*HP dm4t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge!*

Everytime I run an installation file, my screen sorta flashes/blacks out for a second then reappear with the installation notification (yes/no?) and the rest of the desktop/background dimmed. Has anyone encounter this. I have not used win7 before so this may be its default design, but I just found it quite annoying and abnormal.

 

That is Windows 7 for you.. If too annoying, google how to turn off Windows 7 UAC controls. It's there for your safety... how often are you going to be installing after the first couple days?

 

Hi I was able to solve my problem with the fingerprint reader and everything else seemed to work normally, except now i'm having video problems. *(For new readers, I did a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate from Windows 7 Home Premium after backing up everything) I installed the device softwares for both Intel Graphis Media Accelarator HD and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450 from the back-up install files. Then, I tried out some of my games (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Oblivion with many mods, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, etc.) and they worked just fine. But when I tried Hulu, I couldn't play any video whatsoever. First, the message, "viewer discretion advised" plays, then when it moves on to commercials or the actual content, everything would freeze for a second and the screen would turn black and I wouldn't be able to do anything. The first sound of the commercial of the video would be playing throughout the black screen. *(I've tried YouTube just in case and it works.) Help anyone?

 

no it's not TOO annoying for me; I just wanted to make sure it's by design and not a defect with my screen or video card. Thanks,

 

Where's the solution to this ?

 

Got mine yesterday, thinking of doing a fresh install, can anyone make a list of every driver/program I'll need to make everything work like the webcam, fingerprint reader, touchpad, etc?

Is there a special driver for the switchable graphics?

Also, I can't find a driver for the bluetooth on HP's site. This is mainly why I am asking, because if they are missing one thing they might be missing other things that I won't remember need drivers.

 

Thanks abaddon!!! That's still better than the student discount ... I was having so much trouble figuring that out! There's no helpline. One more question the bing cash back ends July 30 will I still be able to get my cashback and do I get a check or something

 

As long as you order before July 30th you will be able to get it and you can either get a check or get it deposited into a Paypal account.

 

Hello I'm having problems with streaming videos. I recently did a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate from Windows 7 Home Premium. Games work fine with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450. But when I try to watch videos from websites, like Hulu.com, at the start of every video, it would cause my computer to crash; black screen, no response. Help please?

 

Thanks ! Your the best!

 

I am thinking about EXCHANGING my dm4t (alsmot 2 weeks since delivery) for a new machine due to possible defect (screen lid closes tightly on the left side but not on the right). Has anyone had experience with how the process works? Thanks

 

Looks like me and you are having the same issue. Glad to see I'm not the only one. Looks like this is a driver issue. Hopefully they release a new one that will fix it soon. The latest driver is from March/April.

 

You have 3 weeks to return/exchange a computer from the day it was delivered.
I've exchanged a couple dm3z's before.
What I did was contact tech support via email. They usually respond within 48 hours. They'll give you a number to call to return or exchange your computer. I believe it's something like 1-888-4747.. You can probably find the number online somewhere.
HP will send you a FedEx shipping label to your email (no fee for shipping it back btw). You have to pack all the items back in the box (the laptop and whatever else came with it), tape the label on, and get it to a FedEx location or have them pick it up. As soon as HP get word that FedEx has your package (usually doesn't take more than a couple days), your new exchange unit will start the building process. HP will also give you free priority shipping.

 

Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated. I hate to exchange a machine and waste resource but the defect is too obvious.

 

You're also having the same problem?? Well, I did a clean install of Win 7 Ultimate from Win 7 Home Premium. Then, I used the same factory-default setup files from C:\swsetup so I figured I installed everything correctly, including the driver. Playing games is NOT the problem. Just streaming videos from the Internet, for now. Please update your status on this issue as soon as you find something.

 

Alright, I need help.

I did a fresh install, and installed all of the drivers on the HP page, but the one for the ethernet controller isn't working. When I install it, the device manager shows a "PCI Simple Communications Device" but it has no drivers. Also there are no drivers for the bluetooth on the HP site.

 

Hey good news. I've seem to have solve the problem. After hours of migranes and whatnots, I got everything working again. Well, for now. I backed up everything I had before, then reinstalled the OS (windows 7 ultimate), from windows 7 home premium. the first thing you do is critical at this point.
once your install of new OS is completed, you install the Validity driver from ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48509.exe.
then reboot. it is important.
once rebooted, install the HP SimplePass Identity Protection software from your Swsetup files. (C:\Swsetup) It's under HPSPIP folder. Then restart. you'll be able to set up your fingerprint reader!
After you're done with that, open Device Manager to update everything. I mean everything. (make sure to skip display devices, such as ATI mobility radeon and Intel graphics; do these at the end) Once you get to system devices, one of the PCI controllers and such will make your display to blink a couple of times. This is normal. Then proceed with the graphics devices. After that, I got the videos from internet working again!

 

My fingerprint reader always worked perfectly. My issue is my laptop freezes playing certain videos. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers serveral times. When I run on the integrated GPU they run perfectly. As soon as I enable the ATI card and run videos, they often freeze the computer. I'm hoping it's not a hardware issue.

 

I've been through a series of uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers countless times. But in my opinion, the problem lies within the PCI bus or PCI standard host CPU bridge. I have two of each under System Devices from Device Manager and one of the first thing I did after a clean install was update ALL devices I could find, with the exceptions of the following: biometric devices and display adapters. Once the PCI controllers are set in place, then you can update the display adapters. at least, that what I did and videos from the internet seem to work for now.

 

I have a question for all HP dm4t owners. My laptop only seems to run on battery for an hour and half at the most. I purchased it 2 weeks ago and I've used it for 10 days exactly. The battery life was calibrated running the following programs:
Internet Explorer 8 with 2 tabs (1. Google Email and 2. HP support forum) and notepad.
Display adapter on Intel Graphics HD; power options on battery life.
Brightness at 50% throughout.
Power settings on Balanced: Battery.

here are the specs:
-intel core i5 CPU M540 2.53GHz
-4GB DDR3 system memory
-500 GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
-1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450/Integrated Intel HD Graphics
-6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard); which is advertised to last 6.5 hours

please share your thoughts on this matter.
thank you.

 

im thinking about ordering this laptop... is the touchpad as bad as reviews say?

 

Not at all! I may be one of the lucky few to have received a good touchpad, but mine works perfectly. It is very precise, and the multitouch gestures (especially two-finger scrolling) are beautiful. I almost prefer using the touchpad to using a mouse!

 

Well, I wouldn't believe that the battery would actually last 6.5 hours... I have the high capacity 6-cell battery, and mine only lasts about 4.5 hours at best. I don't know what could be wrong, though. Maybe your calibration method is incorrect?

 

I think it depends on how you use it. If you use your thumb and forefinger with your thumb resting on the clicking part while your forefinger navigates, like a lot of people do, then you might have a problem. I only use my forefinger, though, so it is not a problem for me.

 

How did you mess with the PCI controllers? Mine still has an issue in the device manager. Do you need a driver from the HP website for it? If that's what I should be concerned with for why my graphics card is giving me issues please help me set it up.

 

Hi I ordered a dm4t on the 25th of june and its the 1st of july today. I saw that hp relatively ships the order fast ! I am so frustrated its still in production. Is anyone undergoing the same thing??? Do you guys have any idea how many days its takes finish production? I dont want my laptop to get caught with the july4th order batch as it will be surely delayed.

 

I have ordered 3 CTO laptops from HP in the past 2 months (dm4t, dv6z x2) and they all shipped exactly one week from the order date and the first two arrived 2 days after shipping.

 

I did a complete clean reinstall of the OS. a clean slate of everything. I mean EVERYTHING! Then, I began with updating the devices under System Devices. Skip the display adapters (ATI/Intel) This was possible because I backed up everything from the original Swsetup files (C:\Swsetup) Whenever you select update driver software, you would select the back up files. (in my case, my external HDD where I have everything backed up) And once you get to the devices starting with PCI, your screen might blink a couple of times. This means your PCI controllers are back in place. Then, you can update your graphics cards.

 

I see. I did completely format and reinstall Windows 7 though. I'm pretty sure I didn't backup anything except for on an external hard drive which I haven't even connected to my laptop since the format.

So if I'm not mistaken you had the same issue as me where where your HP dm4t would freeze under streaming videos sometimes?

What should I do now if my PCI connection/bridge driver is not found in my device manager? How do I update that? I don't think it's necessary to reformat again since I just did. Still having the video issues when the ATI chip is active. I'm hoping it's just a driver issue because my time is running out where I can return it and I would hate to be stuck with a brand new HP laptop with a hardware issue.

 

You should've made a backup of Swsetup folder located under Local Drive (C:\Swsetup) That's where you browse when it asks you to locate the updates, or search the Internet to locate it itself. But, locating through the Internet didn't get me any updates so I updated my driver softwares from Swsetup folder.

 

I think the battery might have been a defective product so I contacted HP for the exchange of the part, but they didn't make the process any easier. Because HP didn't allow exchange of just the battery alone but the whole product. They asked me to order a new HP dm4t and resend the previous product in the same box. They were first going charge for the new order until they receive my previous laptop, which then, they would give back the money.
HP really isn't the best people to work with. I've had my fair share of HP Live Chats, emails with HP Total Care, HP Technical Support and such, but not one of them helped me in any ways. If you have problems with your dm4t, you're on your own. Or seek help from this forum.

 

I'm having a problem when using my webcam on Yahoo Messenger. For some reason, it always lags. I've tried changing the settings on YM by choosing speed over quality, but no dice. And it's weird, coz it lags on MY computer, not just on the screen of the person I'm talking to. I've also already tried different versions of YM, but still, no luck.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what the problem might be, or possible solutions? I use YM a lot since most of my family and friends are on it (otherwise I'd use Skype -- webcam's fine there!), so I'm getting kinda upset over it. Is anyone else having any problems with their webcam?

 

I think the Swsetup folder is just where all of the drivers you install from the HP website goes. I could have backed them up but I just redownloaded them. It seems like the outcome is the same unless there are more folders/driver sets from the factory setup than can be downloaded on the website.

In any case....my laptop still crashes on streaming certain videos and I can't figure it out.

 

I don't think it's the same. The downloads available to you from HP support are not relevant to your issue. They only have some of the driver softwares, like Intel Graphics and ATI Mobility. the rest of the downloads are just softwares that are installed as you first open the box, such as HP MediaSmart Pictures, TV, Music, and Webcam. (factory default) What I'm referring to are the ones available to you from Swsetup files. they have system drivers for System Devices from Device Manager. I wouldn't be able to list them out for you but the files from Swsetup folder include everything I needed to stream videos from the Internet.

 

Hello I'm having a similar problem. I'm not sure about Yahoo Messenger but when I try using HP MediaSmart Webcam app, the visual I get is extremely laggy, or so to speak. The response to what I'm actually doing is shown a couple seconds later. I don't know how this is going to affect other apps, such as Skype, or Yahoo Messenger, I don't have much hope in trying.

 

I understand but every other pc/laptop/netbook I've had in the past have worked to just format, install windows vista/7 and then just get the drivers from their website. Why is this one any different? I don't know which drivers to get from Intel for the motherboard/PCI communications controler.

 

That's a good question. I've had similar experiences with other pc's and they never required such extensive reinstalling process. Thus, I don't have an answer as to why this one is ridiculously difficult to manage. Things would be a lot less annoying if everything was automated.
So far, I had problems with my fingerprint reader (Validity Sensor VFS301, HP SimplePass Identity Protection), display adapters (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450 & Intel HD Graphics), HP Webcam (delayed visual/response), and screen turning black while streaming videos (YouTube, Hulu.com, etc.) And now, I think I've got everything working again. Even though the battery charges up faster than it discharges and my screen flickers every once in a while after closing the Internet Explorer 8, for now, my dm4t is working.

 

I also wiped the hard drive and did a clean Windows 7 64-bit install. The driver for the non-Intel Wireless-N with Bluetooth cannot be found. The HP driver updates page does not have one that works. Any ideas?

 

I probably should have said something earlier. I'm no expert programmer, just a lowly computer operator, but I do not suggest that a person should buy a brand new computer and immediately reformat it. One must research and get a hold of the drivers and such before you start. If something is not available, then you wait until you find it or it is available.

I bought this computer for some things that have drivers that are difficult to put back in place. the finger print reader comes to mind, it works and it is cool.

Do as you wish, its your hardware. But if you are not ready, wait, its OK, really.

This coming from a person who,(with many others) maintains a Public Safety Dispatch Center: unless its an emergency, take your time.

 

After formatting my hard drive, loading Win 7 64 bit, and most of the drivers from the HP site, I have gotten pretty much everything to work. The only thing I am having issues with is the streaming videos issue where everything goes black. I'm wondering if it's because the current HP ATI driver isn't running well with the latest version of Flash and there's a conflict. That's all I can think of since it never freezes doing other graphic intensive things like watch videos stored on the computer.

I contacted ATI about this and they said they don't support laptops with dual graphics cards. They said the best bet is to get the driver from HP, as the universal ATI Catalyst drivers don't support dual gpus. That's a shame then. I'm lead to believe ATI provides the drivers for HP who then has to compile the specific drivers to work as a dual gpu system.

I really hope I can fix this issue because it's the only thing turning me off from this laptop. Everything else is great.

 

I assumed that since the graphics card drivers were available on HP's site and Windows 7 has a pretty great driver support on installation that there wouldn't be a problem. I wonder what I can do since I deleted that partition with the HP bootup. Everything works and the driver for the GPU should work perfectly. I think it needs an update though because it's not running very well with flash player.

 

I'm finding that the battery goes EXTREMELY quickly. After 45 minutes it goes from 100% to 70% power and all I'm doing is internet browsing. I'm on power saver mode.

This thing is supposed to get 6.5 hours (5 more accurately, of course), but if the above drain is accurate I'm only going to get 2 and a half hours. Pathetic!

 

So I'm not the only one with battery life problems. I've made similar comments on how awful the battery life is. I put up my specs on one of my replies. Please find my reply on pg 97 and do the same so I can compare.

 

get one from hp.com. the lcd lid leading edge cut my finger, checked bestbuy display dm4t, same thing, very sharp edge. bad quality....

 

i turn off the fan alawys on option, now sometimes fan stops

 

i want to know what is the speed of your wireless N? mine max out at 72mbps. I tried an USB wireless adapter and it reaches 300mbps. looks like built-in broadcom wireless N is crap.

 

how to set up to show the battery remaining time?

 

Yes. I really want this. Not just a stupid percent.

 

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Someone mentioned this but I can't find the answer so I wanted to ask again. I can't see the visual output for the volume buttons on top of the keyboard and was wondering if there was a way to fix that.

Also, I put this laptop on hibernate and when I tried to get it to come back on, nothing happened. I saw the light from the power button and the F12 button turn on every 5 seconds as well as hear a small noise from the laptop every 5 seconds too, as if it was trying to turn on. It just kept doing that until I didn't know what to do and just removed the battery and put it back in. Only then did the computer turn on when I pressed the power button.

I am concerned because if this is a problem, I think I will have to return it. I hope you guys can help me, thanks !