HGL-30 Windows Vista Qs & New Bios 025

Hi all-
I recently got my compal laptop and i had a few concernes that maybe you guys can answer. First of all the media office buttons on the top right of the system do not light up (mode/REC buttons). I wanted to confirm that with the people running this laptop and vista ? Is this a problem with vista or do they not just light up ?

Secondly i wanted to let everyone know that compal has released another bios for this system with a neat winflash utility for vista that allows you to do it with a few mouse clicks. The bios is #025A . I have flashed it and all is running well so far. Was it ok for me to flash this bios ?

Thanks guys,
pete

 

The mode button light only turns on when you are using the media office program and the rec button turns on only when you are recording.

 

I understand that they only come on when using media office but in my case they dont turn on at all whatever task i am doing (ie recording w/ media office). Do yours come on in windows ? What os are you using ? I ask bc i called tech support and they said they are having a problem with the lights coming on in vista ?

thanks pete

 

Vista was almost a complete overhaul to the Windows subsystem even requiring some mucking around with alot of system's BIOS configurations and low level communications between the hardware and the kernel. Don't be suprised when a few things don't work exactly how they did with the original OS the system was designed for.

 

I'm using Vista Ultimate. If I remember correctly, the recording light actually didn't work when I had WinXP Pro.
I'm using Bios 024A but I doubt that makes the difference.

 

Hey mikysee, so you say your running vista and 024 bios and the lights are working ? Thats really strange any ideas on what i can do to get it working ? What media office are you using ?

pyro9219, i really dont have a problem with a few things not working on the software level but i just want o make sure everything hardware wise is working right before my return time is up and things get complicated. Plus if its running with user mikysee with vista, i wonder why i am having a problem.

pete

 

Yeah the lights work. My media office is version 1.44.0.18. Do your buttons work and the lights don't?

 

Actually i am using the newer version 1.44.0.19 thats on compals website. It appears the buttons work, i think. Clicking on the mode button opens the media office program and the record button starts the recording session. It really isnt a big deal but i expect the lights to work on a new machine.
What even upsets me more is the fact they told me it isnt supposed to work in vista.

Pete

 

Who is your reseller? (Didn't see when I checked your first post)

 

I purchased this from powernotebooks.com . I am not sure if i should call them or if their is anything i should try on my own first.
Can it be the wires for the panel are loose ?


Hey MikySee can you try the newest bios 025, maybe thats the prob tho i doubt it ?

pete

 

I don't see 025 just 024A.
http://www.bizcom-us.com/support/TechSupportDriversDownloadPage.htm#GL30

 

Goto

http://www.compal.com/asp/driver_dnd/
click download site -> Drivers -> Gl30 -> Vista for intel -> Should be last item in there.

thanks
pete

 

I updated to 025 and the lights work. But it doesn't seem that stable. The first time I rebooted, windows wouldn't load. Then when I got windows to load, I got BSOD after 10 secs. I'm gonna go back to 024A.

 

Well i just got off the phone with matt at powernotebooks support and he said their test lab cant get those lights to run under vista ? I told him otherwise and he said he would look into the matter and call me tom.

pete

 

Here's a pic for proof.

pic

 

Thanks for the pic, i believe the proof is in the pudding i will be emailing him this link.
I think this laptop may need to be sent in for replacement or something, but we will see whats gonna happen tom.

pete

 

It wouldn't hurt to talk with powernotebook's tech support. They will be most qualified to answer your questions.

But whenever you try new BIOS upgrades and especially Vista--there will be some minor things here and there that may behave differently or even stop working. Hopefully more of the issues have to do with Vista than BIOS upgrades in your case.

 

Well i talked to Matt at tech support this evening as well as Ron my sales rep.
The tech support guy really tried to help me, but it really lead me no where as far as this situation with the media lights. I then proceeded to talk to Ron who explained that all th issues i am having are because of vista and even tho someone has it running it may be a different variation of the notebook. He told me to wait a few more days until their tech guys are able to figure it out.

So basically now its a waiting game, unless i can come up with anything myself.

You guys have any ideas ?

pete

 

I think letting Ron and the gang try to help you find a solution is the best approach at this point. They have the knowledge and resources to get you answers.

I still think your issues are more Vista-based than anything though.

 

I can't help but think most people complain that the lights are to bright or flashy and a distraction, but here you are trying to make it more defined with lights

 

Actually what Ron said was that it was a different Vista version (Ultimate vs. the Premium that you have), not a different version of the laptop.

We are looking into it though, and will get back to you shortly with an answer.

 

I wanted to give you an update regarding the laptop button situation. After i talked Ron earlier this week i realized that the bulk of the problem was being blamed on vista basically or its version , so if i could get XP on the system we could diffrentiate weather it was a hardware or software problem. I did have a spare laptop hard drive but not in the SATA flavor so i put it in a usb enclosure and installed win xp pro on it. After i installed it , i proceeded to install drivers and software for all the deviecs. Amzingly the Lights worked, keep reading it gets more interesting. So then i thought to myself i guess it was a compatibility issue like PNB said, wrong.

After talking to a few friends and collecting information, i had decided to reformat the hard drive and reinstall vista my way. I reinstalled vista cleanly and installed drivers the way i would have done it for a desktop (the order matters). Once again to my amazement not only was the system faster but what do you know, the lights worked.

The only conclusion i can draw from this is, one whomever installed the drivers and windows didnt do a very satisfactory job and two the fact i was told this situation was tested in your labs and was proven that it doesnt work in vista upsets me a bit.

Otherwise everything seems great and powerful, other than the DVD low volume issue which i havnt really looked much at yet.

I have emailed Ron at PNB the news and who knows maybe it was fluke, i am just glad that its working. Thanks to all who helped here as well as PNB efforts and especially to mikysee who was nice enough to prove it worked and give me a reason to pursue this.

guys i should be posting a full review in the next few days of the laptop.

pete

 

Thanks for the extra effort and feedback Pete, this will help us a lot. We will review our current image to see what we are doing wrong with this install.

We really appreciate your help.

Ah, to be human...

 

No problem Donald, i have additionally offered Ron a list of the files & versions i used, if it helps. If you guys are installing the laptops using an image then maybe a few files are off.

I also want no one here to get the wrong idea about my message. Throughout the process PNB has been very diligent and responsive. Throughout all my calls to the tech support and sales the people were very nice and tried to help in every manner, to me thats very important. Trust me its not easy getting a 9.9 + on reseller ratings, it must mean they are doing something right.
I am sure my friendship with PNB will be an admirable one to have in my book and will continue.

THanks again guys
pete

 

Glad to hear you got that sorted out, Pete. We look forward to your review and any other experiences.

What you have discovered will definitely come in handy for future HGL30 with Vista owners.

 

Hi guys,
I think my medial office buttons are not working at all. Correct me if i am wrong: When you press the "MODE" button for 2 seconds, media office should turn on, another 2 second press and it should turn off. Nothing happens when i press that button. The only way to open media office is to go to the start menu. And even when i open media office, the record button and all the other buttons, just don't work. I installed the driver few times but that didn't work. I have the 1.44.0.18 version. any suggestions?

sorry, forgot to say i have the compal HGL 30, Vista Ultimate, Bios 112A.
by the way, i read in a previous post that somebody had bios 024!!!! I mean shouldn't the new bios name be 113A, not 024????

 

Actually from my understanding, the transition to the number system is bc of vista ? So i would first try to flash your system with 024A from the bizcom website then load the media office they offer as well. Dont use the software on the included CD, if you did remove it all and get the new stuff. And most important of all make sure you install the chipset drivers first.


pete

 

Hi guys, can somebody please list the latest drivers for the HGL 30, NOT THE VBI VERSION.
I visited bizcom, but i was confused, as they say that the latest Vista drivers for the HGL30 are the same as for the HEL80. but for example, the chipset driver on the bizcom site is: 8.2.0.1010(WHQL), but the driver i have on my notebook is 8.2.0.1012. Does this mean i have a newer driver than that listed on bizcom, or do i have the wrong driver? On the compal website, they list the 1012 driver as the latest one, but only for the VBI line, while the HGL30 vista drivers section is blank. If anybody has the latest drivers and Bios, i would really appreciate it if they just list them here.

 

I am not sure if these are the latest ones or not but when i loaded vista on my machine these are the drivers in order with their version that i installed.

Top Is installed First

1. Intel Chipset Drivers V8.2.0.1010(WHQL)

2. Nvidia V9.7.5.4(Vista32 WHQL)

3. Touchpad V5.0.3.12(Vista32 WHQL)

4. Wireless Lan V10.6.0.29 TIC126336(WHQL)

5. Lan 6.189.1213.2006(WHQL)

6. Modem V2.1.74(Vista32 WHQL)

7. Card Reader R300_02(WHQL)

8. Bluetoth BTW 6.0.1.3400(WHQL)

9. Fingerprinter V7.7.0.19(Vista32 WHQL).exe

10. Audio V6.0.1.5334(WHQL, R153)

11. Camera V5.7.12.2(WHQL)

12. Media Office MediaOffice_V1.44.0.18_Release

Also i used bios number 024a from the bizcom website. File "HGL3X024Avista.ZIP"

goodluck,
pete