Sager Hotkey App Problems

So I just shot a email to Sager directly about this issue, been searching around for 2 days for a answer to the issue I'm having. If anyone has any idea how to fix this issue that the Hotkey application has.

This is the email I sent Sager about 10 mins ago.

I just recently purchased a Sager NP9380-S from XoticPC, I was interested in this laptop for the 120hz display, the dual SLI 780m's, the backlit keyboard, and the customization options available for this system. I recieved the laptop from XoticPC on the 19th of Sept 2013 and installed my OS and all the drivers from the drivers disc. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit and installed the drivers on the CD's. Everything was working fine, the keyboard back-light worked as expected, all the drivers were good, did a update on the 780m GPU software from nvidia's website. Everything was working like a fine tuned machine! Loved it!

I downloaded and installed all the Windows updates, including Microsoft's .net Framework, and all the other updates for my OS. As soon as I rebooted the computer and had the installing thing completed, it went to my desktop and everything loaded perfectly. Although my keyboard back-light was blue instead of the color I chose as green. I assumed it was because of the updates just resetting the keyboard color. I went into the Hotkey application and chose my green color again and it stayed blue. I restarted the computer and its still blue.

I went into the Hotkey app again after restart and it said it was green but they keys were blue still. I clicked around the settings like Random, Flash, Wave, ect and they work but the custom color will not work. I have no function key support anymore. No little icon comes up when I turn off the mouse-pad, no volume bar, no mute icon, nothing comes up anymore on the upper left side of the screen. (These are Hotkey app screens, usually appear in the upper left of the monitor, looks like a little popup window, usually grey in color.)

The Fn + numpad (/), (*), (-), (+) no longer controls the keyboard backlight.

The Fn + numpad (/) - doesnt start the app
Fn + numpad (*) - doesn't turn off the back-light.
Fn + numpad (-) - doesn't decrease the intensity of the back-light.
Fn + numpad (+) - doesn't increase the intensity.

Is there anything I can do to fix this issue, outside of formatting my hard-drive and reinstalling Windows and not doing Windows Updates.

I was wondering if there is any way on your guys end that you can fix this code problem with the Hotkey application.

Ive tried everything from uninstalling the Hotkey app, removing the registry keys, shutting down my computer, waiting 5 mins, restarting the computer, then reinstalling the program, then shutting down my computer and waiting 5 mins and starting it back up. Still doesn't work.

I used the original Hotkey software that came on my drivers disc, and it is what stopped working after the Windows Updates. That's when I uninstalled it and made sure there was no registry keys still in my Windows Registry and shut down my computer. I reinstalled the drivers disc Hotkey app and shutdown the computer again. Had the same issues, no color, not able to adjust color or turn on the keyboard back-light. So I uninstalled it again, cleared the registry keys, and downloaded Hotkey 7.0026 from the drivers page on the Sager website. When that was done I shut down my computer and restarted it, and then installed Hotkey 7.0026 and completed the installation. After a few mins after it was done installing, I shutdown my computer and let it sit for 5 mins with the power off. Turned on the computer and I have the blue keyboard light on.

Went into the Hotkey app, clicked to set color to green, and its still blue even though the app says its set as green. The keyboard settings like Random, Flash, Wave, ect don't work. I cant run the app from the keyboard, I cant change the intensity, and I cant turn off and on the keyboard light.

I really don't know what I should do.
I hope that you guys can help me fix this problem, I love this laptop and I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Thank you for your time in reading this massive block of text and I hope to hear back from you!

If anyone knows how to fix this problem it would be greatly appreciated. From what I found online about the issue is that is the Sager Hotkey code and problems with the compatibility with Microsoft's .net Framework. But I cant find a fix.

Thanks everyone!

 

If Sager does not get back with a fix you can also give our 24hr phone tech support a call which you'll find on our site under the "contact" section.

 

have you tried the W8 version ( 8.0134) just for kicks?

 

What version is your EC firmware and BIOS?

 

Where do I find that out?

From what I heard online is that it only works with Windows 8, so I have not tried it out. Maybe I should just for sh**s and giggles.

Thanks Huts, they shot me a email back but it was very brief and if they read my email fully they would have seen that i said I had the most resent version of the Hotkey program.

This is the email I got back,

Hi Brent, did you install the hot key driver version 7.00.26? If not, please
download the driver from our site.

Allen Zhang
Sager tech support
1-800-741-2219
1-626-964-4849


So I sent him this email back,

Yes I downloaded it. It has to do with the compatibility of Microsoft .net Framework 4.0. I uninstalled .net 4.0 and hotkey works again but a good chunk of my software requires Framework 4.0 so I'm on the fence on what to do.

As i said in the above message, "When that was done I
shut down my computer and restarted it, and then installed Hotkey 7.0026 and
completed the installation. After a few mins after it was done installing,
I shutdown my computer and let it sit for 5 mins with the power off. Turned
on the computer and I have the blue keyboard light on."

So yes the version I have is updated.

This is the Hotkey one I downloaded from the Sager website

http://files.sagernotebook.com/Sagernotebook/misc/07Hotkey_70026.exe

After I installed it I looked at the details of the program to find out what version is installed and it said this

[Image of the file version, which shows that the version of hotkey is really 7.0.0.25]

So I downloaded it again, from the link saying its 7.0026, and reinstalled it again and the file version still says 7.0.0.25.

I just want to be able to use Microsoft .net Framework 4.0 again while using this software.

One of the errors I get when trying to use .net framework 4.0 and this program is this.

See the end of this message for details on invoking

just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.



************** Exception Text **************

System.FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format.

at System.Number.StringToNumber(String str, NumberStyles options, NumberBuffer& number, NumberFormatInfo info, Boolean parseDecimal)

at System.Number.ParseInt32(String s, NumberStyles style, NumberFormatInfo info)

at System.Convert.ToInt32(String value)

at HotKey.HotKey.WMITimer_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.OnTick(EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.TimerNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)





************** Loaded Assemblies **************

mscorlib

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5472 (Win7SP1GDR.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll

----------------------------------------

HotKey

Assembly Version: 7.0.0.25

Win32 Version: 7.0.0.25

CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Hotkey/Hotkey.exe

----------------------------------------

System.Windows.Forms

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5468 (Win7SP1GDR.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll

----------------------------------------

System

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5467 (Win7SP1GDR.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Drawing

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5467 (Win7SP1GDR.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll

----------------------------------------

Interop.MbnApi

Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0

CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Hotkey/Interop.MbnApi.DLL

----------------------------------------

System.ServiceProcess

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5420 (Win7SP1.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.ServiceProcess/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.ServiceProcess.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Management

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5420 (Win7SP1.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Management/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Management.dll

----------------------------------------

HotKey.resources

Assembly Version: 7.0.0.25

Win32 Version: 7.0.0.25

CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Hotkey/en-US/HotKey.resources.DLL

----------------------------------------

HotKey.resources

Assembly Version: 7.0.0.25

Win32 Version: 7.0.0.25

CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Hotkey/en/HotKey.resources.DLL

----------------------------------------

System.Xml

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.5473 (Win7SP1GDR.050727-5400)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll

----------------------------------------

Audiodll

Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0

CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Hotkey/Audiodll.DLL

----------------------------------------

Accessibility

Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0

Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)

CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll

----------------------------------------



************** JIT Debugging **************

To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this

application or computer (machine.config) must have the

jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.

The application must also be compiled with debugging

enabled.


From everything I've read online with people having this same problem, everyone points to the code for the driver itself and not the .net framework 4.0, I was just wondering if there will every be a fix for this or will I have to use a different computer to access my programs that require .net framework 4.0. I would like to get this issue resolved.


Thank you for your time considering this matter.

 

BIOS main page shows version for both it and EC.

try out the W8 version. can't hurt, right?

 

Yea im downloading it now, ill check back in with it when its installed and downloaded.

 

cant find the EC (i have no idea what that abbreviates )

but this is the version of the BIOS I have

American Megatrends Inc. 4.6.5, 9/5/2013

so i take it the 9/5/2013 is the date of the release, which IMO is pretty up to date.

 

Yea so I installed the windows 8 version, same issue comes up with different problems listed under the details button. Keyboard color is blue though, a lot better then having no color i suppose.

 

here, trying rolling back to version 6.0100. i have faith this time.

 

Yea that was another no go.

it opened the hotkey program but it shut off my backlight. and i cant turn it back on or adjust the color.

 

Sorry to hear you're having problems with the keyboard backlight. I got my P170SM about 1 month ago now and I have had no problems with it. Having the options to change the color of the keyboard, although not essential, is one of the reasons why I chose the Clevo. Hope you get it worked out.

 

Same thing just happened to me but I did a format and reinstalled windows. Thats my only solution....

 

Have u tried updating to the latest drivers?

 

haha, yes dude. I have the latest drivers for everything. It just has to do with the compatibility of windows .net framework 4.0 and the code written for sager hotkey. They dont match. sager has to fix or rewrite the code

 

Some guys wrote their own application to control the lights. It still uses the sager hotkey driver but maybe they can give you a little help? Worth a shot...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

a reformat would 100% resolve the issue. can we also assume you installed all drivers in the so-called right order?

reread that and then think to yourself how many people on this board alone with nearly identical rigs aren't having your issue.

 

i reformatted 3 times since i posted last, still hasn't fixed the issue. im probally just not going to download 4.0 net framework. Sager still hasnt responded back to me since the last update. I dont know what I should do.

 

I guess im going to be contacting you guys very shortly. Sager has yet to get back to me.

 

It's possible it could be hardware/firmware related. Maybe an EC flash didn't properly apply or is having issues.

I don't have the same model laptop but have a haswell Sager one and have had no hotkey issues. I am on Windows 8.1 even which only about 50% of the chipsets seem to have drivers specifically for lol.

That said, if I recall correct the hotkey apps use .NET 3.5 not 4.0 so if you are running Windows 8 before installing the hotkey make sure you go to features and install .NET 3.5 and install hotkey after that. If hotkey already installed, install the 3.5 and reinstall the hotkey still. If you are running 7 make sure 3.5 is installed also and should include support from 2.0-3.5

.NET 3.5 is not installed by default on Windows 8 and above (don't remember if 7 does) but many programs still rely on it and some may or may not tell you this.