Radeon HD 8750m switchable graphics driver BY HP is not working on Windows 8.1

[Jollyno86]

Hello all,

I have  laptop Envy 6-1200el.

It's a good machin but I have always been annoyed by video drivers trouble.

When I bought my PC last year it worked good when we had Windows 8, but the video drivers didn't work properly already there.

The drivers made troubles when I tryed to start some 3D applications as Batman: Arkham Asylum. The problem was the HP video driver. That driver is made by Radeon HD drivers plus Intel HD 4000 series all together.

To make the two video cards working together properly you cannot use intel driver installation first then the AMD catalyst installation utility, but you need a driver installation utility that installs the two video cards both, otherwise the switchable graphics will not work properly and 3D applications won't start.

When I had Windows 8.1 update I had absolutely to find a new driver. I downloaded the automatic utility from AMD site and luckily it downloaded an updated driver that was including and installing together both the video cards properly. Since there my laptop started to work very good in everithing.

Some days ago I had to format my PC and that good video driver got lost.

I installed almost everithing including windows 8.1 update but I sadly discovered that on AMD site it was downloadable only the Radeon HD driver not including any more switchable graphics installation and Intel HD driver.

I have now installed the video driver given by HP on the right laptop portal, but this driver IS SO BAD!!!

HP says that it's an update driver working properly on Windows 8.1 but it's false!

MY PC WITH THAT HP DRIVER IS MAKING MANY TROUBLES:

- 3D GAMES ARE NOT STARTING OR NOT WORKING PROPERLY;

- PASSING THE MOUSE ON THE NEW START BUTTON ON WINDOWS 8.1, THE BUTTON BECOMES BLACK!

- HP UTILITY CENTER IS NOT OPENING;

- HP SUPPORT ASSISTANT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY;

- THE SYNAPTICS MOUSE DRIVER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, THE DOUBLE TOUCH DOESN'T WORK ETC.;

- iNTEL DRIVERS INCLUDED ON THAT HP PACKAGE ARE OLD;

- SWITCHABLE GRAPHICS DOESN'T WORK GOOD AND IS NOT ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME 3D CHARGES TO THE RIGHT CARD.

PLEASE HP RELEASE AN UPDATE! pLEASE MAKE A REAL COMPLETE DRIVER THAT IS REALLY ACTUAL AND IS REALLY WORKING ON WINDOWS 8.1 WITHOUT CONFLICTS, WITHOUT GRAPHICS ERRORS ETC.!!!

THIS SITUATION IS UNACCETTABLE, SOLVE IT PLEASE!

[Futoji]

Hi Jollyno86,
Welcome to the HP Forums.

I see that you've had to update your Notebook to Windows 8.1, that after doing so you were unable to obtain a graphic's driver that was working for you again. Since doing that update, you've encountered performance issues, as well as programs not responding correctly.
I will do my best to help you with this.

The issues that you've listed are not all do to the graphics driver. From your post, there's a lot more going on with the computer then the lack of a combined AMD/Intel driver. It appears that during your update to Windows 8.1 somethings have malfunctioned. Basically the majority of your issues are being caused by a "broken" OS.

The only way you're going to be able to get the Notebook into a proper working order is to recover/reinstall the OS (operating system) completely. Please read over this document: Overview of Recovering the OS or Reinstalling the Operating System. Read it over carefully, as it will guide you to all sub documents to ensure everything is done correctly.

This may not be what you wanted to hear, unfortunately it's the only way to get your Notebook back to a more functional working condition.

Thank you for posting on the HP Forums.

[Jollyno86]

Hi Fotoji,

I want to be honest, it's very disappointing for me to be treated like a child.

You should know that most of the people you meet here in this forum are not n00bs and the causes you suggest to consider haveall already been excluded in every way you would try yourself too!

The fact you say, that the issues are caused by a 'broken OS' are so disappointing and unbelievable!

I work in IT field since I was 14yo and now I am a graduated 28 who knows very well how to handle a PC in a clean and smart way.

Look, many of these issues was already 'on' when I bought and started my PC for the very FIRST TIME.

The video drivers needed are auto-installing drivers containing intel and AMD video drivers both and installed together at the same time.

The first day I had my PC the system was VIRGIN, I simply installed steam then ran 'Batman:Arkham Asylum' to make a try, it has never ran up, no matter if the OS is W8 or W8.1, no matter if the PC is new or used for 6 months, that driver has never worked good.

I tryed many things, used HP recovery manager several times in order to make a clean OS new installation, but it always went like that.

Recently I sent my computer to HP Italy fro an hardisk problem, replaced in warranty. The laptop came back CLEAN, perfect, with W8.1 and all the new recent drivers.

The problem was the same, games did not run or ran badly, the start symbol was black, HP Utility Center didn't work.

So tell me where's the magic when I unistall in a CLEAN AND CORRECT way those video drivers, why EVERITHING COMES TO WORK SO GOOD BACK????

Some months ago I knew that those drivers where so bad so I tryed to download the original driver package from AMD site, hoping that they was including the intel video drivers both, and guess...IT WORKED!

Those drivers was including the intel video drivers too during installation, then after a restart I had NO GRAPHICS ERROR, NO HP UTILITY CENTER FREEZE, ANY GAME OR 3D APPLICATION WORKED AT LEAST 2x FASTER AND NOT ANY COMPATIBILITY PROBLEM IN ANY STATE OR SITUATION.

Unfortunately my laptop started to have maybe some motherboard power problems and my HDD passed away then HP took my pc and fixed it.

When it came back it was perfect again, virgin, with all the update installed, with those bad HP drivers installed again, so with all those problems that I found since I bought it: graphics error, compatibility problems, some programs freeze, all WHITOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING!!!

I knew that I would solve it just downloading the right drivers directly from AMD site but UNLUCKILY THE NEW CATALYST 14.4 DIDN'T INCLUDE THE INTEL VIDEO DRIVER ANY MORE.

I had all those compatibility, stability and graphics problems always with a just-formatted computer with all the updates installed, a virgin untouched machine just formatted completely automatically using HP recovery manager or fixed by your engeneers!!!

The only case everithing worked very good was when I used the original AMD's drivers, when these used to inclued the intel graphics drivers too during AUTO-INSTALLATION.

I am replying now using a just-formatted machine automatically and perfectly just using HPRECOVERY MANAGER,and updated using WINDOWS UPDATE and HP SUPPORT CENTER self updater.

So guess what???? When I uninstall in A CORRECT WAY your HP video drivers (doesn't matter if the new one or the oldest) everything works good back, and when I used original AMD drivers everything worked so good.

It's so hard to do something wrong about it, the driver installation utility are IDIOT-PROOF, you cannot do anything during installation except for clicking the RESTART button.

So AMD used to make perfect drivers and now not any more, sadly, every issue disappears without your driver installed, HP sent me a perfect virgin computer with the same issues.

So please, don't tell me that AMD is able to make better software, don't tell me HP is not able to handle a recovery and sent me a pc with the same issues, don't tell me I probably made a bad use of my VIRGIN laptop after years spent on SGI workstations UNIX based.

I know how to keep a pc clean, and I'm telling you something more: the new synaptics mousepad driver package you are giving from HP website and HP support center DOESN'T WORK GOOD TOO!!!

Once you accept the auto update it starts with the self installation, but after the restart gess what?? The double toe gesture used to simulate the right click doesn't work any more!!!

No matter if you try to change any option in the control panel, no matter if you have windows 8 or 8.1, just try to unistall that and reinstall the old synaptics mouse driver and, OH WOW MAGIC, IT WORKS GOOD BACK AGAIN!!!

So now what?

Are you thinking that HP engeneers who fixed my laptop wasn't able to re-install windows and drivers?

The IT engineers working for HP are maybe also n00bs that can't handle a pc format and send me a BROKEN OS as you said?

I am magically breaking my os system just clicking one time on clean automatic HP recovery button then click on the automatic update buttons twice????

Perhaps AMD is able to make more stable end recent drivers than HP does???

(considering that aven the last HP graphics drivers update is so bad because the intel side of the package is very old and you can recognize it just making a comparison with the new intel additional control panel!)

I don't need to recover the system for the 4th time in a proper way (plus HP fix would be the 5th!), I know these silly things.

I need to be taken seriously and not be treated like a grandmother who's not able to switch-on a smartphone!

I would challenge anyone to operate on my computer and try to solve it using Teamviewer and HP's drivers!

I think I've been quite hard nut hopefully clear, so please do something more than giving me a manual fro grannies.

Thank you.

[MrSka]

I am having the same issues:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Display-and-Video/Switchable-Graphics-Application-Settings-840...

Seems they released a fix for the Pavilion and ENVY range, but not th 840?

[Jollyno86]

Thank you for joining me in this 'battle'

Unluckily my issues are not only about the switchable graphics but I think that the BIOS and many other drivers should be updated.

I'm in touch with the italian HP assistance and I hope they'll help us to make HP engineers that our win8.1 laptops with AMD 8750m have NEVER worked properly, neither using windows 8 before the update.

[MrSka]

Yeah I seemed to be having a lot of issues, but the latest drivers from the hp support site has resolved many of them for me. I think the switchable graphics issue stems from not having the ability in our BIOS to switch to Fixed Mode.

I dont see anywhere in our BIOS that says anything about switchable graphics, so guess we will just have to wait until HP delivers an updated BIOS that provides us with the ability to manually switch our grapcis, like that have for the Pavilion and ENVY range.