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

Same thing happened to me last night. I used my recovery discs to do a minimized recovery. Still nothing. Did the same thing again, still nothing. Went to bed planning to rma it in the morning. Tried it again....and it worked.

I miss the days when you could give something a good wack and it started working again.

 

Hm now im a little hesitant to do a clean install. Maybe I should just manually remove the bloatware.

 

do the minimized recovery thing. Works much better. no fooling with drivers and what not.

 

do i need to make a windows 7 disk for that? what is left behind with the minimized recovery as opposed to a clean install?

 

Like the wife?

 

Ive done two clean installs so far.

Ive learned:
Install the ATI drivers from the driver page before upgrading to Catalyst 10.7
Screen can turn black when installing video drivers, let it finish installing by leaving it a bit till HD is done being used and then restart
Synaptics Driver has the ability to have tap zones if you use an alternate "device" when installing the driver. Its access during installation.
Did get a black screen when reinstalling windows the second time after "loading files". Restarting and trying again worked.

 

I just got my Envy 14 today, even though it wasn't suppose to be finished until the 9th =) Now is a clean install worth the effort or would manually uninstalling the bloatware work?

 

You don't need your recovery disks to do a minimized recovery.

No, you don't need a Windows 7 disk. There's only the HP MediaSmart after the minimized image recovery and all the drivers will be there.

 

I tried to do the recovery without the discs and it crashed everytime. As soon as i used the discs (though it took forever and a day) it worked.

 

Hmm...Did the MIR thing without using my recovery disks. Wonder if those need to be used only if you are trying to do a MIR after a clean installation provided you blew all the original partitions away?????

 

Oh, that's good. Yay for that.
Sorry about any heart-attacks I may have caused you, man.

 

I did a clean install, still had the option for recovery without the discs. Probably luck of the draw that it didn't work for me without the discs. but hey, just posting what DID work for me incase someone else runs into the same problem.

 

well of course it will crash if you get rid of your recovery partition.

 

I didn't remove the recovery partition. Like I said, I tried it with the recovery partition, made it about 75% through and it crashed. Tried it with the discs and it worked. Again, probably just a coincidence that the discs worked and the partition didn't.

End discussion with agreement that both methods work, discs worked for me

 

What's this minimal recovery thing?
When I went to the recovery manager, theres an option for Hardware Driver Reinstallation..."use this program to reinstall hardware drivers that came with your computer. Note: This program will NOT reinstall software programs or the Windows 7 operating system."

Have people used this? Seems perfect to me

Also, my new envy has the F.06 bios (old one had F.02). Is this the newest BIOS?

Another question, is it necessary to backup your activation if you do a clean install? Why can't you just wipe it, install windows 7, and then enter your license? no good?

 

I vote for a clean install. Do it right the first time!

 

who knows. at least one of the methods worked

 

I would never close my eyes again in bed.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or actual purchases on aftermarket RAM. I'd like to get some on tax free weekend which will be before I get my envy. I wish I knew which brand the existing stick was.

 

Has anyone using displayport to an external monitor noticed that while the laptop is on A/C power it causes the connected screen to making 'crackling' noises? I'm going to go test a Dell this afternoon to see if it has the same problem as my HP ZR30w.

 

SSD aficionados: I'm looking for M225 reviews now, but how does this SSD compare to the 256 gig Samsung that HP is using in CTO Envy 14s? My understanding is that the 1916 firmware for the M225 utilizes TRIM in Win 7.

Seriously thinking about doing this. That drive is $433 shipped to my doorstep, tax included; surely it can't be hard to swap drives and clean install. AND it's cheaper than the ~$565 256 GB SSD option under HP's student discount.

 

When did they release the F.06 A driver online? I can't seem to download it

 

I couldn't find much specific to the 256GB version, but some of the 128GB version. It seems to be a better performer than the Samsung by a little bit, and it supports TRIM. At $433 to your door is a great deal. I only go the Samsung 256GB in mine because I got the BCB which results in a drive about $400. Otherwise I would have jumped all over this deal.

 

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

 

Try reinstalling the sound driver. Here's the driver page. Download "IDT High Definition Audio Codec". Here's the direct link by the way.

 

can anyone give me a link to the type or cable i need to connect my envy 14 to my hdtv?

 

its really fast and has automated trimming. i have it and it works great.

 

What did you guys do for the Windows 7 Dvd disc for the clean install? Did you use the guide on the first page of the owners lounge?

 

Hi, does your HD-TV have an HDMI connection port? If yes, any HDMI cable will work. Just make sure you don't get a very cheap one.

 

Ok so im an idiot and had my hdmi cable plugged in and that is why the sound wasnt working BUT the volume adjustment still does not work even after I installed the sound driver

 

You mean F7 & F8 keys? Download and install 3rvx and see page 1 of this thread.

 

Thanks ya i just saw that and downloaded it. 3vrx seemed to work

 

Was consensus ever reached with regard to the rainbow spot that can be seen on the screen at a severe angle? I checked mine after I read about the issue here & I have a 5 inch crescent in the middle of the screen. It can only be seen at an angle & doesn't affect direct viewing. What is the cause & will it become an issue? I've read that others have said that their spot went away, but I'm at nine days with little to no change. Any advice or info would be appreciated.

 

*shrugs* mine went away after a week.

mine was pretty tiny though.

 

I noticed it on mine, but it went away after several day's use.

 

I had a small spot right in the center. It's gone now

 

so i dont need to make a windows 7 disk if im just doing the minimized recovery?

and with the minimized recovery there will only be the hp mediasmart to get rid of?

 

Is there something specific either of you did (& I should be doing) to help facilitate this happening? & anyone else that still has it after over a week+ of use?

 

So am I the only person who received an Envy with lint/dust underneath the plastic layer of the screen?

 

I didn't. But the fact that I can see the edge of the screen at the very top makes me think this could be a future issue. Do you have the rainbow issue when viewing at an extreme angle?

 

No, I didn't experience the rainbow issue on the screen. The laptop was actually perfect IMO... kinda pissed that I had to RMA it because of the lint. Once I finally noticed it, it stuck out like a sore thumb.

 

I got the rainbow effect, its gone probably after a week use. Its moisture trapped inside the screen.

Love the laptop so far, only the whining seems to be the issue right now. I'm using a BT mouse, I would say the whine sound is lower on BT mouse then using my USB mouse. Plus my BT mouse seems to be off if it wasn't active for 30 sec or so.

Not sure if the F06 BIOS will address this issue. Dont bother contacting HP support, they insist it might be fan sound and wanted me to clean it from dust (ITS FREAKIN NEW!)..I ended the chat.

 

Just got my envy 14 in the mail Really enjoying it, until I plugged in my wireless USB mouse and then the ear splitting whine started... I'm gonna try to tough through it, but it really is giving me a headache :/

 

Haha. I have to say that since moving to SF bay, the noise has become virtually drowned out by the everyday sounds of car and muni buses roaring by. The only sound that remains is the gentle whirring of the fans.

That might all change once I start virtually living in the library.

 

Why do some things say that my video card is a "ATI display adapter (0x68C1)". For example, on CanYouRunIt, mine used to say ATI Mobility Radeon 5650, until I did a minimized recovery... Does anyone else have this problem? Try going to the CanYouRunIt website and see what video card it thinks you have.

 

If/when you guys replace the thermal compound, post some screenshots!

Also, I tried accessing the CPU from the bottom but found it was blocked by 3 screws. I'm not sure I'm supposed to apply paste underneath the pipeline. Does the service manual show how to access the top of the CPU? Do I need to remove the keyboard?

 

I'd be careful replacing the CPU...just from my experience trying to fix the cpu whine, I tightened the screws a little and after that there was a very noticeable buzzing noise, like electricity running through a wire, coming from the computer. I'm never touching anything on the motherboard again lol, unless I'm just replacing the RAM.

 

I got it, right in the middle. Had to return it....

 

This may be redundant, but I remember that some people were complaining about max. volume of the speakers. I found that turning on Loudness Equalization significantly improves the volume. It's in the advanced settings of the sound properties tab:

 

someone else I think had a bit of dust in their screen and they RMA'd the laptop.


I think. not sure. not gonna dig through the two owner lounges