EL80 Win7 Wireless & Bluetooth Software Switch Fix

I run a small computer repair shop, and this forum has been a very helpful information resource for laptop product specs, info, research, etc...

So I felt it was time to give back to the community.

I just had a client's Compal VBI Notebook - Model: EL80 / HEL80
in my shop for an upgrade to Windows 7 x64.

Fabulous running machine in Win7, very impressed.

I was a little disappointed to find that none of the drivers have been updated since Vista's release, but at least they worked in Windows 7, all but one.

I couldn't load the Bluetooth driver, as the bluetooth was disabled.
Well, I remember that the WSS (Wireless Selection Switch) Software enables/disables the BT as well.
But unfortunately it completely disables it, to the point it doesn't even show up as a device to the OS.

So I absolutely had to find a way to get it to work, even though the WSS software was never updated to work with Windows 7, BooHooo!!
This would be very trivial for Compal to fix, but obviously they aren't interested in this, as it's now a 3yr. old model.

So I dug around Google, and even looked @ German forums, with no luck.
I even found a forum here that said it was fixed, but no real solution was given, just a poster saying he had it working and didn't give any further info.

So I came up with a solution, hopefully this will help others.
Using this method, the Wireless FN+F2 enable/disable hotkey works, allowing the Bluetooth to show up, and the drivers to be loaded.
I didn't actually test that the BT driver will pair a device and such, but I would think it should be fine.

*please note, I tried to be as thorough as possible, if this doesn't work, please re-trace your steps and double check that everything was done as per the instructions. If you truly find an error/omission, let me know.
This assumes you have loaded all other drivers, and the OS is working and happy.*

Please post if this worked for you.
Thx.

My Solution.....



Fixing the Compal WSS Utility Error on the Compal HEL/EL80 VBI Notebook
Error: "The program can't start because EBLib.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix the problem."


1. Install the Wireless Select Switch from Intel's site.
Intel Drivers Pg. for Compal VBI EL80

Download the Utility for Windows Vista x64 from the above pg.
Utility file is labeled: 20061117_WirelessSelectSwitch_V1.43.0.9_Release.zip

2. Once installed, don't reboot.

3. Open Device Manager, look under system devices for "Intel(R) ICH7M/U LPC Interface Controller -27B9"
This will only be listed this way if you installed the Intel Chipset drivers, if you didn't, do this before proceeding.

4. Double click on the device listed above.

5. Click on the "Driver" tab.

6. Click the "Update Driver" button.

7. Click the "Browse my computer for driver software" button.

8. Click the "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" button.

9. Click the "Have Disk" button.

10. Click the "Browse" button.

11. Navigate to: "C:\Program Data\Vista64", double click on LPCFilter.inf
*Note, you'll have to have show hidden/system files on to see this folder.

12. Click the "OK" button.

13. In the list will be "LPC Interface Controller", click next.

14. Wait for it to install, say NO to the reboot prompt.

15. Close all Device Manager properties windows, and Device Manager, saying no to any reboot prompts.

16. Copy the file "EBlib.dll" from "C:\Program Data\" to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Compal Electronics, INC\Wireless Select Switch\" Confirm/Yes to any permission prompts.

17. Now reboot

After rebooting, the FN+F2 key should work, also the System Tray Icon should be listed, likely behind the "Show Hidden Icons" white triangle.
You should now be able to enable Bluetooth.

Once enabled, Windows will automatically install the built-in driver for it.
Once complete, you can install the IntelVBI/Compal driver from the above listed Intel Drivers pg.

 

Very nice info, hopefully someone will find this helpfull. I gave my HEL80 to my girlfriend and she'll stick to XP for now...

 

Finaly a solution that works.
Thank you very much.

 

Additional steps are required IOT use a bluetooth headset and Windows 7:

Thank you to "y_not" for finding a way to activate the Wireless Select Switch on the Compal HEL80 using Windows 7/Vista. I've been looking for a solution for almost 3 years now. I've applied your methodology and the switch is working now!

Prior to this, tech support had explained that for some weird reason Vista/Windows 7 was unable to activate the antennae in a way that the Wireless Select Switch could see it. And Compal has not been helpful providing a workaround or a new driver. Tech support's best suggestion (until now) was to uninstall Vista/Windows 7; then temporarily install Windows XP; then activate the switch; then reinstall Vista/Windows 7. That struck me as being a very inelegant solution. So I chose to ignore it. I've continued to monitor this forum hoping some kind, brilliant soul would come forward with a solution. So thanks again for doing what Compal and/or other tech support crews probably could/should have done long ago.

However after getting the WSS to work, if you're using Window 7 you'll still need to do a couple of things to be able to use a bluetooth headset or hands-free sound device.

My objective was to be able to use a bluetooth hands-free headset with Skype.
I searched through a couple of hundred forum posts to find a combination of factors which works for me.
I hope this helps someone else.

Here's my situation and the solutions:
On my Compal HEL80,
I'm now running Windows 7 Prof. 64-bit (by now everything works superbly).

I purchased and installed a Bluetooth module (from the good folks at Powernotebooks.com).
In Windows 7 64-bit,
Devices and Printers identifies the unit as
Foxconn Bluetooth 2.0 plus EDR
Device Manager Properties identifies the unit as
Broadcom Bluetooth 2.0 EDR USB Dongle.

1. I had previously installed the most recent Broadcom bluetooth driver for Compal EL80 which I downloaded from Intel's website.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...Intel%AE&ProdId=2468&LineId=2456&FamilyId=954
There are no Windows 7 drivers. But the Vista drivers will work for this purpose. Select according to your needs.

However, these drivers do not enable the audio capabilities required to use a bluetooth headset. (Audio capabilities don't show up as options.) A second driver update will be required before we're done.

Here's the problem.
a) With Windows 7, the first time you activate (turn on) a functioning bluetooth adapter Windows will automatically install its own bluetooth driver stack.
b) But the Windows 7 and Vista bluetooth stacks do not enable sound device capabilities. Therefore you will be unable to use a bluetooth headset for Skype, etc. (Apparently MS decided to leave it up to 3rd parties to develop drivers with sound capabiliies.)
c) The bluetooth adapter and network connections will show up in Device Manager, but "Hands Free Audio", etc., will not show up in the Sound Devices section. Thus you will not be able to select a headset as a microphone for use with Skype.
d) To fix the problem, you must first replace the Windows bluetooth stack with a driver from your adapter manufacturer.
In this case, step 1. above will do that. But step 2. below will be required IOT get audio capabilities to work.

2. IOT to get the bluetooth audio capabilities to be recognized and work, you must update the Broadcom/Widcomm driver. (Trying to update just the Windows driver will not work.)
Download (save) this Widcomm Bluetooth software update:
http://www.broadcom.com/support/bluetooth/update.php
(Note: After reading through lots of forums which document lots of false starts and failures, applying this update from this link seems to be the only thing which has solved the sound problem for most people.)

3. Using the Wireless Select Switch, activate the bluetooth adapter.
4. Via Device Manager>Bluetooth Radios, update the Broadcom bluetooth driver by navigating to your new saved driver update file.

Afterward in Device Manager>Sound, Video and Game Controllers section, you should now see a Bluetooth Audio listing. If so, success!

5. Now you can pair your bluetooth headset to the bluetooth adapter.
6. In my case, Skype automatically recognized and selected my bluetooth hands-free headset (Plantronics Voyager 510) to be used as the microphone. It works quite well.
7. Depending on your equipment and setup, you may need to select and/or set your headset as the default microphone IOT get the sound results you want.
8. If necessary, right-click the Speaker icon in your Taskbar Tray > select Recording Devices > select your headset.

Enjoy!

 

I got the same problems, but I'm using a 32-bit Windows 7, so the given location for the LPC Interface Controller is not working (is ment to work voor 64-bit). On my old Vista installation I found the files working for 32-bit Windows 7. I would like to share the files with you, by using this link: http://www.gigasize.com/get.php?d=n49phpds5gc . You can probably find the files on your own Vista installation by searching for "LPCFilter.inf" and copy the whole directory. I also used the *.dll file from C:\ProgramData instead of C:\ProgramData\Vista64.
Thanks very much!!

 

Also got this problem on win 7 32-bit. Jorik90, your link is not working anymore and im having some difficulties to find my own LPCFilter.inf on Vista. Can you upload it again?
Thank you very much. Is this fix really working?

 

MROG,

I can't test this, as I don't own the laptop, it was a customer's & I was performing the upgrade for him. However, experience and intuition, plus shaking the Magic 8 Ball on my desk, tells me that the following should work, or at least get you in the right direction.

Sure, if you download the Vista64 driver, it's obviously not going to work on Win7 32bit(x86). You would need the 32bit driver.
However, I do see when I go back to the Intel VBI page for that model, that the driver they have posted is x64/x32 (x86) all together in one archive file.

So you should be golden there, as far as getting the right driver for your OS architecture.
I see there's just a single .EXE file in the archive, no driver folders or anything, this is correct from my recollection.

So when you install the driver, it would be logical for it to create an, ""C:\Program Data\Vista32" directory. Does it not?
Remember, that folder's hidden by default, you have to turn on hidden files, and all that jazz. If you need help with that, post back and I'll see what I can do.
If it's not there, I would suggest searching your HDD for it, remember to do an advanced search and tell it to search everything, and un-indexed locations. *Not the exact verbiage, but close*

Oh, and on 32bit OS's, the "Program Files (x86)" dir won't exist, because it's already 32bit, so it doesn't need to differentiate the difference. Instead it'll just be "Program Files".

Lastly, Can I ask how come you are using Win7 32bit?
x64 is advised and I have seen zero situations these days where 32bit apps, even games, wouldn't work in 64bit Win7.

Let me know if any of this helps.

Thx. Ynot

 

PLEASE REUPLOAD!!!

 

Thanx Ynot for your advice, but it didn't help. Setup file doesnt create "C:\Program Data\Vista32" directory, but also "...\Vista64". Don't know why. In any case, this driver my OS doesn't accept.
Only search result is this file (and exactly same file in c:\users\all users\vista64). So I hope jorik uploaded drivers from Vista will work.

I tried 64 bit when win 7 were still in beta and many my apps didnt work, so i returned to x86. In any case I have just 2 GB Ram so i guess there wont be any significant difference.

 

I'm sorry my ideas didn't pan out. It was worth a shot!
Without having the laptop here, what I would recommend you do, is split your drive using Win7/Vista's free built-in 'Diskpart' util, you'll want to use the 'shrink' command, then install Vista 32 on the new partition.
It'll be something like this...
DO A BACKUP!!!
I can't stress this enough, you're doing those anyway... right?
Open Elevated CMD prompt, 'diskpart' (Minus quotes), 'list disk', 'sel disk 0' (Choose appropriate disk #1 for your system), 'shrink desired=5000' (This gives you a little under 5GB after format), then wait....
Now: 'create part pri', 'format fs=ntfs quick label=Vista32'
Now you can reboot from the Vista 32 DVD, and chose that Partition to install.
Boot from that partition, then load the BT driver and switch, then snag the files you need, just as jorik90 did.

Then you can nuke the Vista part, and reset your MBR/Bootloader.
EasyBCD makes this a little more simple, for managing the dual boot.

If that doesn't sound like fun, you'll have to do it the long way. Back-Up, format, install Vista 32, install BT+SW driver, copy files to backup, format, load Win7 32, then proceed as normal.

If the files work, I'd suggest attaching them to your post, that way they're stored on the server here @ notebookreview.

Of course I can't guarantee any of this, as I haven't tried it. I'm just simply going off of jorik90's method, and this would be the only way I could see to pull the files, since the installer is packed in such a manner that it detects the appropriate OS and loads the appropriate files.

You may have to go through the whole rigamarole of loading all the drivers, in order to find the files you are looking for.

Let me know how it works out.

 

anybody who do have the file need for Windows 7 x86, please upload them.... I STIIL NEED THEM... PLEASE!!!!
MANY THANKS

 

has anyone tried using WSS W7 software from the models that it has been replaced with? Compal is quite conservative when changing generations and they tend to use same components to save on engineering costs

 

Hi friends. I've installed the WSS good and running smoothly in its own driver ..

http://www.britecomputers.com/drivers/el80-81/WSS.zip

 

Hi, still got a message "You can not install this version into your system". What version do you have?
Thanks

 

That one works for me! Thanks!

 

thats not work for me too!!!