17" HP Envy Coming apart at the left near screen hinge

[Omar-E]

@AS_CO2VA

  I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP. They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number. Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact. Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post personal information (serial numbers and case details). If you are unfamiliar with how the Forum's private message capability works, you can learn about that here.
Thank you for visiting the HP Support Forum.

[scflmark]

Yes.. this is just the sort of thing others have said. Replacing the frame that the hinge screws into only lasts a little while because the problem is still there. 

The biggest problem (other than cheap design and materials provided by HP along with inserts which are simply pressed in without any glue) is that the hinges are too tight. Simply replacing the frame will ensure that the problem shows up again. 

You absolutely MUST:

• Remove the front touch screen/bezel (you will have to peel up the left and right strips on the lower side to get to a couple of small screws)
• Remove the two screws on either side which hold the cover going over the hinges
• Loosen the nut (at least on the left, but loosen both until the screen moves without too much effort)

If you don't do this, the screen which is too tight is still too tight and will break the frame since it is a piece of junk.

HP simply does not care about customer satisfaction. They absolutely must know how to fix this and won't do anything about it. 

I worked for NCR Corporation as a field support representative for 30 years, and when this kind of design flaw came up, they issued a Field Retrofit Order to fix it. Even Jeep (my current vehicle) has service retrofits which they sell at bare minimum and/or pay for repair.

The kind of lack of concern HP shows with this problem should prevent anyone from seriously considering buying any laptop from them. This is a long-term problem with poor HP laptop design, materials, and support. 

Different subject, but take Nancy Reagan's advice... Just Say No (certainly to buying HP products)

[Kells1981]

Hello I know you posted on this a year ago, but I am now experiencing the same problem. I definitely regret making this purchase as the computer is only 2 years old.  Anyway I was wondering did HP repair it for $99 or did you send it to another repair shop.  And if so what was the name of the repair shop you used.  Thank you for your time.

[Omar-E]

@Kells1981

  I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP. They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number. Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact. Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post personal information (serial numbers and case details). If you are unfamiliar with how the Forum's private message capability works, you can learn about that here.
Thank you for visiting the HP Support Forum.

[DH754]

@Omar-E
I've also been having this problem after only a couple years, this whole situation is quite unfortunate. Can I get some of this fruitless "attention of the appropriate team" as well?

[HitATree]

HP must stand for Hinge Problem.

I have the same issue, HP don't seem willing to help us with their design flaw.

#HpHingeGate

[scflmark]

In reply to your question... the best offer from HP was to "discount" their usual $199 price for repair to $145 as I recall. Since I see multiple posts to say that after being "repaired" numerous people have it happen again in a year or less. The design and materials are inadequate and HP simply does not care enough about customer satisfaction to really address the issue. For this reason, and general dissatisfaction with HP lack of support, I fixed it myself with a little help in the end.

There are a few (not many) videos online to show how to disassemble the laptop, but the problem I had was that when you remove the lower cover and unscrew any remaining hing screws, you will quickly see that the hinge is way too tight. You actually have to move it with needle nose pliers or something like that. You will probably see that the other side is not nearly as tight. A few hours of research later, you will probably give up on figuring how to loosen them. A couple of videos show that there is a nut below the hinge cover, but never clear direction to remove the cover without breaking it.

That is where your local Iphone fix it shop comes in. Drop by and see if someone can help you if you need to work with small screws and connectors you aren't used to. Also... older folks like me don't see as well as these techs who disassemble small things every day. The guy at my local store started prying on things based on his experience. I had already disassembled the base and opened the screen cover as far as I could, so of course, this gave him a head start, but that didn't take me long, so he could have probably torn down to this level within 10 minutes.

The tech found a couple of glued on strips on the lower right and left sides of the LCD. Removing these strips exposed the screws which held the cover in place. After removing the cover, there were a couple of screws exposed which held the hinge cover. Removing the hinge cover allowed access to the nuts which control how tight the hinge is.  Loosening the hinge allowed the screen to move more easily... thereby reducing the stress on the cheap frame with pressed in thread inserts.

Anyway... talk to your local cell phone repair folks. They can take this laptop apart (be sure they have some epoxy to glue in the insert(s) which came out). Just be absolutely sure to have them remove the touch screen and hinge cover in order to loosen the hinges. You can't make a crappy desgn good with glue, so you have to do what HP failed to do... address the design flaw and fix it yourself. 

Seems really silly that a consumer has to identify a major manufacturer design flaw and fix it for them, but I guess that is what happens when a company like HP sends all their support (and reputation) out the window to some foreign country.

Should be able to get a couple more years out of the laptop... which is when you will buy Dell instead like our next laptop will be.

[GuitarMan6]

Mine looks almost exactly like yours, except a little worse. Now the left portion of the chasis/hinge barely stay in at all. This is ridiculous. If HP don't take action on providing a resolution, you bet I'll be boycotting HP altogether and telling everyone I know to do the same.

[Duane_D]

I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP. They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number. Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact. Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post personal information (serial numbers and case details).
Thank you for visiting the HP Support Forum.

[DH754]

Same exact issue, need help.