The HP ProBook 5310m Owners' Club

Hey! Thanks for responding...

1. Is there a reason the installer wouldnt install iwconfig? Im pretty sure it should be availble on the alternate installer and installed by default
2. The CLI does tell me which packages i need. Is there a manual way for me to get the packages on there? maybe download and copy them into a folder through a live distro
3. hmm...i dont have a spare crossover cable, but will look into that too...

thanks again

 

Thank you for the assistance.

Anybody using SSM to download,install new updates for the 5310m? The application is pathetically slow and the downloads take forever. In-fact downloading any softpaq from the web interface is also very slow. I cant get speeds more than 30 KBps.

 

Definitely the best looking notebooks on the market (and if they share anything with the 5310m, the best built).
I'd never buy a netbook/notebook under 12" though, the keyboard layout just doesn't work for me.

What exactly is SSM?

To get drivers and such, I go directly to HP's support site and download them. I usually do not bother with any driver updates or software updates unless I experience issues or there are security flaws.
From HP's support site I get a few hundred kb/s download rate.

 

I'll deal with it.

 

So I got my computer the other day, and I've been very happy with it. The look is the best I have seen from any notebook in the recent past but I have run into a problem and was wondering if anyone has had the same issue.

1. Today I used the update disk and went to windows 7. I press the power button and put the computer into sleep mode. If I click one of the "quick" buttons on the side (email or the internet) the computer starts to blow the fan very quickly, the white light that shows the system running (when you open a program it starts to light up) turns red, and the white power button blinks. I am not sure if this is a direct result to windows 7 and if I have to do an update of some form, but any help would be grateful.

2. Does anyone know if there is software for the driveguard? When I had XP on this morning I saw something in the lower right bar that said driveguard running. Now I do not see anything at all?

One again thanks for the help and I look forward to hearing back.

 

Thanks Charles.

Anybody has a page scrolling problem on Win 7/ IE8 when trying to scroll gmail? There is a huge irritating lag while scrolling. Doesn't happen in Firefox.

 

SOLVED!

Went and got the wireless-tools, libc6 (udev), libiw29 packages from packages.ubuntu.com

installed them on CL through dpkg

got wireless-tools on

now wireless works!

thanks too_much_rope!!!

DOES ANYBODY ELSE'S WIRELESS BUTTON KEEP FLASHING BLUE AND ORANGE WITHIN UBUNTU OR LINUX?
ANYONE ELSE HAVE AUDIO PROBLEMS IN UBUNTU KARMIC? (card shows, all settings show, but no sound)

 

1. What kind of Windows 7 install did you do, an upgrade?
Also I'm a bit confused about which light turns red - the power button? I have not see any of the lights on my 5310m turn red.
What else happens after that?

That definitely sounds like a software issue. Just to be sure, check the Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Esc), specifically the CPU usage when you do that. In my experience, IE has had scrolling issues for a long time. I would only use Firefox and install the ietab add-on - that way you can switch between Firefox and Internet Explorer rendering modes without ever leaving Firefox. You can also set specific websites to open in IE automatically.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419

 

You're welcome!
As for sound, chaosrl had the same issue:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1305591
Also see:
http://www.madox.net/blog/projects/hp-probook-5310m-ubuntu-reference/

 

Sounds like a typical hardware error. Perhaps clearing BIOS settings or upgrading it would help..

 

Does anyone know if there will be an update to the 5310m series to include the arrendale processors anytime soon? I know there is the new Elitebooks and Probook 6440's, however I love the all black design and would prefer a 13.3" screen.

 

Happy NY all

I managed to bork my original install before I had made recovery discs and getting a clean retail win 7 pro iso proved very difficult. The official HP uk suppliers of recovery discs never replied to me, which doesn't surprise me. HP themselves never supplied the paper invoices I requested - they are taking this minimal packing thing a tad far methinks.

Anyways I replaced the ultra-noisy stocky HD with a much quieter WB Blue as per Charles' recommendation, however I'm still itching to get a 80gb Intel x25 G2 in there, seeing as they are finally back in stock here.

I have a bunch of other comments to make, but for now am busy installing apps and drivers. I'm using Ninite for apps - seems pretty decent. The HP drivers page is a dated hassle though, much like their entire web presence.

Charles - did you ever post a color profile for the 5310m that we can use? I seem to recall so but can't find it. Would it only work if I also had a spyder2express?

Cheers
Z

 

Interesting - sounds like a hardware error as noted, not something I would worry about. What is the point of pressing the Internet/email buttons when the computer is off though?
Thanks for the info about the red light - didn't know that.

I haven't see many Arrandale ultraportables yet. And unless you need the CPU power, there is little point to waiting. The i3 is on par with a current-gen C2D, an i5 would be an upgrade, but again . . . you would need to have a specific use for it to make waiting worth it (assuming HP releases an updated 5310m).

I have to admit that the hard drive noise from the 320GB Seagate is getting to me too, it is quite noisy. The constant whirring is annoying. There's a reason I only buy Western Digitals - glad to hear that is working out for you. I love the WD5000BEVT in my dv5t.

I posted a color profile here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5486370&postcount=92
Not sure if anyone has been successful loading it though, and note that every monitor is different so it may not look right on yours.

 

I just looked at that, and checked against my alsa-base.conf, and discovered that I, oddly, have a slightly different line of code pasted in:

Code:

options snd-hda-intel model=hp-m4 enable_msi=1

rather than using the suggested hp-dv5 as the model number. I'm not sure where that code comes from (I'm pretty sure I got it from someone or some list of sound model options, but it's worked out so far. Same issue as detailed in Ubuntu forums though: I only get input from microphone 2, and nothing from microphone 1, though it's present.

As for the flashing wireless button, I'm at a loss. My wireless worked OOB, though I used the standard install DVD.

 

Hello all - just received my 5130m. So far seems like a good balance between size and performance. Have a few questions though -

1. My monitor does not support displayport - only dvi. What is everyone using to connect to dvi monitors? A simple converter?
2. I have not run down my battery yet to see how long it lasts, but it seems to be significantly less then anyone has advertised. Running windows7 pro now. The charge indicator in the try seems to be all across the board - one minute will say 87%; the next will say 50%... Is this just due to windows indexing initially?

 

Any one already switch from hd to ssd. And witch ssd is the best to change with now ?

 

1. You can use a DisplayPort > DVI cable like this one:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10246&cs_id=1024608&p_id=6015&seq=1&format=2
There are also DisplayPort > DVI adapters you can buy:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042801&p_id=4827&seq=1&format=2

2. That is odd - try these steps:
a ) Shut down the notebook, unplug it, and remove the battery. Press the power button 20 times or so; this will drain any excess electricity running around in the circuits. Sometimes the excess electricity can cause issues like that.
b ) Calibrate the battery by running the notebook on battery until it shuts off -disable the auto-enter hibernation/standby when the battery releases a certain %. You want the battery to be completely drained. Then, charge it back up to 100% again.

Some people have SSDs in their 5310ms. Check our our SSDs thread here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=429972
Your best bet for an SSD right now are Intel's Gen 2 80/160GB models.

 

Thanks for the input, still on the fence about a 5310m or maybe get lucky and find a good deal on a T400s.

Anyone here played around with both of these and have any thoughts on how the two compare?

 

Hey for audio, here is an alternative solution which requires compiling from source. It gets both my microphones working, but I think I may have to run it everytime I do major upgrades. Is that a correct assumption?

My wireless is working but it flashes according to data usage...u know like modems or routers...

 

Hi there, I'm back. My roommate actually has a T400s, he got it over the summer, so about 2 months prior to me getting the 5310m.

Simply put, it's better in nearly all aspects when comparing it to the 5310m.

It has a light for the keyboard, an optical drive, and is a tick thinner and lighter than the ProBook, while adding the legendary keyboard and UltraNav. It has a slightly larger footprint, but in doing so adds another inch to the screen diagonal as well as increasing the resolution to 1440x900. The keyboard layout is slightly different (the esc and delete key are extra large), but my roommate says that he actually likes the revised layout. While I have used it a little bit (we work on projects together), I can't say anything about the keyboard layout, but I can attest to the fact that the keyboard is still fantastic. The screen looks fine from what I've seen, and my roommate says he has no complaints about it. The hinge is looser than any laptop I've used, but it doesn't pose a problem, as the screen stands up fine. The latch mechanism requires a bit of a push at the end to latch correctly, and other than that, it's been fine.

I have to say, it does cause me a little bit of laptop envy, but when I think about the amount of money each of us paid, I really can't complain. The 5310m price is fairly set: $900 + s&h, but you can find some deals or get cashback and whatnot. My roommate's configuration came out to be just over $1900, and he paid just over $1600 after the Lenovo deals that were offered at the time (15% off or so).

That's all I have for now, as I have to run to dinner, but feel free to ask any more questions and I can get answers from my roommate about his ThinkPad. Cheers!

 

As far as I know, the T400s only accepts 1.8" HDDs/SSDs......unless you replace the optical drive with a 2.5" SATA Hard Drive adapter in the Ultrabay. 1.8" HDDs tend to be slower than 2.5" HDDs. For SSDs, I think the speed is about the same regardless if it's 2.5" or 1.8".

 

I still haven't secured the proper model number on the screen Im too scared to take it apart anyone have any clue what the model number may be

 

why don't you contact hp?

 

I assume no one knows the screen part number because no one has had to replace it. everyone here has barely had theirs for a few months. if u dont know how your screen got damaged (ie. you didnt damage it) then it should still be covered by warranty. call them, and have them replace it...

 

I believe that's correct. The stock HDDs are 5400rpm, 1.8" form factor. I forgot to mention that the battery life, as far as I can tell, is ever so slightly worse on the T400s, with it getting about 4:00-4:30 runtime normally. That said, the Ultrabay can be replaced with a battery as well.

One last thing is that the T400s was just replaced by the T410s, and on Lenovo's website, the base T410s actually costs $10 LESS than the base T400s. And one last thing to point out: if you must get the most cutting-edge technology, the T410s ships with the i5 Arrandale chip.

 

I have a HP Tools partition and I'm assuming it is a recovery partition. But my question is how does one make a recovery? I cant see any option in the bios which will make the recovery possible. How does one go about this? Should recovery disks be made or is there some other sequence during the bios bootup to restore this image?

Thanks

 

The HP partition, afaik, is for quicklook and quickweb (or whatever)...

 

Hi all!

1.
I hope you can help my with my ProBook 5310m problem...
I have tested my laptop for three weeks now and I love it..BUT ...
There is one irritating problem I have with it from the very first beginning.
When I try to power up my laptop it turns on but my screen is black. If I turn it off again and power it up it will maybe start up normally ... sometimes it works directly and sometimes I need to power it upp two or three times in order to let the laptop to boot up normally.

2.
The other problem is sleep mode... if my laptop goes into sleep mode, there is absolutely no way to return to windows...I have to power it off and handle the problem 1 or if I'm lucky boot to windows direclty without any problem.

What is wrong here ... when I'm in windows, the laptop is working perfectly for many hours without any hang up or system failure.
I'm running Windows 7, but problem 1 should not have anything to do with version of Windows.


I have done following:

1. Updated BIOS to 1.07
2. Took the battery off and hold the power button several times and placed the battery back again
3. Tried to change BIOS settings to factory default but that did not solve the problem...


Is there anyone with similar problem or did anyone solve this issue?

 

Hi all. I just received my 5310m today. Very informative thread.

My new machine booted up in XP but I'd like to get up and running in W7 (have heard good things). Can anyone point me to a step-by-step for wiping and installing XP?

 

Ive called hp, all they will give me is the hp part number, they wont release the actually manufacturer information... they told me that it would be cheaper to buy a new laptop and I was not happy with that answer so help would be great

 

Yeah figured it was some software issue. Just installed Win 7 and it doesn't happen anymore. I haven't used the app recovery cd yet though.

What steps do you recommended to install Win 7 and ensure one has the latest driver updates? Are you wipiing C:\ partiion before you install Win 7?

Thanks for everything

 

they didnt say anything about warranty?

 

here is the one i used: http://tech.icrontic.com/articles/install-windows-7-from-usb-using-windows-xp/

 

You took all the steps I was going to recommend. At this point I'd call HP and arrange for a replacement.

 

I had the second issue he mentioned, never got a fix for it after the bios update.

 

Thanks Charles - I followed the link and tried what they said but wasn't sure how to activate the profile. Your zip file has three .icm files - two of these I can drag into the Windows driver folder, but the third cannot as it is the same name as the one in use. Anyone out there figured this?

Cheers
Z

 

Interesting; I have not experienced any sleep issues. My BIOS is F.04 dated 04-Sept-09. I have not updated it.

I just tried it myself and am having the same issues. It should technically work since it is just a color profile, but the only way I can get it to load properly is through the ColorVision program (which is not free).

 

I read reports that the harddrive is noisy, can anyone confirm?

 

Hi all!

I have read the entire thread before deciding to get the probook. And I must say I love it. It so beautiful, better locking then the mac's. But it has the poor space bar as I expected.

There are some things I would like to ask you. The speakers are weak and it sounds as there is only one on the left side. I am not sure where the speaker are placed, but if I play music and shift the balance to the left the sound is originating from the left. When I shift the balance to the right the sound is weaker and still coming from the left side of the laptop. Is it possible that the right speaker is broken?

As it has only one RAM slot a compromise to upgrading would be to put in a SD card and use it as readyboost right? But I dont know how fast the card reader is, is it SDHC?

I don't find the harddrive noisy, the CPU fan is louder.

Nano nano

 

It's a mono speaker isn't it?

I too thought it was the cpu fan...then I swapped the hd for a WD Blue and realised that the 5310m ships with the noisiest hd known to man...

 

I get audio out of both speakers,but the left spkr does sound a bit more louder...

 

No, it's got stereo speakers. The reason why everyone's saying the sound is left-heavy is because, for some fantastical reason not known to anyone, HP decided to put the left speaker on the left, where it logically goes, but the right speaker in the center, right under the touchpad. Looking at the front of the machine, there are 3 vents: left for speaker, middle for speaker, and right for what I can only imagine to be HDD cooling, as that's where the HDD is located.

As for the noise, I think a lot of people are confusing the HDD noise with the CPU fan noise. The CPU fan is what spins up all the way at boot up; after booting, it slows down/stops, and won't come back on until a heavy load (i.e., it remains virtually silent). The fan-like whirring noise emanating from the right side of the palmrest belongs to the hard drive, and it's QUITE noisy, at least in my machine. The drive is fast and has given me no problems whatsoever yet, but it is loud.

 

According to this manual page 18 the left and right front vents are for speakers and the middle for ventilation.
http://bizsupport2.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01888801/c01888801.pdf

I don't get any sound from the right vent, only the left and centre. I'm calling support tomorrow to hear what they have to say.

 

Interesting. I assume it's either a misprint or a miscommunication between the build team and whoever wrote the manual. I don't think anyone in this forum has had sound come out of the right vent, and limiting sound to left and right indicates that left sound does indeed come from the left and the right sound comes from the middle.

To be honest, it really bothered me at first, and I felt really imbalanced, but using it more and more, you kind of get used to it.

 

If you take off the bottom panel of the 5310m you can see that the left speaker is on the left and the right speaker in the center. It is an odd choice, I agree; no idea why it is set up that way.

 

Do you have pictures of it opened up by any chance? I don't have the right screwdrivers here at school, so I'm hesitant to open mine up right now.

 

Mmm, I did not take pictures. The lighting is too dim right now to take any of reasonable quality. I'm changing out the hard drive tomorrow so I'll take some if I remember.

 

To which hard drive if I may ask?

 

So, with a SSD, would the 5310 be practically silent?