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

Did the fan turn on full speed?

 

yep. interestingly, if via remote desktop you close the flash program and reopen it, the second time you open it it reverses the fail. it seems like it's a hardware detection operation that forgets to toggle the devices back to their original state.

 

thanks! surprisingly, i've never heard of MSE. going to give it a try since BitDefender is more annoying than helpful

 

Thanks for that, it just seems strange that neither Micron nor Samsung websites find anything when I search for MTFDBAK256MAG-1G1. It's the first time for a LONG time that I've searched for a "valid" part number and only gotten one hit (well now two, since it finds my post here!). I'll be interested in hearing if anyone else finds they've gotten one of these SSDs as well as the specs on it.

 

new topic...is there any facial recognition software that can be used on the envy 14 beats edt....i used to have a dell xps 1645 that had a great system, and was very accurate and actually learnt your face the more times you used it..ny ideas for hp software?

 

I believe SensibleVision's FastAccess software should work ( Sensible Vision. I know a lot of people like this software and their support seems to be pretty good, but on my Dell 14z I ended up uninstalling it because it didn't perform reliably in low light situations and the built in light in the Dell just wasn't strong enough to sufficiently illuminate my face, so I'd end up just sitting there for 5 seconds while it tried to recognize my face instead of taking 2 seconds to type in my password.

 

Looks like new AMD drivers fix the issue of plugging in the computer while its sleeping and losing ability to change GPU after that.

 

The F.23 BIOS installer hangs on the confirmation screen and requires removal of the battery before the system can be restarted. Here's one way to upgrade to F.23. There's another method here from zman420.

I was able to upgrade to F.23 by using the installer for the F.13 BIOS, as follows:

1. Create a folder C:\SwSetup\SP50247 for the F.13 installer.
2. Create a folder C:\SwSetup\SP51091 for the F.23 installer.
3. Download the F.13 installer to C:\SwSetup\SP50247.
4. Download the F.23 installer to C:\SwSetup\SP51091.
5. Right-click sp50247.exe>7-Zip>Extract Here
6. Right-click sp51091.exe>7-Zip>Extract Here
7. Rename C:\SwSetup\ SP50247\01436.bin to 01436.bin.old
8. Copy C:\SwSetup\ SP51091\01436.bin to C:\SwSetup\ SP50247.
9. Right-click C:\SwSetup\ SP50247\InsydeFlashx64.exe>Run as administrator.
10. Press Enter when asked about updating BIOS.
11. The computer will re-boot. You'll need to reapply any changes you made to your BIOS settings, if any, as they get reset to defaults with a new BIOS install.

I used 7-Zip to extract the files. There are other utilities out there that do the same thing.

So far my machine is running okay on F.23 although the System Recovery disks I created still don't work and haven't worked since the F.06 BIOS version.

 

I essentially did the same thing and it worked for me to upgrade to f23 earlier today.

No issues with f23 yet.

The screen still has become blank resuming from standby though

 

What kind of SSD do I need for the ENVY 14?

What are the more popular ones people use?

Are there any threads that might help me with the install/config? Is it hard to replace the optical drive with a SSD?

 

Hey guys, just bought a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid HDD. Will give full review soon. but i have a huge problem. when i had to install Windows 7 on the HDD, i put in the recovery disks. it went through the whole procedure, said it will restart a few time....ok. restarted then went to black screen and wouldn't boot back into OS. so i just installed windows 7 using a normal windows 7 DVD. but now, when i boot into windows, i have two primary partitions, like with program files and everything. I'm guessing one is from the win7 DVD the other from the recovery ones. how d i get rid of one of hem, cuz when i got to format one it says i cant.

 

You could try and go into Control Panel, System and Security, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management and try to delete the partition that you want to delete. If you can delete it, you can extend your primary partition into the deleted space.

 

Yeah but thats what im saying. i go there but it wont let me

EDIT: nvm re-did the recovery disk and it auto formated them. all good

 

Just installed my SSD into my hp envy beats. and its SUPER FAST. i made a vid aswell, its got benchmarks,boot times and test of call of duty

check it out :

YouTube - Hp Envy 14 SSD vs Stock HD

 

I just timed my Beats and it took 42 seconds to get into windows(stock 7200 rpm HD), this included putting in the password. If I were you I would do clean install, it would cut off about 10 seconds for your boot time.

 

Did BIOS f.23 break restart for anyone else? I have reflashed to f.13 and restart works again. Under f.23 if I restart I get stuck at the HP splash screen. I can esc to get to startup menu, but even then I cannot get the HDD to boot, not even to safe mode. Shutdown and Hibernate work fine.

 

No issues here with f.23.

 

Hey Patrikc8,

Very nice video. I love side-by-side speed test comparisons. I have a couple of quick questions though, just for curiosity's sake.

1. What are the specs for the HDD you were using? (5400 rpm, 7200 rpm, etc.)

2. What are the specs for the SSD you are using? (Based upon your other post it looks like it must be this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231378?)

3. Were there any significant configuration differences between the HDD and SSD which would in any way skew the speed comparison or were they set up nearly identically?

I purchased my Envy with the Intel X25-M and I must say, I love it.

Thanks again for the video.

 

for those who was wondering how to connect their external monitor, the displayport works without the need of any adapter. I did it with minidisplay to displayport cables, I bought a NEC IPS panel (23inch) which has a displayport connector, color is very nice after calibration, resemble my radiance screen. Running 1080 on NEC and 900 on E14.

PS:F23 BIOS flashed with no issue, I always have the SD card plug in with HP files, not sure that would make a difference for people who have issue updating the BIOS.

 

Hey Patrick...great video! I saw a lot of Apple stuff in the video....so do you have a Macbook or Macbook Pro? How does your Envy stack up so far?

 

F.23 BIOS is working fine for me. I've also updated to the latest video driver, the 8.771.1.0 version. Since I've done that I haven't had a single black screen after shutdown/restart/sleep. Everything is working pretty much as it should now.

I'm wondering if the problem I had updating to F.23 BIOS was because I had removed the HP_TOOLS partition when I did a clean install. It's interesting though that the F.13 installer worked fine for me without the HP_TOOLS partition on either my hard drive or USB drive, but F.23 gets hung up.

 

One of the USB parts on my E14 stopped working.

When I plug something into it, the indicator on the flash drive (or for my mouse) still lights up but it doesnt work.

Any ideas?

 

I really don't know, a couple of months ago someone in this forum had their USB fail on them. HP had to replace the motherboard.

 

My HP ENVY BEATS had only 320GB 7200RPM drive (special offer) compared to the usual 500GB.

The Phoenix Pro 120GB is the one from your link , i got it for a special offer

I got the blue screen last week and sent it in to HP, they said the ram was damaged so they replaced it , im getting around 38 seconds for boot time now YAY.

Once i got my envy i did the test after installing some programs,then installed the SSD.

I am going to try and improve my boot time then upload another vid

 

I do like my Apple stuff, i have the 20 inch Apple Display (seen in the vid) Iphone and i did have a Macbook but got the HP ENVY as i am a techie, mac just isnt my style, but in my house there is Macbook Pro 13 and 15, Imac then the first imac,powerbook G4,and two 2006 model macbook's.

the envy is beastly, i like the matte finish as it feels nice , application boot instantly,nice and quiet. its accually not that heavy but i am a student so i just got pre-ordered the Notion ink adam so i can bring that to school as its lighter.

 

FYI there is a new Envy 14 Beats Edition review in German HP Envy 14 Beats Edition. Just have a look at the results of the display test....

 

made a new vid testing soluto, my boot time before was 45 now its 4.1 so check it out, aslo shows ssd performance of opening applications.

YouTube - Testing Soluto with SSD Program Launch Times

 

well. at times it is more of a "prevent you from getting hit by a compromised 3rd party adserver that is serving up viruses which happens way more often than you'd think" thing.


that and a hate for flash ads.

 

with respect to people having catalyst 10.12 for the control center but not the drivers)


https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/920...obile/10-12_mobility_vista_win7_64_dd_ccc.exe

you have to use this sort of download like people with sony laptops

 

I messed up my old installation of Windows, and decided that instead of formatting the same drive, I would just buy a new faster one, but unfortunately my recovery discs complained and said they can't perform a recovery on this computer.
Is there any way to do a minimal install with a new hard drive, or do I need to do more work, and do a clean install?

 

well there's the possibility that updating to the F.13 bios broke the recovery discs forever.

I dunno.


you'll need to do some more work for a clean install.


step 1: back up swsetup for the love of god it has your drivers and everything else

step 2: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq/432564-hp-laptop-out-box-guide-2-0-windows-7-a.html follow steps 1.1 and 2 or just 2 or whatever the abr stuff step is

Step 3: back up everything else on your hdd.

step 4: stick in the new hdd and good luck.

 

so i installed the new F27 bios or whatever.. and now my fn brightness keys doesnt work...

yes i disabled action keys and yes the other buttons work..



any ideas?

 

Does "Display brightness" show up and work in the Windows Mobility Center (Windows Key + X)? If not, it may be a video driver problem. I'm running the F.23 BIOS and the latest video driver, version 8.771.1.0 (AMD) 8.15.10.2182 (Intel SG), you can find in the HP Drivers and Software Forum. The brightness keys work fine for me.

Also, do you have the HP Quick Launch software installed? If so, the version you have may be interfering with the operation of your brightness keys. I had done a clean install and did not install the HP Quick Launch software. Most of the Fn keys work fine without it (except for stuff like Fn-Esc that I don't care about).

 

the past 3 ATI driver updates (catalyst 10.11, 10.12, and 10.10 if those existed, don't remember) stop the brightness up and down keys from working while on that gpu.

you can still control it if you hit windows key + x and use that slider or something.

otherwise, gotta downgrade back to ATI catalyst 10.8 I think.

the latest ati + intel combined drivers (hp 10.7) work fine

 

New problem, after replacing a new hard drive, my mute light wont turn on. caps lock and wifi still do. any solutions?

EDIT: first post says
"Mute light not changing color? Install IDT High Definition Audio driver.
See Justin's driver thread or HP driver downloads for it."

but only the CODEC is available. where is the driver itself?

 

The links provided on justinkw1's thread under "IDT High Definition Audio Codec" include everything that you need. Every time there is a new release I uninstall the old version completely and reinstall the new, so I am confident that what is provided there are the full blown drivers, software, etc.

 

I am so pissed off at HP it is ridiculous. Their customer service is the biggest abomination I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing.

Here's my story:
About a month ago (11/28) I sent my ENVY 14 laptop in to be repaired because it had a faulty connection to the hard drive. I was told it would take no more than two weeks for it to be returned to me. I got it back about 5 days ago (two weeks more than I was told) and it did not come with the charger that I sent it in with. Because of this I had to call and wait another 4 days to get a replacement charger. Once I opened the package for the charger I realized it was only half a charger, it was missing the part that goes in the wall. I called in and demanded that they send the missing part to me overnight. Once I got the charger working, I plugged the new laptop in and I found out the laptop had not been repaired, it was still having the same error as before (no bootable device). ON TO OF THAT, when I sent in the laptop it had a 1600x900 resolution, and now it has a 1366x768 resolution (I SPECIFICALLY asked the representative if there was a chance of this happening, and he said absolutely not).

I don't know what to do anymore....

Any advice?

 

I've been getting no bootable device messages too. Usually it just happens once and then when I power it on and off it loads Windows. I am wondering if maybe I should just try to do the repair myself if it ever stops working completely after people on this thread's dealings with HP's service. It sounds like they need some new management and staff at HP with this kind of thing going on. You should definitely get someone to help you if you can ever find anyone who can.

 

I would STRONGLY recommend talking to a case manager. i was talking to mine and she said if it happened, she would give me a 300$ store credit(for which the radiance display is worth)

 

Thanks I'll ask. Just wondering, is there any chance I'll be able to get a new computer? Because if I can't get a radiance screen on the 14 I want an ENVY 17 with a 1080p screen.

 

this happens sometimes.

the solution tends to be turn it off, unplug it, take out the battery, hold power on for 30+ seconds to reset stuff, put it back together and it should work.


if it doesn't work, something something maybe install hpquicklaunch (hpql in swsetup) might do the trick.

this all assumes uh installing the drivers don't fix it.

 

I have a question. I've been an Envy 14 owner for quite a bit of time and I would like to reinstall Windows 7. I am thinking about upgrading to a SSD as well. Is the HP_TOOLS partition necessary? Can I safely remove it? I cannot find a complete answer to my question.

 

You don't need it. I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 professional on a brand new SSD last week...

 

No, you don't "need" it, but I kept it on mine. It is where the HP System Diagnostics (UEFI) (which is useful for diagnosing hardware problems through the BIOS) and where the HP BIOS Update (UEFI) (which aids in the process of updating the system BIOS) are both stored. Personally I appreciate both of these features enough that they are worth the 98.8 MB of storage space. But again, not "needed."

If you want those features but also want to remove HP_TOOLS you can alternatively store them on a flash drive.

 

did ANOTHER video with the HP envy gaming, it performes awesomely

YouTube - Gaming on HP ENVY 14

 

Cool music. Name/Artist of track?

 

So I had my new Envy 14 reformatted by IT at work (free windows 7 pro and microsoft office). I just checked out my "windows experience score" and I have like a 4.6 for Windows Aero Desktop despite having a 6.9 for '3D graphics'. Anyone know why the desktop score would be so low? Could it be that the drivers are still way out of date?

For reference I have an i5-580 and 6GB ram.

Thanks!

 

Most likely the driver but you never know, If you wanted it to be perfect,you have to do it yourself.

 

it just thinks the intel gpu is the card for some reason. don't worry about it.


not like that rating really matters in the grand scheme of things

 

Ordered a E14 Beats last friday with the 300$ off coupon so i was able to get the core i5 560m, 6gb ram, and 640gb hdd.
I had done thorough research on this pc and it seems to be the best notebook for the money for what i want it to be. (Student)
However, i do have concerns that i purchased this pc right before a possible refresh in early January. Does anyone know anything about that?
I installed Reil's touchpad app on my netbook to test along with touchpad locker and it works pretty well even on my netbook so im not worried about the envy's touchpad because im fairly confident its better than my netbooks. With reil's app, two-finger scroll is very nice as well as 3 finger tap.
I also plan on doing a system restore with the provided partitions (minimal) so could anyone tell me which drivers would have to be reinstalled?
Also, for anyone who has recently got their envy (DEC 2010), how is the build quality?
thanks