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

I bought my dm4t a few months ago, but now it won't even boot into Windows 7. I just get a black screen with a blinking cursor. I didn't make recovery discs... Any thoughts on what to do?

Thanks!

 

Well, I received my HP DM4 on November 16. They had stated that the build date would be by November 18 and I expected it to arrive around Thanksgiving time. So for once, HP did do something right. So far, I am extremely satisfied with this laptop. Coming from a HP DV6000, this is a huge upgrade. The battery life on this is great for what it is and it is extremely lightweight and portable. The performance is great as well. I have tested this on SC2 and on the CPU settings, I can crank them up to high/ultra with my Intel i5-430M. However, I have the 1GB Radeon 5450 and on majority of the settings they are on medium. If I crank them up any higher, the game will start to get sluggish. The laptop as far as I know doesn't have any overheating issues. Under heavy load, there will be a lot of heat dispersed through the vents but I don't see that as an issue as long as the rest of the laptop isn't heating up. I understand what people say about the touchpad but it isn't too bad as long as you give it time to get used to it.

 

Just pulled the trigger on a DM4, the DM4-1163CL to be exact from Costco.com for $600 Plus tax (free shipping). It's a refurb with:

i5-430m
4 GB Ram
500 GB 7200 rpm HD
512 MB 5450 graphics

Since it's from costco, it has a 1 year warranty and a 90 day return window.

Any thoughts?

 

Mine runs quiet as a mouse. I did return the fiorst one for the same keyboard defect you netion and got a replacement and it is almost as bad. I am out of the country now so stuck with it but I am ordering a new keyboard on Ebay and replacing it myself. Hope this new one is better.

 

I have returned already and the one I have now has same problem, skipping and dropping letters. I am stuck with it as I am out of the country but ordering one off Ebay to replace myself. They keyboard sux.

 

Mine definitely has a pinking hue to it but it looks ok in most lighting. You should check it out at a box store before buying tho and beware the keyboard.

 

Yes, I had the same keyboard problem. I returned my machine to Best Buy (grateful for their excellent service and return policy) and got another one and it has the SAME problem. Too bad,, now I am out of the country and stuck with it. I ordered a new keyboard from Ebay and replacing it myself. I just hope it's better then the junky ones HP installed.

 

Sounds like a good deal... refurbs are just as good as brand new pieces... most of the time, in any case!!

 

Office Depot: dm4-1162us on sale Friday 11/26 for $549.99 after in-store and mail-in savings.

If you've been thinking about a dm4, this sounds like a super deal!

 

That is a nice deal, however I'm waiting for my second one since I returned the first one due to the screen not being bright enough under full screen brightness and I'll probably do another order and cancel the one on the way since the lowered the price to $614 with HPA discount.

 

Just got my HP Pavilion dm4 1150ca today. Specs:

Intel Core i5-450m
4 GB DDR3 RAM (I put in the 8 GB DDR3 from my old laptop)
500 GB HDD (I put in the 256 GB SSD from my old laptop)
14" 1366x768 screen with webcam
6-cell battery
Intel Centrino 1000 BGN wifi card

 

Does the dm4t have a form of the USB Sleep and Charge? (where the USB ports are on even when the computer isn't)
thx

 

Whats the difference between the Wireless-N Card and the Intel Wireless-N Card? Thanks

 

The regular one I believe is made by Broadcom. I've heard that the Intel one has a strong wireless signal compared to the Broadcom one.

 

URGENT:
How much weight does the 9-cell battery add over the 6-cell?

LESS URGENT:
What is the difference between the 1160-us and the 1165-dx?


Thanks so much in advance!
-csm725

 

I finally bought my DM4T, I'm very exited

• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-560M Dual Core Processor (2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5470 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (over-sized) -Up to 10.5 hours of battery life +++
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth

Got EPP price with other coupons and barely met my quota.

Reading the Intel Wireless-N Card, it appears that it supports 802.11a networks, yet all the reports I've read seem like it doesn't. I saw one DM4 on Best Buy and it had Wimax and Intel WiFi and it explicitly said it supported 802.11a so I will let you know as soon as I get it.

 

I (stupidly) got the regular one, and wish I had upgraded. The regular card is a broadcom card, the Intel one is (of course) Intel. The broadcom card, though specified as being a wireless-N card, can't operate at full N speeds. The adapter does not see mixed-mode (g/n) networks properly, and identifies them as being g-only networks and therefore connects at a max of 58 Mbps on all g/n networks. It can connect to pure-n wireless networks and sees them as such, but will still only go up to 70 Mbps max. The intel card can get up to 300 Mbps (if the access point supports those speeds) and actually works.

If you can afford it, and the networks you use are wireless-N or mixed mode, I would highly recommend upgrading to the intel card. I wish I had. The regular (broadcom) card is a pile of *%*$&.

 

Okay, I have a dm4, and my "Intel My WiFi Technology" has been showing that my "adapter isn't found". Is this an HP problem?

Also, I have a 9-cell battery, but I can only run it for about 5 hours before it's about drained. I've had this computer since... early September? Has anyone else had such drastic battery drain?

 

I have the 9-cell, and my laptop weighs 4.8lbs. So about .4lbs.

 

So I pulled the pulled the plug and bought it. Has anyone installed Linux on this? How does it work?

 

Yes, I m getting about 3h20m from the 6 cell and about 5h30m from the 9 cell. I got mine about a month ago and I am using the HP recommended power plan.

 

I must say I am very unsatisfied with the quality control they have. I received my second dm4 replacement and now the left side keyboard looks uneven like bump going down and the middle looks high almost to the feel the keyboard isn't seated properly basically looking like this sign (~). What do you guys recomend, should I return it and get another replacement? I ordered a DV6t for my girlfriend and it arrived with the keyboard snapped out of place and problems in loading the OS then a replacement with popped out hard drive cover then my first dm4 being not bright enough and now this so what do you guys think I should do?

 

I received my DM4t today, and it has Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000, so no 802.11a support. I hate that, because the webpage says it does support it.

 

I did a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit and am having trouble getting the wireless drivers installed. Whenever I download them and hit install nothing happens and I get an error on screen. What's the easiest way to deal with this?

 

Does any1 know if my 2009 DV4-1514dx would support the intel 5100 wireless card?

 

hi everyone! I am looking for a new laptop and Dm4t seems to be a good choice. I had a few questions though....

1. Does HP use ATI 5650 in DM4?
2. Does the laptop have a backlit keyboard option?

 

Need your help guys and thanks for the great info on this laptop. Will be using DM4t in Philippines and need to know what type of adapter I need to get for the AC adapter to work there. Any links appreciated and thanks.

Gary

 

Does anyone know what the different is between the HP DM4T 1000 and the DM4T 1160? I read somewhere in the web that the DM4T 1160 support the Intel wireless display. Is there a way to upgrade the DM4T 1000 to support the Intel wireless display?

 

Appreciate some help and thanks in advance. How do I disable fingerprint reader on DM4t? Setting it up for relatives and they don't need that feature. Thanks again.

Gary

 

If possible, my right/front speaker sounds worse then normal. It's making a crackling sound like it's blown. Has anyone else experienced this? Can these crappy speakers be upgraded/replaced?

I purchased my dm4 at Costco about 4 months ago. Has anyone had any luck returning computers/electronics after 90 days?

 

I've answered most of the questions on page 173...

Regarding the wireless driver error…what’s the error? If I had to guess, you’re using the wrong drivers. Might be using Intel drivers for a Broadcom card or vice-versa. Need more information…

Check in the DV4 lounge, but if I had to guess, I would say yes. Won’t know for sure though as HP does blacklist/whitelist parts. Really only way to know for sure is if someone tried that exact part on a DV4.

No, they use the 5470 on the DM4. The Envy 14 and DM6 use the 5650. Ditto on the backlit.

Did a quick google search, seems that they use the same outlets as us, but with 220v. Your power brick can deal with 220 just fine. So basically, you don’t have to do anything.

No. No way to upgrade to Intel’s wireless display. Not sure about the differences, just google the two model numbers and read the information about them.

Regarding disabling the fingerprint reader…in that case, go ahead and uninstall the Validity software or whatever it’s called. Go through the control panel and uninstall the fingerprint software, should be pretty easy to pick out.

No, speakers can’t be upgraded. I’ve only heard good things about them actually so that’s surprising. Mine sound great, or as great as laptop speakers can be. Call up HP and they will repair it for you if you think it’s a hardware issue.

 

Thanks for going over those answers again. Appreciated much.

Gary

 

Could I be dealing with something other then a hardware issue

 

Try to re-install the drivers...check your equalizer settings maybe they are all the way up. Try different programs with different media...

If it's still crackling, it's a hardware issue.

 

Hello, I just got a dm4t, and I'm currently worried about the temps, would someone let me know if these are normal


I was just converting some video for about 10mins, and then I got these temps. I don't feel the palm rest getting too hot.

I don't have a video card, and i got the i5 450. I also have a notebook cooler.

 

How does HP handle Hard Drive replacements. I'm wondering if my hard drive may fail soon (i heard the click-click-click) today. It hasn't happened again yet, but I'm still cautious. If I call and say my hard drive failed will I get a new one, or do I have to send in my laptop and prove to them its failed. I'm still under the 21 day RMA period too.

Also, would my limited warranty that came with the laptop cover this if it happens later on?

 

i have an hp dm4-1060us with a core i5-430m and intel hd graphics. The problem is that when the computer is on and i connect the hdmi cable that is hooked to an hdtv it shut's down immediately like if you unplugged it from the AC, then if you turn it back on with the hdmi cable connected it works normally. I've searched about that problem but i can't figure it out, a little help would be appreciated.. thanks
Pd: sorry for my bad english.

 

Hey dm4 owners,

A new BIOS release is now available for your notebooks, version F.23. HP is designating this as a recommended update.

You can grab this new update at http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-hp-dm4-dv5-gen-2-g32-cq32-envy-14-intel.html.

 

Anybody having issues with a high pitched noise coming from their DM4? It's constant whether on battery alone or on DC with or without battery.

Also, when it goes to sleep I lose 2 out of 3 items in my network list. I didn't have this problem on another DM4 with broadcom but this new one has intel. A simple refresh refinds the missing network elements.

 

Hi, I have a new DM4 laptop, I like it, except for two problems.

One problem I'm having is the speaker volume is extremely low even at max settings. I've updated the drivers, I have updated the bios, I have tinkered with every possibly volume and sound setting.

Is this just how this laptop is? Is there anyway to get more volume output?

 

I just brought mine to an HP service center and they replaced the speaker. I had the exact problem: right speaker was blown. Given the number of posts in this particular issue, I wouldn't be surprised if a whole batch of them had bum speakers. I just hope that's the only bummed-up thing with these models.

 

How come the HP updater didn't recognize the new BIOS and a couple more driver/programs dated in December?

 

Same thing happened for me but I'm assuming it just didn't show up being I have the 1100-CTO model.

 

After researching a bit, I bought my son a dm4t with the following configuration:

HP Pavilion dm4t Entertainment PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-580M Dual Core Processor (2.66GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5470 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• No Additional Office Software
• No additional security software
• One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)

The PC shipped from China and arrived very quickly considering the distance (actually arrived overnight though I requested the free 2nd day air). However, we saw a major problem almost immediately.

When the PC had been running for at least 30 minutes or so and he tried to watch a Flash based video (Youtube), the screen would display random color blocks. Soon thereafter the system would freeze and either lock up completely or reboot by itself. I later stressed tested the video system using a 3D benchmark and saw temperatures go up to 100C, which seems a little high to me. In any case, the system would then freeze (preceded by the color blocks) with no programs actively running. Upon reboot, the system would lock up at the login screen. I suspected the GPU was getting too hot and causing the crash. Read on, there's more to support this belief.

HP tech support experience was horrible. I spent two hours with the first technician, who tried the typical driver fixes, which I knew were hopeless when the problem was likely a hardware problem. Needless to say, all the drivers were current as the system was built last week. Over my gentle objection, the technician wanted me to re image the BIOS. He promised to call me back 30 minutes later to see if the problem still existed. I did as instructed, rebooted and found the same lock up problem existed. Oh, I should mention the the system was stable when running in Safe Mode, which is no surprised if it was a heat related issue.

After waiting an hour and getting no promised return call, I called tech support again. Guess what, the second technician could not locate any record of my first call. Once again I explained the problem and was placed on hold. The technician returned and claimed she couldn't hear me and hung up.

Keeping in mind that I needed to get the issued fixed for my son, I bit my lip and called a third time. The third technician, Brian, could not locate any record of my first two calls. However, Brian listened to my explanation of the symptoms and carefully noted what I saw the first technician do in an attempt to fix the problem. Brian, appropriately, did not make me sit through those same efforts again and we went straight to restoring the entire system. Since we didn't have a chance to load any paid software or data files, restoring was no problem. Brian gave me a case number (yeah, I tried to get one the first two times but the technicians declined to give me one) and promised a call back at 8:00 PM my time. After the system was restored, I rebooted and let it idle for a while. Upon playing a flash video, the screen displayed the now familiar colored blocks and locked up. At 8:26 PM a technician called and had read Brian's notes. This technician agreed the system was DOA and arranged for a return box be shipped to me.

If you were patient enough to read through the above, I ask my fellow users whether anyone has a dm4t equipped with an i5-580M? I know it's at the high end of the i5 options and am wondering if they are generating too much heat for the cooling system.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry to hear about your problems. I currently have the DM4 with the i5-430M so I'm not sure how similar it is to yours. However, I have realized that when I am running normal videos, my laptop is not overheating at all. In fact, it only generates a lot of heat when I play video games. You probably got a defective model with a defective cooling system. Do you usually hear the fan kick on when you try to play the videos? If not, it's probably not working properly.

 

Thanks for the reply. When the system was working (at least before it locked up), the system fan would ramp up with an increase in temperature. I believe that the fan part of the cooling system is/was working correctly.

 

It could be that the thermal paste between the cpu/gpu and the heat sink were improperly applied from the factory...I've read other cases with HP's and Dell's that were made in China having too much or uneven thermal paste applied causing very high temps... xps15 repaste, step by step
It's a fairly easy fix for the user if the laptop has an easy to access heat sink fan like on my Asus...



I'm not sure about the dm4t but it probably has a crappy design where you have to completely disassemble the unit to get to the heat sink fan even just to do periodic dust cleaning of the fan to keep it running smoothly..

 

Tarts -

Yes, I agree that very well could be the problem. Especially since it only occurs after the system has reached operating temperature. However, since the laptop is less than a week old and well under warranty, I'm more inclined to allow HP fix it. I'm pretty comfortable with disassembling laptops and desktops (I even have a tube of Arctic Silver in my desk drawer), but I've also inadvertently broken a plastic tab or two in the past. Hopefully it's something as simple as you described and not a design problem.

Thanks!

 

this has helped me in the past with my thinkpads and asus notebooks. a better grade thermal compound should work.

also
sharks > avs

 

crackled yesterday! I speaker was weak in the first place and now the right speaker is crackling. Now it's really irritating to hear music or watch movies. What's happening with HP's quality? Gotta call them up Monday and have it serviced. I uploaded to the latest BIOS, IDT driver is up to date and now this happens. I uninstalled/reinstalled the IDT driver, reverted back the BIOS and it's still the same. Totally disappointed with HP.