*HP dv4t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

anyone got the HP DVD software to work on their DV4 after upgrading to W7?.. i didnt use the update disk provided through HP since i dont qualify for it but i did down load the software from the HP site and the installer runs fine and all but the program doesnt show up at all

 

im not sure what you are talking about for the dvd software, i just installed a clean windows 7 and everything seems to work just fine

 

i did an upgrade and its obvious now to me that it really messed up somewhere along the line. im talking about the HP dvd software that comes preloaded on the laptop. i downloaded it off the HP site but it doesnt install. im copying W7 professional onto a disk now so i can do a clean install andhopefully hit the mark this time.

 

Did an W 7 - 64 upgrade from Vista and I'm on the web in 1 1/2 minutes. I'm only at the begining of my testing so who knows what I'll find.

 

man i only wish i had that kind of results.. vista was the os that really shined for me. i just cant see why vista was SOOO horrible. For me vista booted up in thirty seconds from pressing the power button, but Windows 7 takes over 3 minutes to fully boot and allow any programs to run, yet alone get the internet browser opened up.

 

I'm not a big computer person so I'm not much help. I did install the bios listed for the dv4t. I think it's F.55. I think others here with more knowledge can offer more help. Good luck.

 

yeah i am aware of the new bios update avaliable..im telling you i installed everything off that HP website everything and still windows 7 boots like crap . I redownloaded the windows 7 professional and tried to burn it to a disk but now my Disk drive wont burn anything not even on DVD nor CDs..so im stuck awaiting for the backup disk to arrive so i can finally give it another go by doing a clean install

 

there are ways you can boot from a usb drive if you have one

martyd- i dont think you should update ur bios i have heard recent problems with updating the bios

I have yet to updated my bios and windows 7 is running the way it should be, i will update my bios if it is mandatory if not than i will be sticking with my current one

 

I thought I'd let people know that I have been using my dv4 as a PVR to record free to air tv with a pinnacle 73e USB tuner. The remote that comes with the dv4 works with this tuner, and the tuner works perfectly with Vista Media Centre. I can change channels with the remote, schedule recordings with the remote, even to wake up late at night from sleep, without logging in. However to get free to air (may also work with cable I don't have cable/pay tv) tv guide you need the Vista Media Centre TVPack and you should install this on a clean Vista Service Pack 1 install ( I installed over Vista SP2 and some TV channels would not work). This tuner and HP remote also works with with HP's Quickplay software (HP's version of Mediacentre that in addition lets you launch games). The tuner also works with Ubuntu 9.04, but you must install kaffeine. So you don't have to buy HP's more expensive TV tuner.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I never got into media center but I investigated the one that's with the Windows 7 I updated to and it's very impressive. A lot to learn.

 

A couple of questions about Windows 7 media center. I time recorded a show. Had no problems. I tried to view it on my TV via HDMI connection. I have no audio from the recording on the TV although an HDMI audio test from the dv4t to the TV is OK. Can I get audio from the Media Center records to go to the HDMI connection? Do I have to get the headphone out from the dv4t to an amp? Thanks

 

I upgraded from Vista to W7. My bluetooth logitech mouse is now not recognized and won't work. Anyone else have this problem? Solution? Do you think a clean install will fix the issue? How exactly do you do a clean install?

 

do u guys need to install any drivers for 7? I am downloading 7pro 32bit now. Will try to make a clean install. But I just wanted to leard if I have to install any driver or will it find everything automatically?

 

Hi All, anyone using a mod BIOS on the dv4t?

 

hey guys,

have a quick question. my videos have been really choppy lately, so i was wondering if it was my virtual memory setting.
And also, when I talk on skype my video quality is awful. when i end the call and just the HP video pops it is much better then during the call. Any ideas??


thank you

 

did u upgraded to w7? if u have... have u updated everything installed new drivers for audio, video and also have u downloaded the latest flash or java?

 

I installed the latest drivers for HP media smart for windows 7. Now when setting up the TV I am not given an ATSC choice, only NTSC (analog). Windows media center found the tuner and found the ATSC (digital) channels. I mainly use windows media center but hope someone can help with HP media smart TV setup for digital.

 

I was having problems with my bluetooth after upgrading to Windows 7 from vista. I went ahead and did a clean install of windows 7. It was a little confusing trying to figure out what drivers to install, and finding all the youcam software and stuff again, but once I got it figured out, what a difference. Bluetooth is now flawless, and the whole system just seems smoother. My volume slider at the top of the keyboard does not work, but it did not before, those buttons at the top of the keyboard have always been next to useless.

In short, I would recommend a clean install over an upgrade to anyone who is moving to Windows 7. You can do a clean install from an upgrade disk with no problem. Go to the HP website and download all the drivers afterwards. I used the driver from the Nvidia site instead of the HP one for my video card though.

 

Problem & Solution Recently dv4t started with "0% available, plugged in not charging".
First I thought that fan must have been running while inside backpack & discharged battery but as I checked several things, turning off & on, removing batt etc. it only got worse saying "battery not detected".
Notebook forums said to reinstall some stuff. That didn't work. On a Yahoo group it said "Shut Down, Remove Battery, HOLD DOWN ON BUTTON for 10 SECONDS"
It solved the problem and cured some other issues.
Then I realised that Windows Vista had installed some updates which caused the mess.

 

hey guys im buying a DV4t heres my specs. i was wondering if i could get the bad graphics card and then buy a good grapihs card better then nvidia G 105m. if not do u guys think this is a good confirmation? thnx. is it possible to swich the graphics card?

Espresso Black
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P7550 (2.26GHz, 3 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
50% OFF! 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M
14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
Intel Wireless-N Mini-card
HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
HP Color Matching Keyboard
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Integrated 56K Modem
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Targus Heat Demence
Noise canciling headphones

i dont need the 12 cell battery also I was planing on buying Crysis and does anyone know how well the dv4t does with its graphics card? thnx alot guys. and any advide on what to add or take off? im exeted to buy but just cheking aroun to be perfect =D

 

Hey guys, I have a DV4 and I want to buy an external Blu ray drive, do you know where I can get those and at what price?

 

Hey, How about the Blu-Ray that fits in the swappable bay ? You don't even need tools to change it out.
Any body happen to know how much one cost ?

 

Hey guys i've owned my dv4 for a year and my screen lately has been loose and blinking at the certain point when i open it. I wanna open it up to tighten things up because that's what's probably causing the loose screen and blinking monitor. Is there a guide somewhere on how to open the dv4 up to fix the screen? I'm having a hard time finding out what i need to unscrew and pull apart.. i don't want to have to pull everything off.

I can't find the screws anywhere unless the dv4 doesn't take screws.. I tried removing the bezel trimming around the display but it seems to be glued or stuck in the middle? Don't wanna break it.

 

i have a dv4t 1400 i got a few months ago put windows 7 on updated the bios/ drivers to current and works great cept a couple quirky faults.

1. when ever i try to resume after it goes to sleep my keys are all messed up. the keyboard works but for example when i type the letter "r" it replaces it with a "9" and so forth.

2. the other issue is this stupid microsoft bluetooth mouse i got. there is so much lag on this thing that its barely usable. the lag however only happens if im downloading over 15megs+. below that speed it work ok, its really strange. ive tried playing with all the radio settings, increasing/decreasing the signal strenth and so on

anyone care to share some thoughts? i also just ordered a new intel x25 g2 ssd im gonna use as my primary and the current 320gb drive as my secondary and post some results. doent seem like i can boot from the secondary drive.

 

I have a crappy integrated 4500 graphics chip in my dv4 and I'm wondering if there is any way I can open it up and install a better discrete graphics chip?

 

Hi all.

Got a DV4-2045dx from BB last month to replace a DM3T I bought online from HP. Aside from being a bit heavy, the notebook is fine. The one thing I have a problem with is the abysmal battery life.

I get less than 2 hours with the standard battery doing only browsing and word processing. Sometimes run pandora or listen to a podscast on itunes.


Windows7 Premium64
AMD Turion2 M500 (2.2GHz)
ATI 3200HD 128MB
4GB RAM
320 GB 7200 HD

I bought a 9600Mwh battery off ebay and it last about 4 hours.

I've used power saver profile and even undervolt with kstat.


Any other suggestions?


tia,


RC

 

I'm considering both the DM3t and the DV4t. What did you not like about the DM3t that made you switch over?

 

The screen was very flimsy. It was so thin it had a slight curvature to the screen which produced artifacts. I was able to temporarily get rid of this problem by pressing lightly from the back of the screen, but eventually the screen broke. It took 3 weeks to get it initially and it would've taken another 3 weeks to replace it. Ntm speaking to Indian tech support with their annoying scripts. It was faster than my DV4t and lighter, but it was also $400 more. Btw, somehow, kstat just spontaneously disappeared from my computer.

Edit: Forgot it's call k10stat. It allows underclocking\undervolting to 400MHz. Just redownloaded it. I don't remember how long the battery lasted on the DM3T, but it was definitely a lot longer than my sub 2 hour DV4T.

 

The dv4 is just not designed for battery life. The processor is full power, but it's also full drain. It's no where near as conservative as the DM3t's low voltage processor. And the screen that comes with the dv4 is not LED backlit, which means it consumes much more power.

If you want something with battery life, then low voltage, low clocked processors are the best way to go. Look for a Intel CULV (Asus ul30/ul80, Acer 3810T/4810T, Toshiba 135, HP Probook 5310M/DM3t) machine and you'll get 8+ hours.

 

Hey guys

I have a dv4t that I've owned since the Black Friday sale at Best Buy in 2008, it's been an excellent notebook for me and I have never faced any serious issues with it, even now my only problem is a minor one that has been aggravating me.

I upgraded my OS to Windows 7 Professional since October so maybe it is a driver issue, I'm not too sure.

But whenever I run on battery power (like at school) and come back home and plug in the notebook, the screen remains dimmed as if it was running on battery and I have to go into battery settings and set the screen back to full brightness.

The settings for AC power have full brightness yet each and every time I have ran and shut down the computer while it is on battery power, if it is back on AC power the screen will start dimmed.

What is going on? It is like my screen brightness setting keeps being resetted to the same as that of battery each time I've shut down my notebook when it is on battery power.

Interestingly enough, if I say was running on AC power, unplugged the notebook, then put the plug back in an hour or so later the screen brightness would return to maximum.

 

You have very several power options with win7. Click on the icon on your toolbar and then power options and you can adjust the brightness of the screen for any/all of the power profiles. Power saver downlocks the processor for 800MHz.

 

I hadn't considered the fact that the led screen would use less power than the standard lcd. My dm3t was the intel core2 2.26 GHz. The DV4T isn't a power users notebook with a huge screen and superfast gpu, so I consider 2 hour battery life on modern laptop substandard.

 

Hello, simply press the "fn" key + "scroll/num lock" key to get rid of the keyboard warping i hope it helps cheers !

 

Hey can you please explain in detail the process in which you have brought down the heat levels in your dv4 ? I have a dv4-1242tx with nvidia 9200m and intel core2duo 2ghz t6400 processor and it overheats like hell !! am having serious issues with it...i tried opening up the back side of it by unscrewing all the screws but the farthest i could get was removing t he keyboard...the lower part isnt coming off and i didnt want to be a bit rough with pulling things off...so if someone could give us a detailed process of removing the back and also into cleaning the dust present inside the air vents, i would appreciate you the most...

Thanks in Advance !

 

I have the dv4-2045 dx which has the ati hd3200 video and amd 2.2ghz turion2
and 4g ram. Also 7200rpm hard drive. The best way to lower the heat on your notebook is to underclock your cpu. I use k10stat which is for amd cpus. I think intel cpus use rmclock to underclock. Btw, heat hasn't been a problem with my notebook, only battery life.

Those of you with intel cpus, how long does the standard battery last just web browsing?

 

mines can last between 4-5 hrs depending on what i am doing on the web with underclock

 

"Hey can you please explain in detail the process in which you have brought down the heat levels in your dv4 ?"

this is not for the faint of heart. if you want to do it, download:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=dv4t+service+manual&aq=f&aqi=&oq=
but you have to disassemble the laptop completely to get to the fan / exhaust grille.

barring that - i have consistently good results vacuum cleaning the air vents, both in/out. after 6 months of dust accumulation on 24/7 operation this can bring the temperatures down some 10 degrees.

let it be noted, that hp is not the only laptop with faulty thermal design - though theirs is quite pronounced with the class-action suit a few years back.

the only way this could be resolved is if the fan/vents were made easily accessible by opening a few screws on the bottom. we wish...

 

I find that hard to believe. At times I underclock my cpu all the way to 400MHz and I lower the voltage as well. With screen brightness down all the way and using wifi, I still only get slightly over 2 hour with the standard battery.

 

I'm thinking of upgrading my DV4 from vista to Win 7. I've installed alot of software and I am loathe to do a clean install. I'm hoping to get better performance, faster boot, and a media center that works properly with live TV. What's been the experience of people upgrading their Vista DV 4's to Win 7 without a clean install?

 

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has reduced the temperature of their hard drive and thus the left hand palm rest above it? Since the machine was new the hard drive gets quite hot, although it has improved alot since I ditched vista for windows 7 and thus it is not constantly accessed.

As the fan has got noisy and clicky recently I have ordered a new one, and thus will be stripping the laptop down to install it. I will clean the heatsink and remove any dust-bunnies from inside the machine, as well as putting a decent thermal compound on the CPU, which may help.

Would installing a SSD hard drive generate less heat than the standard one?

 

I did an upgrade on my partners dv4t to Windows7, and was surprised how well it went. Much faster than I expected to. I have always done clean installs in the past with XP, and was thus not expecting much. It all went without a hitch, though I did download the latest version of win7 drivers before doing the upgrade. From memory the only one I needed to upgrade manually was the wifi.

After the upgrade the machine runs so much better. No more slow boots, constant hard drive access or locking up when copying files via the USB. I'd go for it with the upgrade, worst case scenario is you end up doing a clean install afterwards.

 

I´ve just upgraded my video card last week from windows update, and with that upgrade whenever I plug the laptop to my Samsung 40 inch TV , the mkv file lags a lot, I use VLC to play mkv. By any chance do you know what might be the issue and possible solutions???

Will really appreciate it.


Laptop
HP Pavilion dv4-1551dx 14.1 inch 4GB Laptop Computer with 2.2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 320GB hDD, Webcam, GMA4500HD

 

Hi has anyone got the same problem as me? I always touch the dv4t's touchpad by mistake when I type.

 

Hey everyone.

I wanted to post the experience I just had with my dv4t-1000.

It failed this weekend, with a "graphics controller not functional" error, where the display would remain black, regardless of my actions, including swapping the memory, removing hard drive, and doing a static drain.

The laptop is 1 year old, 131 days. I only had the 1 year warranty on the laptop. The Executive Customer Relations representative I spoke with, indicated that it was tough luck on my part, that I should have purchased an extended warranty. I'm effectively upset, as the laptop didn't even last a year and a half.

When I pressed upon as to typical life expectancy of HP laptops, he indicated that he couldn't provide any guesses, but that was why extended warranties were an option. He did indicate that two years seemed early, but wasn't unheard of.

To those of you considering purchasing a DV4t- I would highly recommend not doing so, unless you are willing to pony up for an additional extended warranty, or are willing to pay for the $399 repair cost for this issue. . . that is if the laptop is repairable at all.

I will post any updates on my attempt to get a partial credit for this $1400 laptop.

I just wanted to put this out there for any potential purchasers.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what GPU did you have? Nvidia?

I now avoid HP's old designs, that of the current dv4/6/7/8 like the plague. They just don't deal with heat that well...

And I also avoid Nvidia GPUs like no other because well, they are a suicide chip inside the laptop that is waiting to kill itself just right after your warranty expires.

 

Easy Solution : Just switch off the Touch Pad with the convenient push button switch which is just above the Touch Pad. It even has a little light to tell you when it's "on"

 

I had the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, and a 14.1" Bright View Widescreen Display.

I contacted the Executive Assistance Phone Line, and was pretty much disappointed with the entire phone conversation. I was effectively told that I should have purchased an extended warranty. This was my first dealing with an HP laptop, and I had purchased 4 prior Dell laptops, all lasting 3 years before upgrading, with the upgrade decision based on speed, and not on computer failure of any kind. From my discussion with the representative, I came to the belief that "2 years" was about par-for-course for an expectation of life for a consumer level model. He told me he had heard of some of the DV4 failing in under a year, in order to explain to me that 1 year, 130-some days was not outside of the scope of expected failures.


Suffice to say, I will stick to Probooks from now on, and at least stick to business level machines, without onboard graphics.

 

Your experience was just appalling! I had the same card as you on my dv4t 1000. It's hard to believe they want to leave the laptop as is and give you not any solution at all. It doesn't make sense that a consumer expecting slight-above-a-year's age from a manufacturer!

 

I'm pretty sure the Bing cash back doesn't apply when you use the online hp coupon codes.

 

well I was offered somewhat of a solution. . . $50.00 off the potential repair costs, if it was indeed repairable. I took it to two repair places, who both "totaled it off" and indicated cost to repair more than cost to replace.