*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 2*

Yes, 1 year warranty standard. However, the Envy does receive the upgraded version with US based support.

The HP rep told me this is why the warranty extension options are more expensive than their standard laptops.

 

Why? Just to preserve battery life?

 

Well HP, that was extremely impressive.

I dropped off my machine at FedEx for keyboard repair on Monday at 4:45, and it is right now back in my little paws, working perfectly.

I don't think I've seen that fast a turnaround time for anything I've owned, ever.

 

How is the cosmetic condition? I heard some of the Envys came back all beat up and such.

Also, is the sagging keys considered a defect under warranty?

 

Glad to hear they got you squared away. They probably, since you had several keyboard issues, just swapped the whole assembly which should be a fast process and in you case seems to be what they did. Total time from when you shipped to them until it was returned fixed?

 

Not that fast. My old thinkpad broken on Tuesday night, I got it back by Friday noon. And my envy 15 replacement only took 9 days.

 

That wouldn't surprise me: mine was returned in a box too big for the machine, even with the foam endcaps on. So it was rattling around in there, although the endcaps kept it from actually hitting anything. No damage that I can see, 'tho.

What they replaced was actually the keyboard cable. It had clearly gotten pinched somehow -- which is an issue with these machines, apparently, or at least with the 1st gen. ones -- causing some keys to be unresponsive.

But although they didn't replace the actual keyboard, the act of re-assembling has apparently made things better. I had only had problems really with 2 sagging keys. The Tab key is no longer tilting at all; and the Ctrl key still slopes to the left, but only very slightly now; you can hardly see it.

It was a couple hours shy of 4 days. I had been prepared for at least 10.

 

I feel like I'm spamming this board, but ... has anyone had a problem where the audio jack stops recognizing microphone input?

I know my headset mic is ok, it works on another computer. The jack still outputs sound. I've reinstalled the drivers, etc., but I can't get the mic back....

 

Yes. The service sometimes gets a little confused and will try to recover.

More often than not, it will require intervention. Just click on the speaker icon in the task bar, and it will restart.

 

Sorry, I should have clarified: the mic input doesn't just stop occasionally -- it stopped working altogether a while ago...

 

I'd just like to find a good adapter so I can use my Headset/mic's. I have a fair number of good ones so I could pack a set in my tote for those brief, gotta play a game moments.

 

Well, it's funny you mention it, because I think it is precisely such an adapter that broke my sound card's brain. I've got a speaker/mic joiner adapter; after I used it the first time (long ago) my mic input stopped working -- but then I forgot about it because I had to do a complete factory restore (for another reason) -- after which my mic input was working again.

Idiotically, however, I absent-mindedly tried to use the adapter again -- and now I've got no external mic capability again. Reinstalling drivers hasn't helped...

 

Why not use bultin mic or bluetooth headset?

 

Well, the integrated mic makes poor voice recordings; but, yeah, I might have to resort to a bluetooth mic

 

Well I just visited the HP site and interestingly enough it looks like the TouchSmart TM2 series uses the same touchpad as the envys.

Perhaps if this touchpad becomes more prevalent on HP models they will put more effort into making the drivers better.

Just a thought.

 

what kind of framerates are you guys getting on Borderlands?

I'm thinking about plunkering down for a copy.

 

I want to use a headset like this with skype. It's made for an iphone but comes in 2.5mm or 3.5mm (integrated one plug for mic and speaker), which size might work with the Envy? Do you think this device could work?

 

Well my laptop never arrived yesterday. Gave my Dell XPS to my brother who flew down to visit me for a couple of days. I am now without a computer till Tuesday (Monday is a public holiday over here...). Not happy with Harvey Norman... Typical salesmen promising something that was never going to happen.

 

My laptop is in Newark, NJ right now.

How long would it take to be delivered to Delaware? Is their estimate of the 10th probably the right one, coz I will be out for a week from the 8th.

So would it possible to go to Newark and collect it?

 

It requires hp to call fedex to release it.

 

After playing it for about an hour, i'm averaging around 35-40fps with everything turned on except for dynamic shadows.

 

I am new to this great forum. I recently got my envy i7 720 replacement laptop from Hp. The problem with my laptop is that it does not boot up anymore, even though the power button is lit but the display is pitch black and the hard drive light indicator on the left of the laptop is not lit at all. Anyone on here have any solution for me as to how to get it to work or get it boot up. I am thinking about having it sent to Hp tech support. Any reply would be nice.

 

Try plugging in an HDMI cable in and out...

It happened to me before on other laptops.

 

Hmm...i wonder how this will help, but i will give it a try. I will plug my laptop with the HDMI into my monitor and then turn on the laptop.

 

One reaosn I got an HP was I get to deal with their corporate support. my copmany uses all HP's so I can just call Jim or Len and they hook me right up. HP is great when you have 40k+ employees using their stuff.

 

Not sitting in front of my laptop right now but think one of the bottom keys is a button to toggle different display methods, ie Laptop/TV/Both. That long quickstart card that comes with the Envy I think explains which one and how you can use it.

 

Hey ninth, i tried it and nothing. The issue seems to be the hard drive or something because like i'd stated, the indicator light on the left side should always be blinking with a white light and the fan noise should be whooshing quite a bit. In my case, when i turn on the laptop, the power button light is lit, with just a whoosh of the fan and the light indicating the hard drive is operable isn't blinking nor lit, just a quick orange orange when i turned on or off the power. Any reply and help from anybody would be greatly appreciated.

 

their business line has great support, everyone else not so much.

 

Does almost sound like your HD may have gone kaput. Have you called the Envy TS number yet? Maybe they have some idea of something to do.
1-866-408-5408

 

Try to boot into BIOS setup to test system.

Push and hold power button until it powers down (couldn't hurt to remove / replace battery). Then push power button until light comes on then immediately start rapidly tapping the escape button -- this should take you to BIOS options, you can test system, change settings or start in 'safe mode'.

On my first envy the HDD cable came loose and had to test system this way to figure that out...

 

What's the #? I've had horrible support so far. Even their executive support didn't help me and forwarded me to the regular support line (foreign).

 

I am puzzled myself. Now after trying several methods as prescribe by you guys, it didn't do anything. Then just minutes ago, the laptop is running again and everything is functioning again. When it does boot-up, it did give me options as to boot it in safe mode, or normally, etc. Thanks guys, i appreciate the help. I hope this is not more of what's to come with this laptop because this is the 8th day since i got it as a replacement.

 

Have you tried the envy specific support number ?? 2 posts back.

 

It sounds like the problem i had with the 'loose' HDD connection on my first envy. It went from intermitent booting to not booting at all, the loose connector finally completely disengaged and i had to reconnect it.

I would try the BIOS self tests as I described earlier, it takes quite a while to run but should show any actual hardware issues. You shouldn't need to do the 'full' version of the mem and HDD tests, they take forever.

 

Thanks. I will try that.

 

There is a new BIOS update F.18 and F.19 that addresses the excess fan spin, and the VBIOS again.

Has anyone tested these to see if the black screen is fixed?

EDIT: Why is the HP Support Assistant application not picking up the new updates? I have had to manually download these new "fixes".

 

FYI; This new BIOS also shows up as valid for the i5-540m model, but I see no description of what it changes.

Mine shipped with F .18 and i am a little leary of upgrading since the F .18 is not available to download (burn) if I need to revert back for some reason. Anyone try the F .19 on an i5 model yet??

 

FYI: TOUCHPAD DRIVER

I just noticed that HP has an older version of the synaptics touchpad driver (14.0.5.9 A) listed as the current download.

The new envy's come with 14.0.11.2 installed for the touchpad. Do not know the differences but if you want the most current touchpad driver after a clean install make sure and get it from the SWsetup folder that came with your machine, NOT the HP website.

 

I did. See the Drivers thread for the ENVY 15 for my impression.

 

Hi, I just bought a envy 15 and a intel ssd. But how to install it? I saw on the thread you should clone the current HD, but I am not using dual hdds, which means I cannot clone it to the ssd since it is not connected. I tried to clone it to a usb hd from which I thougth I could boot the computer with the ssd installed but failed to clone it. What am I doing wrong?

The answer is probably in these threads, and i have been searching and looking but still confused

So please help me, Im not 100% on these things so i kindof need a walkthrough

 

I used the number on the card. I'm not at home right now...

As far as I know, there are three different support lines: one for business models, HDX/Envys, and one the rest.

When I had my main issue addressed with my 5310, I got it resolved in an hour.

 

The number I posted earlier is for the HDX/Envy line 1-866-408-5408 option 2

 

Make a set of restore discs from the hp support (or windows) restore options. Swap drives and boot with the 1st restore disc in your dvd drive. This should give you a factory restored install on the new drive.

 

wow, that sounds alot easier than what I have been reading Im off to the shop to get some dvds!
thanks!

 

I'm 99% sure the recovery discs include the full Win 7 O.S. Just to be sure I would call the HP envy support line (1-866-408-5408) and confirm that the O. S. is included, or maybe someone else here can confirm this...

 

i installed the f19 and got a blank screen. my notebook screen didn't work but luckily the hdmi output was fine. had to flash back to f17. wont' try again. happy with f17 for now.

 

That sound like something else is broken with the GPU.

 

Swap the drives? what does that mean? I made the boot dvds, put in the ssd, started up ok but enter a HP recovery maneger instead of windows install. All options are greyed out exept for "run computer checkup" -> "open command prompt" in which I typed "c:" but could not be found.
I restarted and pressed f2 on startup and ran some checks, hard drive check was ok....

 

Hello all,

Is the new ATI Mobility Radeon HD driver version 8.670.5.100 listed in the "HP Envy 15 latest driver" thread compatible with the first gen 4830 card?

. . . when I look directly at the HP site with my product number, it does not list the new driver? . . . .

Has anybody tried the new drive on a 4830/first gen machine?

Thanks,
N123

 

oh just read what i said "swap what drives?" well somehow I read drives as drivers (prob cause my head is full of that word now) so obviously you mean swap the hdd drives!

I am trying to use windows to make a boot usb hd (copy of the one in the laptop now). Someone said that the hp boot dvds I created might not install on the ssd because its not partitioned like the hdd that came with the laptop...
worth a try...