HP pavilion DV6 1030us shutdown and reboot spontaneously

[mrbasicshark]

dunno if it matters, but I did notice a new BIOS version 34 on the HP website for this system

[kwiebe]

I finally talked HP into accepting the unit for warranty repair.  Obviously, this is a hardware issue.

[fight_with_Dv6]

today I installed HP assistant, there is a warranty button on the bottom. I clicked it, and unexpectedly, I found the warranty for my laptop started on 12 Mar 2009, and will expire on 15 Apr 2010. However, I bought my laptop in June 2009. How this happened?

Now I suspect this laptop was sold once before I bought, the former owner found problem and returned it the the shop, the shop sold it again.

It seems I need to complain about this and try to get a replacement. maybe it is not easy, especially I bought it in USA, now I am in Germany.

BTW, the dealer is officedepot. So, if you will buy something from officedepot, you should be careful.

[Skrapshak]

I have the same problem.  There is a new BIOS update that was released 11-13-09.  I'm going to see if updating to that will help.

[kwiebe]

Disappointing update from me:

I sent mine to HP for service.  I got it back, they did something with the thermal pad, upgraded the BIOS, and reimaged the hard drive.  I started it up and within ten minutes it was back to spontaneous rebooting.  Plus now I am back with Vista.  Really doesn't matter what OS is loaded, as I still have an $800 useless laptop.

I called HP service and asked to have the case escalated.  It got escalated, but the rep I spoke with was not helpful.  He wanted me to send it back for another service.  But he couldn't tell me what they planned to do about the problem, that they hadn't already done.

I could not get HP to replace the unit, and not really sure it would have done any good - sounds like it's a design defect in this model.

Bottom line, I told the rep I was going to file a consumer protection complaint with my state's attorney general (done), and go out and buy a non-HP laptop.  What a waste, both for me and HP.  I wasted $800, but HP wasted lots more:  I currently own many HP products (including two other laptops and a Touchsmart).  But I will not buy any more Hewlett Packard products now, and I will tell everyone I know to stay away from them as well.  I work in IT too, and have a lot of contacts.

Sorry HP!

[fight_with_Dv6]

I also sent my laptop for repair in Germany, since I really can not figure out the problem by myself.

Today I got the laptop back. they replaced my hard drive, installed  the factory-configured OS (but they changed my 64 bit vista into 32 bit), and claimed found no defect in current configuration. 

All of my files are lost now. I really hope they can copy my personal files back into the new drive, I hope I have backuped more before I sent it. 

actually I never found problem with my previous hard drive, no reading/writing error happened, no strange sound. that is the reason I din not back up my files thoroughly.

but anyway, I will start to test it from now. 

[kwiebe]

With mine, a pattern may be emerging with the reboots/BSOD.  It may be linked to using Wi-Fi.  For example, if I start the laptop and just do stuff like play music with Windows Media Player, using files from the hard drive, the laptop stays up and does not reboot.  However, if I use Internet Explorer to browse the web using the wireless connection, the laptop restarts within about 10-20 minutes, and keeps rebooting every several minutes as long as the wireless connection is being used.

This led me to try updating the wireless driver, which I did.  However this did not cure the problem.

The most common BSOD error is:

irql_not_less_or_equal

[fight_with_Dv6]

so far my laptop also emerged reboot after BSOD, I analyzed the crash using the software ´whocrashed´, one event was pointed to the driver of the Broadcom wireless Lan, then i updated the driver.

one event was pointed to NTFS file driver, i suspected whether it is related the Virtual CD drive because it happened just after I unmounted the iso image.

the reboot without Bluescreen also happened once, when I was listening the online music, but i have turned off the wireless device, just use wired Lan.

I did not write down the error detais when the system reminded to check for solution, and I can not find it from the reliability history.

If it happens again,  I will try to  catch the information. 

[fight_with_Dv6]

I have used my laptop for several days.

The problem still exists!

without any indication, any BSOD, just sudden shutdown and reboot!

It must be a motherboard problem, I will call them again.

[DoctorJones]

There is a known issue with certain NVIDIA Graphics cards installed in many HP and other manufacturers' laptops from 2007.  A class-action lawsuit is underway.  I have an HP Pavilion 9410us that had this faulty card and just had it repaired by HP for free - but at some effort.

Basically the substrate that this graphics card was built on overheats and not only cooks itself, but other components, namely the Broadom wireless network card which sits right next to it on the motherboard.  Eventually, ALL of these cards WILL fail - they are all bad.  

You need to look on www.hp.com and search for your model to see if it is one of the models that contained this faulty chip.  HP acknowledges this flaw exists and created a 24-month Extended Warranty to replace it, but I was told this ended for my computer on Oct. 31, 2009, or 2 weeks before my graphics card died, but 3 weeks AFTER the wireless had died.  

Call HP's customer service and you will likely be told that your computer is out of warranty and it will cost $269 to repair it.  DO NOT accept this!  Insist that your case be 'escalated' to a case manager and one will be assigned and will call you within 48 hours.  Because I had contacted HP's chat support about the dead wireless before the end of this so-called extended warranty, I had proof and justification for the free repair, but the case manager STILL had to contact corporate HQ to get approval for the free repair.  

HP should have contacted all owners and notified them of this flaw, but they did not, therefore, one reason for the class-action lawsuit.  Do not give up though, push and push if you have to and they should perform the repair.  Keep in mind that when they do this they will replace your entire motherboard AND they will end up doing a system restore on your hard drive to allow Windows to keep working on the new system.  I did not realize this and LUCKILY had a backup of all my data.  MAKE SURE you do a full backup to an external drive or online backup service BEFORE you ship you computer back to HP for repair!!

Also, they replaced my battery as well - which had suffered damage due to the overheating system, which I did not expect, but was grateful that they gave me a new one, since they are about $150 a pop.