Elite e9150t Feezes/Locks up

[Cee-Cee]

eots, thanks for the instructions on how to change the hard drive to "never" turn off on the Power Options.  I had looked once you mentioned it but it is kind of hidden.  Vista's window interface is kind of odd here (and in most places, for that matter).  Even the first window does not have a "Save/Cancel" button once you select one of the radio buttons for "Select a Power Plan" (it seems to simply keep the last option you set it to).  As to the results, I set the Hard Drive to "never" turn off, next I shutdown the computer, connected the external WD5000KS hard drive to one of the two rear eSATA connectors (instead of the USB that would consistently work), rebooted so that the external eSATA drive would make a new appearance, and it has not disappeared in 1 hour and 30 minutes.  It usually took 30 to 45 minutes to do the magical disappearing act and terminate its cameo appearance.  In summary, so far so good.  Thanks a lot!

To the rest of the victims of HP's ruthlessness:  with this we many have survived another jump through their varied hoops (or monkey wrenches).  But, they sure keep their customers in the dark!  What has this country come to!  Don't you feel like you are constantly being circled by hungry sharks?

[skinny_sc]

I don't even care if the replacement machine may seem to work, if I look at it and it has the old motherboard version, I'm sending it back for a refund.

I guess the external drive going to sleep does make sense for it to no longer appear as connected. I know how to change those settings (at first i thought the original problem was the the drives were going to sleep, so I turned off the ability for them to go to sleep and instantly I had a different bluescreen message). I was just curious becuase that was one of my intentions of the new machine, to get an eSATA 1TB+ drive to store all the family photos/vids/etc. would greatly irritate me if i did that and it ended up not working.

[Cee-Cee]

eots, I have been using the USB ports in the rear, and a D-Link 7 to 1 hub.  When I get a chance I will test the front USB ports to see if they work on the v1.04 mother$#%!r.  Hopefully they are not just there to impress onlookers.

[Cee-Cee]

skinny_nc, read the apparent good news below.  It looks like you will not have to throw your computer against the wall and will be able keep all your photos videos in your external fast-transferring eSATA drive.  Namely, put your computer to do something useful.  It is too big and heavy for a paperweight.  Good luck when it arrives with the v1.04 <text deleted>

Message Edited by WendyM on 08-02-2009 06:34 PM

[Perseus]

Add me to the club!

I posted my issues on another site and someone directed me to the Pegatron MOBO issue, that perhaps applies to me:

Received on 14th July 2009 -

HP e9190jp (Japan Autumn 2009 model - maybe the yshould have tested it until Autumn, instead of releasing it in Summer...)

CPU: Corei7-950

MOBO: Pegatron IPMTB-TK Model: TRUCKEE-UL8E  (is this the same 1.03 model)?

Everything else reasonably good spec - not something you should have issues with (especially in a foreign country!!)

I will be informing HP tomorrow (via a J-friend) about the potential MOBO issue and if possible tell them to check the forums or talk to someone in the US(?), just so they don't waste my time by sending it back after running a simple PC Doc test...

Basically, 2 BSODs in the first few days, then occassional hangs from there (once every 2days or so) while not stressing the machine at all. Once it shutdown and rebooted itself while I was away eating dinner! another time, froze, I left it powered up and went to work, came home and checked the event logger to find after 1hour it shutdown and restarted.  As with the rest of you, no logs as to the basic freezes (is this because of SP2 pack?). Did a restore once, and then was using the pc with very minimal apps on there as a test - still froze. No issues on diagnostics of course  (Fixed the issue of the monitor sleep/power-down too).

Spoke to HP support a couple of times, the last time I explained that it was probably a hardware issue, that I had mini-dump files to show for it and wanted them to look at it. So they came and picked it up on Saturday, and might be finished this weekend. Not sure what is going to happen to it as my friend was talking to them (in Japanese), so if they need to consult about what to do next it might be interesting.

Will keep you posted on my pc after this weekend (if I do get it back), and hope to read some more concrete fixes/ support on this issue.

Does no-one from HP usually come on to their own site to answer the technical questions, and raise potential hardware/ batch issues??

Glad I didn't trash my 6yr old laptop, even if it is very slow, and I have to hook it up to the TV coz the display is shot

Good luck to us All!

Message Edited by Perseus on 08-03-2009 08:56 AM

[Cee-Cee]

Perseus, the suspect motherboard is the Pegatron IPMTB-K Truckee v1.03 (HP's # is UL8E).  This has the name "Pegatron" and the "IPMTB-K" written on the motherboard with 1 cm high grey letters (just behind the memory chips).  The motherboard on the replacement they sent me only has the name "Pegatron" in the same place on the MOBO and its a v1.04 (PC Doctor will inform you of this version, as well as Belarc Advisor (dowloadable free-ware).

HP is playing dum and being sneaky.  Perhaps they are hoping that a percentage of their customers/victims will keep the "lemon" and they want to keep the lid on this so that they do not have to make an all-out recall of their computers. 

To the rest of the victims of HP:  The replacement e9150t computer has been working lockup-less for over 5 days now (I believe it is a new world record), so HP may have fixed the problem.  Keep us informed how your replacement computers go when you all get them and look to see what MOBO they sent you. 

[eots]

Pegatron is the OEM division of Asus, so HP didn't fix anything it would have been a fix implemented by Asus.  I suspect Asus just shipped the 1.04 motherboards to HP without telling them why there was a revision, which would explain HP's ignorance to the issue.  Asus/Pegatron isn't talking either as it looks bad on them for producing a lemon motherboard for HP. 

I'm going to wait awhile before resorting to having the motherbaord replaced to see if they produce a BIOS fix for these issues.

Message Edited by eots on 08-03-2009 10:34 AM

[Cee-Cee]

eots, I knew about Pegatron being the OEM division of Asus as I researched it recently to find out as much as possible about the problem my e9150t was having, as I suspected the MOBO.  I am not a conspirary theorist, but it is common sense, just by the numbers, that HP knew very well that there was a problem with the motherboard.  They have highly technical people that decide what systems they are going to put together and who is going to supply the components.  As a result, I am sure that they contacted Pegatron about the problem, if Pegatron did not notify them first.  If HP did not know about the problem, then they have their head in the sand, which I doubt.  It appears from the fact that my replacement computer with a v1.04 MOBO has been working properly for almost 6 days, that it is a motherboard problem.  HP appears to be doing what most companies are doing now-a-days (and for the last 15 years or so), taking the cheap and irresponsible route and later when it hits the fan, they play dumb and do not take responsibility for their actions or lack thereof.  That is today's America.  The typical organization today is not loyal to their customers nor their employees for that matter.  Only a few higher-ups make the big bucks, and when it hits the fan, they pack their briefcases full of money and live happily ever after.

I rated the e9150t on HP's product website, stating exactly what had happened with my original computer, no more, no less.  They have not published it.  They have been showing the same 5 evaluations for at least 6 weeks.

Pegatron being the OEM division, would probably be sending HP beta motherboards at a good price.  It is HP's responsibility to thoroughly test these beta motherboards before they go out into the consumer market.  This avoids the recalls, and thus the financial losses and headaches.  Unfortunately, that is not today's style.

If you are still in the 21-day warranty period, I would return the whole computer.  If a BIOS fix would have done it, I am sure that they would have provided me and others with that option, which would have required only doing a simple download.

The glass is not half-full, it is half-empty.

[skinny_sc]

I agree with CeeCee. There is a lot of "ignorance is bliss" in Corporate America. I work for a large insurance company and even there the idea of "plausible deniability" runs deep through the executive ranks. When something does go wrong, most often there were at least 4-6 underling employees that specified the exact scenario happening, but rather than push back a release date on the enrollment system, it goes out "on schedule" so none of the execs lose their performance bonuses.

I'm sure someone somewhere within HP knew about the motherboard issues. And my personal thought is that its nothing a firmware update could fix, it was just a shoddy build of a motherboard. The fact that the newer version CeeCee received didn't have the same markings, yet was labelled as a new version, tells you that someone found the problem in the manufacturing of the motherboard and corrected it...at least thats the hope we all have.

Talk about buyer's remorse...i'm deep in it.

[skinny_sc]

I received the replacement today, and I'm giving it a good once over internally prior to plugging it in. During the look-over, I noticed where you can see the model and version number on the newer boards.

If you hold the machine in your lap with the back toward your stomach, tilt it away and down to the left and under the video card heatsink/fan, you'll see it say IPMTB-TK, then as a superscript on the 'K' you'll see REV. 1.04. in smaller letters. So it does tell you the model and version on the board...just hard to see. May be harder depending on what vid card you had put in it as the cooling system may entirely cover that area.

So my replacement does have the 1.04 board, and you don't have to turn it on to find that out. This gives me some hope that when I plug it in, it won't freeze in the first 20 minutes....i hope! Now time to plug it up and fire it up!