DV7t BIOS update problem

The DV7t has bios F17 and I found an update to F29, The problem I'm having is a message saying it is not plugged into AC power. It is not only plugged in when you check the battery icon each 10 mins or so it shows it charging nicely. Any suggestions please.

The reason for this update is that when holding the Function button I cant get the brilliance to change. Reading posts one explained to go to the bios settings and enable "Action Keys Mode" under the System Config. My bios didn't even have this option so knowing it must be the computer system and not the o/s I thought updating the bios would solve this problem.

 

Unplug the notebook and take the battery pack out of the computer. Wait about a minute and put the battery pack back in, plug in the AC adapter and turn the power back on to the notebook.

Make sure you have the correct BIOS. I assume since you are wanting to use the F.29 BIOS to do the update, you must have a dv7-4xxx (Intel) model notebook. Looking at what this BIOS (F.29) is supposed to improve, it doesn't look like it is going to give you what you want.

If your current BIOS or the new BIOS doesn't have the option to change the "Action Keys Mode" have you tried adjusting the "brilliance" without holding down the function (fn) key and just hitting the "brilliance" adjustment? I have to ask the obvious just in case it is something that simple.

Good luck...

 

Thanks for your info, I have few things to do tonight so I will leave the battery out till morning and try again.

If the update isn't going to do much I might leave well alone but need to get the brilliance control working.

I have read few posts where this brilliance problem has happened to others but no one has replied with a remedy.

This seems to me to be a fairly complicated computer to what I'm use to and has a simple bios menu which leads me to believe I'm missing something.

One question comes to mind is why would anyone want to disable the function keys anyway?

Hope someone reads this and can offer some suggestions.

Many thanks...

BTW it's a DV7t 3100

 

Plugged in the battery and it went passed the message that would have told me it wasn't plugged in to AC so that cured that but in the end it told me it wasn't the correct bios for this laptop.

The function key works as it allows me to use a few of the keys to put the laptop to stand by (F5) and to open the browser (F3) so the function key works but still cannot adjust the brilliance (F7&F8) so I'm not quite sure what to do now. Any suggestions please.... Thanks

 

The Action Key switch in the BIOS doesn't "disable" the function keys, it switches how the function keys are used. It can either be set to use Standby (for example) as Fn+F5 or just F5. You would set it to your preference, do you want the notebook to go into Standby by hitting Fn+F5 or just by hitting F5? Get it?

I didn't think you had the right BIOS but the good thing is most BIOS are "dummy proof" and won't let you install the wrong BIOS.

 

Thanks for the info.

I have no Brilliance control on my notebook.

Hitting the F keys with or without the Func key does nothing.

I'm stumped... I'll post this question in other forums...

 

OhioLefty, Looking back I hope you don't think I was abrupt I am just frustrated having such a nice laptop and unable to adjust the brilliance, I did appreciate your help.

Reading a little on this it seems others have ran a clean install of Win 7 on different machines and had this same problem. One mentioned a driver file had to be re-installed after the Win 7 clean install to enable the brill control to operate but didn't mention which one.

It sounds like Win 7 overwrites something but I'm not quite sure what or in what area, there are, as you know many files available for this model. ...........Have you any thoughts.

Many thanks again...