Envy 14: New owners in Paradise Lost Thread: (Got Problems/Questions/Issues?)

The program's website suggests running it for 20 minutes tops. I read some more information from other websites, and it seems like most people achieved success after running pixel-fixing programs overnight, so I'm going to give it a shot. There's hope still!

 

Whelp, I ran JScreenFix over night - no luck. I'm trying a different website now ( http://www.topflashers.com/etc/screenfix/), but so far it's still stuck after an hour or so.

I tried wrapping a ball point pen in a damp paper towel and pushing gently on the screen over the pixel, but after 20 attempts and several minutes of "massaging" (while the screenfix website is running), it's STILL stuck.

I'm running out of ideas.

 

i wonder if ill ever actually get my laptop back. estimated delivery date was a week ago. i keep calling and they keep saying they are short on parts wait a couple days. i wait a couple days and they say the same exact thing. smart move by them keeping my laptop til my 21 day return period was up. the lying, sleazy hp cons another one. guess i should just accept that 1500 dollars is down the drain and start looking for another laptop. cant handle another day of college without one.

 

I found a little app on SoftPedia called Desktop Lighter. It changes brightness by increments of 1-2%, so it's useful for intermediate levels between top brightness and one step down in the Envhy's brightness controls. It's a little quirky because when you run the app it calls the current brightness level 70% so if you're at full brightness it can go above that (actually it's changing contrast at that point). That aside, I've found it useful at times.

 

After numerous attempts to fix the stuck pixel on my screen, I finally contacted HP, hoping for warranty service or a replacement panel. Their answer is that the stuck pixel is "normal," and they won't do anything until I have three or more bad pixels.

So much for HP Support. I'm furious, and I want my money back.

 

How long have you owned the laptop? HP has a 21 day no questions asked return policy.

 

*shrugs* I think it's standard policy for all LCD screen makers that 1 dead/stuck pixel is "no big deal" and you can't get a replacement until there are 2 or more.


'course when said pixel is bright red and in the center of a your damn phone....

 

Okay so, I decided today to clean up my screen and keyboard with a damp towel. As I'm cleaning, I notice a smudge and a speck on the screen I can't erase. I come to realize that they are BEHIND the screen. It drives me insane, everything else is clean except for a fingerprint smudge and a copper color speck. Any way to fix this?

 

I feel your pain. When i received my first Envy 14 i noticed the lit pixel right away and returned it the next day. Did you just notice the pixel now or did it appear on it's own.

If it's not in an obtrusive area you can try living with it or hope that two other pixels go bad and HP will fix it. Other option would be to try and sell it and recoup the the cost.

I would try calling HP again to try to complain to a supervisor. I would figure that HP is reluctant to service your screen because the Radiance screen is such a premium and there seems to be a current shortage.

 

Quick question:

I just received my Envy 14 and am getting ready to do the minimal recovery image install, etc.

I ordered it with Windows 7 Home Premium, because I already own a copy of Win 7 Professional. If I do an upgrade installation after doing the above, will it mess up the HP/Envy-specific drivers, settings, etc.? I'd really rather use the Professional version, I just didn't feel like paying for it twice.

Thanks in advance.

 

You could have legally downloaded the professional version for free. You still can. See page 1 of owner's thread for links.

And an upgrade install will keep all drivers but you may lose some personalizations. Not that you couldn't get them back.

 

I have to say, I really like this laptop after having the envy 15. It's better in most every functional way. But is anyone else's battery cover loose? I guess if that's my biggest complaint I've got it made.

 

Anyone get their bing cash back yet?

 

One more day left for my BCB.

 

Unfortunately, I've had it for about two months. Otherwise, I'd return it and try my luck again. I inspected the screen thoroughly when I first got it, so I'm sure this is something that appeared in the last week or two.

I used their email support last time, and I'm going to try calling this time. It's $320 for a replacement panel, and I'm going to see if they'll give me a hefty discount on it at a minimum. I'd much rather do the replacement myself than send the laptop in for 1-2+ weeks and risk more damage being done to it.

The pixel is in a relatively unobtrusive area, but it's that nagging thought that there's something wrong with your new toy that I can't stand. Not to mention, I've been recommending these things to everyone (driving up business for HP, 3 people I've spoken to so far have bought one), and it's hard to keep recommending it when everyone sees an obvious flaw.

I'm primarily pissed because this is a premium laptop. When I've bought premium monitors from companies in the past (including HP, IIRC), they allow you to return them for an exchange for ANY defect, even a single stuck pixel. Why they don't extend this policy to the Envy notebooks is beyond me, but it feels like a slap in the face.

 

Update:

I called in to their dedicated HP Touchsmart / Envy / HDX / Firebird line. The rep spoke perfect English and was very polite.

I described the issue (pixel changes color depending on what background it's viewed on, bright red / pink on a white or gray background) and they issued a repair. I should have a box to send it back in by early next week. 4-6 turn-around time from the time they receive the unit.

 

could you give me that number or was it the general hp number and you found your way over there? I need to replace my hard-drive.

hopefully they won't ask for the whole unit (since the only issue is the hdd and I kinda need the envy for work)

 

1-866-408-5408

Contact HP - Phone assistance

Highly recommended that you try those guys first. MUCH more helpful than their other support lines.

 

A smiley face for a 4-6 week turnaround? Or is that 4-6 days? I guess it must be...

I wonder if you could have gotten them to issue a shipping label instead and then shipped it in its original box...

 

They have done cross-shipping in the past. Likely still do. You know when they put a hold on your CC for the amount of the drive and release the hold when they get the old defective drive back.

 

Yeah. That's what I want 'em to do. Don't mind a hold on my credit card. I'll call 'em tomorrow.

 

Yeah, 4-6 days, sorry. And they are issuing a new box / pre-paid shipping label, so all I have to worry about is having the laptop ready (original hard drive / remove OS password).

I'm going to write a note with it describing the problem (since you can easily miss the pixel if not viewing it on a white background) and requesting them to flash it to the latest BIOS if possible.

 

Best of luck. Hope it all works out for you.

 

Well, what I meant about issuing a shipping label was to save the time of them shipping a box to you. If it's just a stuck pixel, that's not a huge deal, but if your E14 gets fried, it would be much nicer to ship it back the day the service is authorized, rather than having to wait until they can ship a box to you.

 

Hi, I recived today the E14 and done a clean install all go ok but now I can't activate windows it says that the key isn't valid. The windows I installed is home premium x64 and the key the one on the batery.

Someone can help? thanks

 

True, and in most cases I would complain. However, HP authorized the repair last night (~5:00 PM EST), and I had the box by 1:00 PM today. They shipped it FedEx Priority Overnight, and the prepaid return label (back to them) is also overnight shipping. I'm hoping they'll overnight it back to me when the repair is complete.

All in all, I'm hoping to have the laptop back by Thursday or Friday, and possible Monday a week after the next the latest.

 

Call Microsoft. They will get it sorted out.

 

I searched a little more and found that the key on the laptop is OEM and cant activate a retail dvd instalation is it true?

 

you call microsoft to get it reactivated.

 

No. Retail and OEM disks are identical. All Windows 7 disks have exactly the same content except the ei.cfg file, which basically locks the disk to 1 version of Windows 7, unless you edit that file. If you download a Windows 7 .iso, you can safely remove the ei.cfg file and you can install ANY version of Windows 7.

Be warned, you will need a product key matching the correct version to activate it.

 

So, I've had my Envy 14 since August 18, and I just now decided to turn off the action keys (so I can properly issue orders in one of my favorite games). After doing that, I've noticed that I can't adjust brightness with a Fn-F2 or Fn-F3 button press. If I have to, I can adjust it at will by going through menus, but I liked being able to do it on the fly.
Is there any fix for that?

 

Well, I can only tell you you definitely should be able to do that. I swapped the F-keys and action keys in BIOS for games like you, and it works just fine for me. (Fn+F2 brightness dec, Fn+F3 brightness inc)

I remember one time when it didn't work properly, but after a reboot worked just fine. Did you try rebooting?

If you did, since we both have Envy 14, please post Your BIOS version, I'll tell you if I have the same.

Also, did you run Windows Update and update all of your drivers? I did it right after booting up for the first time.

 

>_>
I don't think I've ever updated the BIOS. How would I go about doing this?

Oh wait. F.06.

 

Solved.

Someone got problems with the dvd? I can't eject a dvd :S when I press the button seems that is going to get out but dont.

 

If you want to update the BIOS, you just download the updater from HP's support website and run it.

The brightness controls seem to go out from time to time, though I've never isolated why - it seems to come after sleeping (but only sometimes), and to go upon a reboot, or sometimes upon sleeping again. I'm not all that concerned about it myself, but it might be nice if a solution could be figured out.

 

I tried updating my bios to F.12, and everything looked successful. But now when I check my settings, the bios still says F.06. I tried updating multiple times, and each time nothing tells me that F.12 is installed. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

I have exactly the same problem as you do, and as of right now I have found no solution

 

Everything about this and a whole lot more is covered on the very first post of the ENVY Owners Lounge thread

 

As I have said earlier in my posts, this solution does not work......

 

Hello!

Ive had my laptop for almost two weeks now and I'm loving it! I've decided to bring my laptop to college but leave my desktop for the obvious reasons that my laptop can pretty much handle most of the stuffs I do

However, I would like to know if any problems may arise, if I completely leave my desktop unused and never switch it on for let's say.. the next 2 years? As I will be living in Rez and will only be returning home the following summer due to college commitments.

I know this may be off topic but I don't know of other tech forums :/

Thanks in advance guys!

 

Other than being completely outdated, no, no problems.

 

Hehe thanks for the tip

 

Anyone else's mouse jump on occasion when trying to touch click on the touchpad? I updated drivers and it's still doing this. It's not a huge deal, it only happens once every 5-10 minutes, but it is annoying.

 

I called HP today to set up an rma on my second machine (left speaker has a short & I have no interest in sending in a brand new machine for repair after the negative stories that I've seen with regards to damage done by the techs). She says that since I've already sent one back for exchange, that now I must send the second back for a refund & reorder a new machine. HP will, however, honor my original price on the new machine. Has this been everyone's experience given the same circumstances (exchange the first, refund & reorder on the second rma)?

 

I haven't RMAed, but this is the first I've heard of it. I have definitely heard of people RMAing multiple times with no problem (except those problems that make the RMAs necessary in the first place).

 

I had a 15 i7 with 8GB RAM which had busted keyboard after I opened it. They don't make the 15 with the i7 anymore, so they offered the 14 and I love it except...dead pixels right damn in the middle and middle left of the screen. Being a photographer, quite obvious and very annoying.

Are we PC users just a vocal minority or I wonder if Apple somehow has iMagic that never affects their production line as much as it seems to have with HP.

 

I just went through the same process with my 2nd RMA. They gave me a refund and then honored the original price I paid for the laptop, so I broke even.

 

Well I thought I didn't have the fan cycling problem, but today when I was typing up some stuff for school in microsoft word, my fans would cycle on and off. My temps were hovering around 34 - 36C (with the slice attached).

So is there anything I can do (bios update that works)? I haven't been following the problem at all because I thought I didn't have it. I also believe my temps are higher than what they were, which is why I think I didn't realize it before. Is 34-36C normal?

I haven't been paying attention to the cooling on this thing because it never gets hot, and I don't do anything intensive

Thanks!

 

I get about the same temps when I'm jsut doing word processing or internet browsing

 

Ordered my laptop yesturday, I have a few questions...

1. What brand RAM comes with it?
2. How many watts is the battery brick? (I'm thinking of buying a 90Watt charger, but not sure if it's the same wattage)