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

Is there a trick to turning on two finger scrolling?

 

Has anyone tried to update your BIOS to F.06A?
It looks like HP released new bios.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49501-50000/sp49571.exe

 

I need Help ! I uninstalled all the HP mediasmart software and my sound doest work. I tried playing music and i cant hear anything. Also the volume adjustment doesnt work. I dont know what i need to re-install

 

Your volume control is working, the visual cue just isn't showing up. Check the first page on how to get it back. You use a program called 3RVX. To fix the sound, uninstall the audio driver from device manager, download the audio driver from the ENVY 14 DRIVERS page (link on first page) and install it.

 

Well that sucks. Sorry to hear they are so bad over there. The tech support guy I talked to helped me narrow it down to the 4-connector issue, told me they didn't sell adapters in the HP store, but offered to look up addresses for local computer shops. Also, the adapter I tried is not what we need; it is only a 4-connection splitter.

 

Anyone notice that the volume bar that pops up on the screen will kick you out of whatever you are doing if its full screen? For example when I am playing Just Cause 2 and try to change the volume or to mute or unmute the volume it minimizes my screen and shows the desktop.

Anyone know a way around this? I would love to keep the volume bar and not have to turn it off completely.

 

You have to get rid of it and use something like 3RVX which is another volume bar. See page 1 of owner's thread.

 

I am seeking to buy a envy 14 with i7 processor, I am told by HP online support that this has USB 3 , but I have not seen that on the specs, anyone know if its trues on the i7 config

 

They must be confused over at HP. It has (3) USB 2.0 ports. It was once rumored that the combined eSATA/USB would be USB 3.0 with quad cores.

 

Was wondering when they might update that since several users had indicated their machine shipped with it.

Here's the download page with info:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...dlc=en&cc=us&product=4252394&sw_lang=&os=4063

Basically sounds like it fixed an issue with the slice battery:

"Fix/Enhancement: Fixes an issue where the Battery icon incorrectly shows both the main battery and the battery slice in a charging state after unplugging and then re-plugging in the battery slice. "

 

Hey! I just got my envy today. I searched around for the "minimal" clean install but all I get are parts of how to do it and so I cant get the full explanation on how to do it. Can someone please give me the quick and dirty explanation on how to do the minimal install? I am currently burning my recovery discs. I read that when you start recovering you press esc?

edit: I'm installing my SSD i already have. So when i install the SSD, the recovery discs will install windows correct? I dont have a real windows 7 cd.

 

Anyone have a powersupply issue? I have the i7 720 envy 14 and I got this message today:
http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm382/commissioneranthony/Untitled.png
I am talking with hp now. hopefully a new psu will fix issue.

 

Sending back my second envy I'm really starting to get irritated with this whole process. This one has a badly aligned right hinge that is rubbing against the frame and causing it to bend/stretch. Ug, another two weeks of waiting at least.

 

That really sucks, I had to send back my envy yesterday. It was perfect, no whine, no rainbow issue, the build was great... but it had some type of lint behind the edge to edge glass (plastic).

 

Yes, It has been a short romance. I bought an envy two days ago, the only model that HP sells in Spain, 720QM. In fact I dont need too much cpu power, I only need it to play some game like Starcraft II, and work with the computer with no lag. I would have bought the i3 or the i5 model if I could, but I couldnt. (thanks, HP ¬¬)

So the system was gorgeous, nice screen, nice keyboard, fast as hell, only two problems, the first one, the whine cpu, and the second one, I couldnt play starcraft 2 more than 5 minutes without crash the whole system due to overheating. I know it was overheating because I putted a fan close to the GPU holes rear the laptop, and the game didnt crash, but when I turned off the fan... the computer got hanged again. My room is not pretty hot, maybe 24ºC-26ºC, I know that the laptop has a very powerful processor, but this shouldnt be reason to get hanged when playing games due to overheating.

I sent an email to hp support, and the told me "sorry, we can't test the system with software is not included with the laptop". Great! How can I show them overheating? with MS Paint? Or calculator?

So, finally, I have returned the laptop to the shop. At a first glance I thought to buy another one again, same model, but I thought it again and I will wait to another model, or when I'll be sure all the problems I have get solved. If not, maybe I buy a Macbook Pro, because there is not other laptop like envy.

Does anyone have an Envy 14 i7 with no problems with overheating? "No problems" means "you can play games with no external fans for 1 hour or more".

Sorry for my bad english. Cheers.

 

Sorry to hear that. What a lousy excuse. It's a damn computer that's supposed to run other things than what HP gives you, it's not a PDA! I would ask them how they tested max TDP for the laptop, because that's what they should be able to do and would most likely show the issue you're having.

 

Small thing here. I noticed that I can't change the brightness manually using the Fn keys at the top when on battery. Does anyone else have this issue/ was it mentioned earlier in the threads?

I can change it in the windows power setting manually when on battery, but the quick launch keys dont work. This strikes me as odd. Any solutions to this?

 

the list for bloatwares found on the first thread is an ancient one. envy 14 owners no longer have them.
what should I remove? I've removed many of them but I feel like I still haven't gotten rid of everything.
and im runnng 47 processes and 32% memory usage with running only the internet explorer. is that normal? any way to improve it by disabling unnecessary services and such?

 

Been having the same problem and was thinking it was because I brought my envy back to India with me so the voltage is different. Let me know what HP does. I should call them about it as well.

=Jason-

 

Update: FPS Lock fix was a fluke, still crashing while playing Modern Warfare. Temps are within reasonable limits too, 70C or under.

 

lemme get modern warfare on my computer and see if I get it too L3vi.

we have more or less the same setup.

edit: that being said I think your computer has problems and probably needs to be replaced. though does it happen with any other games?

if not then it may be more of a CoD4 issue.

 

Hey guys thought i should just post back after seeing your advice, and well i kinda went against it. I went down to best buy and looked at some screen res' there. Turns out 720p will be plenty for me, not to mention i didnt feel like paying 200 extra for the screen. Potentially it could help my battery out and boost gaming performance thanks again guys for the help!!

heres what i ordered:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel Core i5 450M(2.4GHz)
6GB RAM
500GB 7,200 rpm HDD
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 GPU

I just ordered it from newegg for 1,125. Decent price and it turns out it was cheaper+easier+faster to order from newegg because of no tax and free shipping. THIS THING IS GUNNA BE BEASTLY!!!!

 

Surprised Newegg has it already. Except it has the 1366x768 screen. Wonder if they'll have a preconfig option with the radiance display ever.

 

Most likely not. You DO know that the average consumer (college students and their mommies/daddies) usually go to BB or Frys to buy laptops right? So unless they're nerdy like us and read up on forums/articles, they most likely won't know/care about Radiance display.

I'm betting the BB/Frys versions will prolly be the same 14-1010nr model Total is $1234.69 for anyone in Cali though, which is still a bit much for lack of Radiance.

 

I played Supreme Commander Forged Alliance for at least an hour and then another 45 minutes on battery and no problem. I don't use any active cooling pads, just a plain bad so I don't fry los cojones. I used the maximum settings when trying it out. I haven't tried any new games because them bastiges make you have a persistent Internet connection just to play. I have all my games on my gaming PC and don't really plan on playing on the notebook.

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hi
i recently got my envy 14 and im encountering some problems with it.
1) i right click on the desktop and click configure switchable graphics and the cursor shows that its loading but after a few seconds it stops and nothing happens.
(it started working again right after i posted this. anyone know why?)
2) occassionally, my wireless completely dies and i cant find any routers or anything at all. i end up having to plug in an ethernet cable. (my wireless is on)
any help is appreciated. thanks

 

Wow was it a lot? That is pretty poor production work there and obvious lack of QC. Things may be getting worse and not better. My 3rd unit is due on Wednesday and I dread that day because I know luck will not be on my side. The [ Mod Edit: racial slur deleted] must be really pissed at that facility if they're screwing up so many. The "poll" here shows at least 40% have something wrong with them. Some people choose to ignore it and live with cr@p.




Everyone with quality issues should contact the CEO, oh wait, they're CEO-less right now so it may end up in the bit bucket. Good luck with HP Executive Team: Mark Hurd email

You could always try the board but I think they would care less.

HP Investor Relations - Contact the board

 

I have not seen that on either of the notebooks I received. I did notice that the power supply from the second unit was a lower rev than the first. The more recent part shows: 608428-002. The other one was a -001 rev and even the sticker was older. The specs were otherwise identical.

 

I get that wireless issue, and idk why, I thought it might be the power settings on battery, but started happening on ac power. Anyone know how to check if hardware is functional?


Also, does anyone who look at the screen at extreme angles see white with a very heavy pinkish tint? Even the log in screen with the bottom right corner that is white, it turns pink when i look at the screen from the top, is this supposed to be??

Thanks!

 

the wireless issue is usually a drivers issue. you need newer ones.


http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...and+Intel®+Centrino®+Advanced-N+6200+products

(this assumes you have a US Envy with the intel 6200 wireless card)

 

For the switchable graphics, I know I've had it once that the GPUs wouldn't switch. I had to go in the Services panel and restart the AMD service there.

 

So i touched the msconfig settings before i saw the post that was in RED on the first page..idk how i missed that and want to know if the number of processors box is checked with 1 processor or not checked at all, i have an i5 520??

Warning: Do not touch MSCONFIG processor settings!

If you touch the #of processor settings in MSCONFIG/boot/advanced options you will get false # of Core/Thread readings in CPU-Z.
It will also lock your processor at one core and it will run at max speed.

 

Has anyone had any problems with the hardware acceleration on 1080p video files? I've tried to play a file in media player classic and vlc 1.1.2 and neither one of them can keep up. VLC says it's an H264 stream.

I just tested the same file on my old laptop (core 2 duo, 9300M) and it runs fine. I have the base model envy 14 /w i3.

Edit: Turns out if you put it on power saver, it lowers performance in areas other than what is shown in the power management options. I switched it to balanced and the file plays fine.

 

im new to the whole slot-loading drive. why does it make that ejecting noise on startup/resume from sleep?

 

guessing it's just checking for a disc

 

so it's normal for it to make that noise every time?

 

same here. oops. now i only have 2 cores/threads. I had 4 before I messed up. how do i fix this?

 

Update regarding the rainbow image on screen (when viewed at certain angles) that I & others have reported. Mine has been a constant 5 x 1/2 inch crescent from the beginning. Today I open the lid, & the spot is reduced to the size of a dime. & within minutes, it goes away completely. But later, I notice it has returned. So I start to manipulate the lid & notice when I get to about 45 degrees before closure, the spot goes away. Open the lid back to my normal viewing position, & the spot slowly reappears into the crescent. I then noticed that I could lower the lid a bit, put pressure on both sides of the rubber gasket with my thumbs, & totally manipulate the prism looking shape (including making it totally go away). But upon returning the lid (screen) to a normal viewing position, the spot reappears right before my eyes. Long story short... don't think it's moisture at all (as others have suggested). It appears to be the screen flexing from pressure & causing the top layer of the screen to touch the panel behind it. It is causing a similar effect as taking your finger & putting direct pressure on the screen would cause I suppose. Guess it's going back.

 

just untick that checkbox and reboot.

 

a quick question regarding a hidden HP folder under C: (Local Drive).
1. Do I need to keep it?
2. I've deleted almost every HP bloatware. Do I still need keep it?
3. C:\HP\Bin looks suspicious. help anyone?

 

Mine does it too, I've been looking for a way to stop it...

the only thing i found to work is to put a dvd in it.. but then it sounds like it's constantly spinning a disk... or unplug the damn thing but i couldnt figure out how to take apart the chasis.

 

I chatted with hp later on friday. Originally the person I chatted with continued to tell me it was the battery being the problem, and to cycle the battery. I told the guy that was not true because the psu does not have a problem charging the battery and running the computer at the same time, or charging the battery when the computer is off but plugged into the wall. eventually he asked for the model number on the PSU. What I found interesting was that the model number of the PSU and the "replacement part number" were entirely different. I told this to the guy and after a little negotiation, he gave me a 2nd powersupply free of charge. I should get it in the mail soon. My first PSU was made by Hi-pro. I don't have the model numbers off hand, but if you want to know them, pm me and I'll post them. Also, I have a i7 720 config, so the PSU should be 90 watts (mine was).

All in all, The HP warning message was bogus that popped-up. I know this because I had asked, prior to my conversation about the pop up message, another HP chat rep what the correct wattage of my PSU should be and the model number (if I wanted to buy a 2nd PSU).

...So, basically, HP is using extra PSU's lying around from other laptop lines to satisfy the demand for the envy 14. This allows HP to save money by not having to make laptop-specific power supplys, thus less stock that has to be stored in a wearhouse. I don't see the problem with this because the new psu I get will probably by rated 19volts at 4.74 amps, just like my current one. If not, there is probably an insignificant difference in amperage between the 2 PSU's. This minor insignifiance could have triggered the pop-up.

UPDATE:

I got my replacement PSU. It is a 19v 4.74 amp psu. Original PSU model #:608428-002, replacement #609940-001. New PSU model #608428-001, replacement # 609940-001

 

Not sure if this has been answered elsewhere, so I'm posing this here:

Once I've backed it up and installed everything I want out of it, I can wipe the swsetup folder, right?

 

no.

well not if you wanna use hp quickweb.

it hides part of itself in there in hidden folders.

the other half is hidden in some other hp hidden folder on the c drive (I think).

also the bios updater likes having a swsetup folder (ok the workaround to make the bios updater actually work)

 

So I just ordered my envy 14 today. However, I am now thoroughly terrified after reading all these horror stories about people having to RMA multiple times....what am I getting myself into? Should I just call them up tomorrow morning and ask them if they can cancel my order? Seems like its not worth the hassle and I should just get a gx640 or something. Has anyone NOT had an issue?

Someone convince me not to bail (and get a gx640). Please.

 

Well you should remember that those who receive poor laptops will always be the loudest. Just check out this poll...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...hat-quality-condition-your-new-envy-14-a.html

 

Its a very nice machine and I don't think there's anything better on the market, you just have to hope you get lucky or go through the RMA process until they get it right.

Most of the problem is that the machine is constructed using terrible engineering. The panels seem to be aligned by hand and held by glue, so its really easy to have a misaligned trackpad, gaps around the edges, bad hinges. If they simply did some precision engineering and had things "snap" or "lock" together in addition to the glue I think the whole machine would be in better shape.

I'm now waiting for my third envy after having to return my first two, but its a good enough notebook that I'll keep exchanging until they get it right.

 

Not really interested in quickweb.

I successfully updated the BIOS to F6 with no problems and no workarounds. Would this not have worked as well if I had no swsetup folder?

I guess the other question is, if I can't delete the whole thing, can I clean it out to save 4-5 of the 6GB it takes up?

Oh, and after making the recovery discs, is it safe to wipe the recovery partition? I could also back it up to an external hard drive before wiping it, would that work?

 

Well it may be they just fixed the bios update issues.

F.05 wouldn't update until someone got the bright idea to extract the executable and stuff.

and yes you can delete the recovery partition if you already have recovery discs

and yeah you can get rid of swsetup if you don't need it/have turned off hp quickweb (make sure you back up what you might need in the future)

 

My envy is pissing me off right now.

Windows Installer is screwed, even when I manually activate it I can't use it at all. Makes using Revo Uninstaller a PITA.

Also, unable to do a clean install due to hanging on "Expanding Windows Files" at 0%.

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