will it still work? I'm interested in actually getting an OCZSSD1-2VTX90G OCZ Vertex 2 90GB to put in the 1.8" bay?

 

Hi!

I just got an HP elitebook 2540p as a gift. It does not have an optical drive, nor a webcam, and though there's a physical sim card slot behind the battery, the BIOS says no WWAN device present.

MY QUESTIONS :

1- How can I confirm if WWAN module is present in my laptop?
2- If it is not present, can I buy one and snap it in? Or is it complicated and I'll have to dismantle the whole laptop? There are no DiY videos on youtube as well.

Edit : I'm running windows 7.

 

well, you can take the back plate off without 'taking apart the whole laptop' and check to see if you have a bigger minipci-e card. it will look something like this:

(note this is the 8740w - but the cards ARE the same)

Your notebook will accept the UN2420 broadband card the same as i have yes.




the service manual for your machine is here, which explains how to take the back off as well as part numbers for your specific notebook:

2540p Service Manual (pdf)

You might be unlucky, and not have the extra cables, but they can be added, the cable kit is a part number you can check for in the pdf above.

hope that helps

sio

 

Hey Sio!

Thanks a bunch man! I'll open it as soon as I get home and revert back here.

Today I had this online chat with HP customer services assistant.

Upon telling him my notebook's serial number, he informed me that the sim slot is dummy, and WWAN can not even be added to it since the motherboard does not support WWAN.

Is that possible?

 

yes, sadly it is so. some models don't have the connections at the back for the motherboard, you may be limited to a usb one instead.

Sio

 

Thank you Sio.

I'll assume the same is the case with camera and Optical disc drive.

LOL, it sucks to have a laptop with no WWAN, no ODD and no WEBCAME...I guess there's no bluetooth either.

Why would they even send such a stripped version?

 

There are kits on ebay that give you a SIM slot and antennas that sit over the WWAN card so can still get internal functionality. See solderless USIM, WWAN antenna.

 

Updates : I have a 14 incher elitebook 8460p lying around and I took its WWAN and installed it in my 2540p, and it didn't work. When I start the computer it says right away "Non Compatible WWAN detected, remove and restart" or something like that.

So I know now that

1- The laptop has WWAN slot
2- The WWAN slot is connected to the motherboard (?)
3- The WWAN from 8460p does NOT work in 2540p.

Should I order a cheap compatible one from ebay?