Envy 14 - Windows 8

I tried to install Windows 8 dev preview a few times on my Envy 14-1xxx and ran into a number of issues. Most seem to be related to AMD video drivers.

Running without installing new drivers runs a generic AMD driver that has really bad power/heat management it seems. No switchable graphics (Actually not sure which card it was using anyways. Might be Intel), and no brightness controls.

Installing any new AMD drivers results in the screen going black thereafter and caused me a huge ordeal at least 3 times on separate installs.

Anyone have more success or issues?

 

I had the exact same issues. The video drivers are the only thing holding me back from actually using this as a viable OS at this point. I got CCC to install, and overrode the default AMD drivers for the video card. I even got switchable graphics working but it would only switch to intel. Not back to AMD... Also couldn't figure out how to change the screen brightness. The Fn keys wouldn't work and the on-screen options wouldn't either.

So it looks like I'm waiting for whenever the video drivers can be hacked together before I actually use Windows 8.

Also, the metro UI sucks. nice for a tablet maybe, but definitely not for a PC. It was way to difficult to actually do anything without being able to touch the interface. I had to use the Win+w shortcut to open the things I needed to (control panel stuff, device manager, etc etc...)

 

Im watching MDL to see if they have more luck with video drivers. I dont need switchable graphics and wouldnt mind having either of them all the time, but my battery died really fast when I had the default drivers.

As for the Metro UI, I like it, but it definitely isnt optimal more trackpads and stuff. I DO like how you can click on the left side of the screen for the last application or hold your mouse on the edge and scroll to switch which one you want to bring in.

I didnt like how the search was harder to get to the settings and stuff when you searched (Default view is apps)

 

1. is there a way to go straight to standard win7 desktop always and pretend like metro ui does not exist?

2. I want windows 8 for the performance improvements, how are you supposed to use metro ui on desktop anyways....... I know boot time is better.. finally.

3. they talked a lot about battery life coming to windows 8, is it real? or when we buy a laptop, the specs says infinite battery life under special conditions of course: laptop is shut down.

 

1. Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle by ~Solo-Dev on deviantART
2. With a mouse and keyboard...
3. You'll have to wait

 

Now this is what I call a quality answer.

Fellow NBR readers and users, take note!

 

Quality questions receive quality answers

 

I am just kidding , on a serious not though, I think HP will provide a set of drivers for the envys for windows 8 as my experience with other laptops was.

 

Just don't count on them anytime soon - it's still pre-beta, so I wouldn't count on them until the Release Candidate comes out at the earliest.

 

AMD Catalyst™ 11.9 RCx Windows 8 TEST Drivers

Supposed AMD 11.9 drivers for Win8.

 

Downloading those drivers right now. Will report back with results after install.

EDIT: So windows 8 doesn't play nicely with my Schools wireless network. And I ended up getting some weird stuff happening when I installed the synaptic drivers.
The black/blank screens are probably caused by Windows 8 thinking you have a projector installed. Its kinda tough to navigate, but I ended up getting mine back to normal... for now

brb with the ATI Drivers results.

P.S. Battery Life blows on this build.

 

Thanks. Howd it go?

I took off Windows 8 for now, but will put it back on when I know I can run it without the blank/black screens.

 

So, that package only has the Install Manager and some other NOT video drivers inside it. No problems, but I don't think it's installed anything video related...?
Log is in the spoiler.
I'm Rebooting to finalize changes and I'll be back!

Spoiler

Catalyst™ Install Manager
Installation Report
09/18/11 00:56:40


Hardware information
Name ATI Radeon Graphics Processor
Manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Device ID 0x68c1
Vendor ID 0x1002
Class Code 0x030000
Revision ID 0x00
Subsystem ID 0x1436
Subsystem vendor ID 0x103c
Other hardware

Existing packagesAMD Catalyst Install Manager
AMD APP SDK Runtime
HDMI Audio Driver

Packages for install
AMD Catalyst Install ManagerFinal Status: Success
Version of Item: 3.0.842.0
Size: 20 Mbytes
HDMI Audio DriverFinal Status: Success
Version of Item: 7.12.0.7702
Size: 1 Mbytes


Other detected devices

Manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Device ID 0xaa60
Vendor ID 0x1002
Class Code 0x040300
Revision ID 0x00
Subsystem ID 0x1436
Subsystem vendor ID 0x103c


Error messages

EDIT: So I totally spaced that Drivers are system wide (or something like that) and that package wiped my old ones, so I have no AMD drivers on my 7 partition, or my 8 partition. LUCKILY Windows 8 managed to fix it and roll back to stock drivers.
I'm just gonna stop testing really important stuff b/c I really don't wanna crash this box.
So yea, those drivers up there don't work, nor do the 11.8s

EDIT II: Ended up having to re-install Windows 8. AMD Drivers are a no-go

 

So at this point it seems like using the stock drivers and dealing with the poor battery life/heating issues is the way to go. Im going to reinstall and try it over soon, hopefully.

 

So I reinstalled 8 last night. Things were running okay when I uninstalled the AMD device/driver. I wasnt able to update the Intel HD driver.

Then this morning it booted up into black and blank screens again until I restored using the boot utility of W8. Later today Ill try some other setups.

 

So far my best success is using the drivers taken from the extracted folder from this http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-drivers-switchable-graphics-11-4-11-5-a.html and adding them to the guru3d extracted folder http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/29251-AMD-Catalyst%99-11.9-RCx-Windows-8-TEST-Drivers, replacing the guru drivers. In the drivers/graphics folder as I recall.

 

My only problem right now is trying to get the Beats Audio EQ installed. The driver installer gives me some weird error and does not continue. I do get audio from default drivers but I want that EQ

I had zero problems getting the amd drivers to install. I just installed the test driver available through windows update and then used the latest modded mobility driver from asder00.

Everything else works.

 

I just tried installing Windows 8 on my Envy 14 (14-1000, original model) and the driver from Windows Update won't install, and any drivers I install don't seem to work. What did you do to get it to work? Thanks!

Edit: Were you talking about this mod? http://forum.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=350638

 

I got 11.10 amd drivers going on windows 8 and no screens going blank.

11.10 drivers installed normally, and then I had to futs around with catalyst control center and/or the windows multi monitor thing until I got it set to only using the computer screen and not thinking the screen is a projector.

IDT is working also

Not working: Brightness and poor battery life. EnvyTouchpad.exe is also having initialization issues for me. Intel drivers (Switched to the basic windows one). Switchable graphics were working sort of before.

Sorry for confusing post, but really I futz around so much and did so many configs that I dont know what did what.

if you screen goes blank, play with the f4 projector key (or fn+f4). I think also playing with that and then playing with the keyboard backlight key usually brought it back.

 

Has anyone had any issues with Windows 8 and Bluetooth? I can't even install the driver, it refuses to see there's any bluetooth module installed... Doesn't even come up in device manager.