*HP ENVY 14 & Envy 14 Beats (1XXX series) Owners Lounge, Part Deux*

This black screen issue keeps popping up, and its driving me insane.


Whenever i have my envy plugged in, and i close my screen (i have it set to do nothing) when i open it up again i am stuck at a black screen. Right now it just happened when i switched accounts, idk why. To get rid of the problem i have to unplug, close my screen, wait for it to sleep then open it up again.

This is the only drawback and its getting annoying. any ideas?

 

Powerplay. It's a problem with CCC's powerplay. Please use the search feature in this thread--it's an older problem

 

There is a hotfix from Microsoft available about black screens and laptops, not sure if these are the same symptoms though. You could also try reinstalling the ACPI Lid driver, it might work if the driver maybe got corrupted or didn't install correctly.

 

I found this HP ENVY 14 i5 2.93GHZ RADIANCE 900P ATI 5650 4GB 500GB - eBay (item 300485589666 end time Nov-01-10 11:36:34 PDT)

Should I buy that or make my own a HP??
This is what I was gonna purchase from HP:
•Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
•Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-460M Dual Core Processor (2.53 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz
•1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
•4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
•256GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
•Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
•8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
•14.5" diagonal High Definition HP BrightView Infinity LED Display (1366x768)
•SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support (Slot Load)
•HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Dual Digital Integrated Microphones
•Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
•Backlit Keyboard
•Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 8
•HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Please help!!

 

i already used the set up on the first page and i can tap to click thats not the problem i was wondering if you could actually click anywhere since the touchpad physically clicks anywhere but only registers the physical clicks when your inside the button area

well i got the same specs so if i were you i would get it... you can always upgrade to an SSD later on down the line

 

Wow. This whole Envy 14 experience has been a complete fiasco. I've been without my Envy 14 for a month because I've had to send it back twice. I was supposed to have it overnighted to me by Tuesday afternoon, but they still haven't shipped it. I've never had a late FedEx shipment and the tracking # updates show HP still has yet to drop it off at the FedEx center.

Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but I can no longer recommend HP notebooks. When I see the quality of Apple's customer service and the fact that repair delays are few if not rare and the fact that I don't hear about Mac users receiving their notebooks with notebook ram STOLEN, screws stripped up, and cosmetic damage incurred, I am doubting was worth saving the $300 just to get the Envy.

 

Is this because of the new ATI drivers?

 

i received my replacement keyboard yesterday and installed it this morning in case anyone was also considering changing their keyboard language its really straight forward and simple also i had some intense keyboard flex before now its reasonable.

i also did have a slight bump in the front right above the bluetooth square cover and when replacing the keyboard you have to take the entire top cover off so i gave me a chance to bend it back and straighten it.

 

whats the difference between 'AMD and Intel Graphics Drivers for Microsoft Windows 7' (version 8.741.1.3) on HPs website and the ATI 10-10 driver thingy some guys are installing here couple of pages back? i mean which one do i install and in what order?and does really improve anything? thanks for the help in advance!

 

you install the amd and intel one on hp's website first.


you then (if you want to) install ati's drivers on top of the amd/intel one.

 

It's a fine configuration. What are you asking exactly?

 

where did you ordered it?

 

for E14 mini display port, what kind of adapters that we need? Active or Passive?

 

I'm not sure where you talked about this before... Is this a replacement that you purchased or one provided by HP?

 

GD. Finally. Getting shipped back. They took a week and a half to (allegedly) fix these problems:

1. LCD or keyboard ribbon sticking out

2. Multiple scratches near hinge.

3. Stripped screw that was impossible to remove for upgrade purposes.

I'll find out whether they really fixed these problems tomorrow by 3pm.

Pending problems:

4gb stick swap. I'm going to make sure I get the 4gb stick and keep the extra 2gb stick that the tech rep took.


Assuming Apple hasn't changed much in 3 years, I'm not buying HP anymore. This is ridiculous.

 

The quality control is very poor. i have replaced 2 new envy's uptil now

 

This is my first and last experience buying HP. I have the HP care on-site warranty service but had to send my laptop in because they kept sending me just mounting brackets instead of replacement solid state drives. They accused me of stealing the drives so I had to send in my laptop to avoid their BS and it has been over 2 weeks. The insane thing is their own case managers have no way to contact the repair facility by phone and send some kind of message via their computer and it takes days to get a status update. Incompetence at its height.

 

See, that is why I am loath to send in my unit for repair. I feel no one would baby it as much as I would during my unnecessary repair/upgrade. Their support people are not always great to deal with, either. I feel I got a unit of pretty good quality, and I'd rather deal with it myself.

 

Really sorry to hear that. What's sad is that you and I were among many of the excited fans when this thread (part 1) was first started.

Here's to hoping my notebook stays strong for the rest of the remaining years left on the warranty.

 

Have HP resolved the BIOS issues on the ENVY 14 where Windows power management utility (powercfgexe -energy) will throw a ton of error messages related to ACPI and the issues with not being able to put the system into or wake it up from sleep reliably (which may be linked to the ACPI errors)?

 

I was asking if I should bu the one off ebay that has the radiance display or cusomize my own. I was thinking about getting the Ebay one and upgrading to a SSD.
I also had one more question is it worth paying $100 extra to get the 2.93 over the 2.66??

 

You might want to check with HP, but I believe we need active adapters. Not sure about this, but I think I read somewhere that active worked.

These big corporations do themselves no justice. HP seems to be among the most incompetent computer companies and I too will not purchase HP again. They seem to not really care about the customers, and apparently employ bad repair technicians. Their tech support is laughable. They really need to re-evaluate their business model and get away from releasing huge amounts of machines and focus on quality. Apple is very profitable because of this strategy. People place a higher value on lower specs and Apple reaps the rewards. Upgrade every year for the "newer" hardware. Their customers are viciously loyal.

Apple would have a reason to be worried if any of these companies tried to follow their route, and provide better specs and more options. Apple's limited hardware support is their achilles heel and none of these companies exploit that. Even with fewer models HP could still have more options than Apple and they could afford to test the machines and maybe even work with Microsoft to improve Windows, or pioneer their own OS and tailor it to their needs. There is plenty of competition on the OS front and plenty of kernels that are modifiable.

If HP continues on their cheap throw as many computers out there as possible whether or not they work or function properly business strategy, they will surely continue to loose customers to an ever increasingly competitive marketplace.

 

well. the 2.93ghz is just an i5 520m.

it can turbo boost to 2.93 ghz.

processor runs at 2.4ghz otherwise (2.66ghz with regular turbo boost)

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the model you listed has a 256GB Solid State drive already. If that is true, then that model wouldn't even need the upgrade. It also only has the 1366x768 briteview display if I am reading the right specs.

Edit: NVM I was confused.

 

He wants to know if he should take the Envy in the link he posted or the one he is going to customize, which is all of the specs he posted.

 

So are they the same hust one can turbo boost higher? is it now worth an extra $100? sorry I can get confused easily lol

 

the ebay link has the radiance screen (apparently) which can go up to a higher resolution.

that screen isn't available anymore and was one of the reasons why I went with the envy14.

the ones you can customize off of HP's website now have better processors.

so *shrugs*

do you want the 1600x900 screen or the better processor options.

nothing wrong with the 520m, just a lil bit older.

 

Well said. HP would benefit immensely if they'd spend a little more on upping their tech support quality and really distinguishing the Envy line from the others. Yeah, it's nice not having to wait too long on the customer support line, but how about making sure my laptop doesn't return in a worse condition?


You're also correct on the inferior hardware arena. As long as Intel keeps offering Apple super duper nice discounts on yesterday's processors, Apple will continue to reap ginormous profit margins on their Macs. They can spend some of the savings on high quality tech support, DEDICATED BRICK AND MORTAR STORES AND EMPLOYEES WHO STAFF THEM, and software support.

 

It's their latest driver, version 15.1.6.64, which "Adds the Accidental Contact Mitigation (ACM) feature, which enhances TouchPad usage by reducing the incidence of unwanted TouchPad behaviors."

You can use Windows Update to get it, or go to the HP Drivers and Software forum and download and run the softpak installer.

 

i purchased it from convena.com because i had a german QWERTZ keyboard and wanted a US keyboard.

 

Since I reinstalled my Envy 14 with a clean windows 7 I'm getting very bad performance of the bluetooth and wireless adapters. I see two problems:
1. Bluetooth mouse is lagging pretty often (every minute) and sometimes even disconnects
2. Wireless will only get very slow internet connection from my office wifi (802.11g)

Anybody seen this behavior? Missing /old drivers? Windows update is 100% updated and I don't have any non-installed devices.

I also upgraded the bios from f.05 to f.13, not sure if it's related.

 

Yeah, "computer people" like HP have a difficult time understanding that a relationship with the manufacturer on a brick and mortar level gives consumers confidence in the product they are buying. Like the old saying "I want somebody to choke when it screws up". But more so than that it gives PEOPLE a chance to go out of their way in order to help the customer get whatever problem they may have fixed. People of the same language and even in the same locality. This type of publicity trancends advertising and internet hype.

They also don't seem to understand that you need to differentiate your product from the rest of the market when it is as crowded as the Windows PC market. Sony has done it with the Vaio series. HP is trying to do it with the Envy series, but they are also trying to do it in so many other different price ranges and models. It strains their resources to try to hit so many different areas, and as another user said in this forum they essentially produce mediocrity. HP may sell the most computers, but they do so at the loss of their own integrity. Producing mediocre products is not the way to succeed.

Apple tells their users whats cool and good. I've seen mac diehards defend Apple for not implementing Blu-Ray. Love them or hate them Apple is a very smart successful company. I happen to hate Steve Jobs for some unknown reason. But you've got to hand it to someone when you're in the computer industry and you have users defend your company for not implementing something new like massive optical drive/disc storage.

 

Meh, blu-ray is probably one of the most overrated technologies of the decade. A blu-ray drive would've only made Macbook Pros thick, bulky, and heavy. Good reason the Envy 14 didn't come with it. 1-inch thickness is my baseline criterion for judging whether a notebook is thin and portable.


I personally think Sony wasted way too much of their attention on blu-ray as a standard. Yeah, they're reaping decent bank for the royalties all the blu-ray player-making companies are paying them (approximately $8/player sold), but why didn't their executives also consider other trends taking place? Why take this long to produce an iPhone challenger? Or how about catching up in the TV market? I hear they're back to the black, but after what, 2 years of losses? I've always had a thing for Sony mp3 players, but everything else they make is meh since it all does what the rest do.

At least Samsung and LG bother to make their higher TVs distinguishable from the pack through aesthetics. Sony decided to rip off of LG's piano-black borderless design. Why not do something different for once?

 

I'd love to see samsung make a decent laptop. I bet they could make a phenomenal display, considering they make the LCD panels for most major manufacturers (i.e. LG, Sony)

 

Looking at potentially purchasing an ENVY 14, just not sure if it's worth it or not as I currently have a Pavilion DV6T SE...

Specs for the pavilion:
Intel Core i5 430M 2.26GHz/2.53GHz Turbo Boost
4 GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB 5400 RPM HDD
Broadcom Wireless N Adapter + Bluetooth 2.1
Dual Layer LightScribe DVD Burner
15.6 Inch Screen 1366x768 Res
ATI 1GB 5650 Graphics Card

Specs for the Envy 14:
Intel Core i5 460M 2.53GHz/2.8GHz Turbo Boost
6 GB DDR3 RAM
640 GB 7200 RPM HDD
Intel 6200 Wifi & Bluetooth 3.0
Slot Loading DVD Drive
14.5 Inch Screen
ATI 1 GB 5650 Graphics Card

The reasons I'm looking at the Envy: Better build quality (metal alloy vs aluminum top case, better audio, screen seems to be brighter, backlit keyboard, and its drop dead gorgeous).

Concerns:

- BIOS throwing ACPI errors
- Reports of sleep problems, overheating, and battery life

Would it be worth it to buy the ENVY or should I just keep the Pavilion?

Thanks

 

Hey guys I was thinking about getting a refurb ENVY14 from HP. Its listed as:
HP Envy 14 W7HP-64 i5 450M 2.4GHz 300GB 4GB DVDRW 14.5HD(1600x900) BV 1GB Cam NIC WLAN BT - 1,119

I was going to call and see if they will knock it down to 1,000 or 1,050.Do you think it would be a good deal at that price?

 

Has anyone tried the "HP Slim Power Adapter VF685AA#ABA" . It is 65W only but listed in the HP adapter compatibility list . It is no longer available as a purchase option on HP US site

 

btw guys do you also feel the electricity flowing through the laptop? ive noticed it on some notebooks when theyre plugged in you can really feel the electricity when theyre plugged in. it just feels like a vibration (its not the hardrive) you can really feel the resistance. am i the only one experiencing this?

it only happens with the notebook is plugged in. you can feel it if you run your fingers on the palm rest for example or any of the other metal surfaces. i have experienced this with many other laptops but i think its really annoying do you guys experience it as well?

 

nah. all I feel is the 7200 rpm hdd vibrating and at times maybe one of the two fans if my hand is in the back near the power button.

 

I actually think Sony played this one right. PS3 was their Blu-Ray trojan horse. They saw the popularity of the PS2's DVD player and now they have "doubled down" and created their own optical drive and media. I know PS3 was considered a failure, but it has Blu-Ray in millions of homes now. I for one look forward to Blu-Ray write drives coming down in price, it would be nice to have hard copies of my data and not have it take up an entire room.

 

Does it do it no matter where you plug it in? I haven't noticed this on my Envy, maybe something inside the computer is touching the metal casing. The only computer I have felt this on is a Macbook Pro, and I agree with you, it is annoying. I couldn't stop squirming when I was using the computer, I had to return it.

 

yea it does do you think it has something with the fact that im in europe and 220volts is the outlet voltage rather than the US's 110v?

 

I havent noticed that on any laptop. Ill look for it.

 

i just read somewhere that it could be the a/c adapter and i just put it to my ear and its making a buzzing sound but i guess that shoulddnt much of a problem until it shocked me! wasnt a big shock or anything but a very small pinch so now i have reason to beleive that its not working properly and possibly sending a little to much juice to my envy

 

Probably should get that replaced, hopefully it hasn't done any permanent damage to the other components inside the computer.

 

I have two compalints about my envy 14.

Why the hell is the fan so loud? Its like a jet engine. Ive seen other asus laptops and Alienware M11 that have fan sound much quiter than envy.

Also, beats audio sucks. My friends Macbook is louder on speakers and bass isnt that diffrent on earphones.

 

My envy 14 beats edition is a finger print magnet both on the front cover and the inside rubbery paint..
I have to make sure that my hand is clean everytime i touch the notebook other wise it will left some marks esspecially on the rubbery paint which simply wiping it with wet cloth is not removing it...

How do you guys handle this...
Are there any product/ plastic shield for envy ? I love this laptop but can't stand this characteristic.....

 

The geniuses at HP not only managed to NOT fix the cosmetic scratches they created, but they accidentally swapped my regular adapter for a smaller one which I now see as rated at 65w. The mini-sized one has a small scratch on the corner, so I have a feeling it used to belong to another person.


Fricken geniuses. They've now ticked off two customers. They swapped my 4gb stick for a 2gb stick which I'll have to get back from them. I don't know whether to be angry or resigned.

Anyone wanna help me decide?


EDIT: Incredibly lame. The mini-adapter is apparently a "smart adapter" that powers the Envy at a lower performance level. I'm going to contact my case manager and ask for my 4gb stick back along with my power adapter.

 

Why did they have your stick in the first place? That sucks @ the adapter.

 

I'm actually thinking about just keeping it instead of going through the trouble to swap it. This laptop is strictly for school purposes. I don't plan to do anything intensive on it beyond running several different windows which the i5 handles easily.


And good question the RAM. Blockhead technician apparently took it upon himself to get a donation from me.