Any Hope for a G62-340US Fix?

[Wallter]

Next month the warranty expires on my G62-340US. The model is commonly known for its repeated freezes, blue screens, and other problems. I'm not aware of any other recent HP laptop subject to more opprobrium and, in my experience, rightly so.

I'm here to ask users whether they think we have a prayer of getting the model fixed enough through HP so that it's actually useful. The G62-340US is now quite broadly-recognized as having problems. I not only wouldn't sell mine to someone else, I wouldn't give it away except to a tinkerer. On the other hand, like many other users, I'm rather unsure HP can fix this one. It hasn't done very well so far.

This isn't my first rodeo. I've been around laptops for, well, decades, and I've had my share of problems, virtually all of which I've fixed without tech support. With the G62, we have tried everything, literally: clean installations, manual installation of drivers, installing old drivers, installing old BIOS releases, updating everything, reducing the number of programs running on startup, limiting the video demand, upgrading the RAM, running every possible HP and Microsoft utility, and even more things I can't recall to name (yes, including avoiding overheating). Were I alone, the frustration would be enough. But it's not just my time lost in trying to make this model work. Frustration abounds not just on this forum. but on countless others, including Microsoft's. Would that I had used it enough to recognize its problems and return it timely to Staples, which at least had the good judgment to quit selling it. HP, however, still peddles it to students and others looking for a solid, reasonably priced laptops.

HP support apparently is in disarray, giving customers varying and seemingly contradictory advice. And you don't have to read the forums to figure this out. You need not even call HP. Some time back HP posted firmware F.29, apparently to fix freezes under certain circumstances, but instead made things worse and now only F.27 is supported. (The G62-340US has an AMD processor. Similarly numbered models have Intel processors, but evidently similar problems, and have a different current BIOS.) One third-party support site still refers users to F.28, which the site correctly notes is, as of Oct. 27, 2011, still made available on HP's FTP site. At least tell customers clearly which firmware to use and whether they are better off rolling back their BIOS upgrades.

Is the BIOS fix as yet to be released? Is there any fix? Are significant numbers of the computers inherently defective, at least as combined and assembled together by HP, at the system board or processor level? Whatever the problems, give us a break, HP, and take the machines back for recycling while giving users a voucher or discount or something other than a run around in tech support. Instead, I suppose my G62 will find its way to a basement or a garage. But I don't like the waste in that option, and I'm sure many others are not particularly fond of it, either. 

For those interested in just some of the abounding complaints, please see these links. G62-340US owners, read them and weep, I suppose. Better yet, come back here and tell your stories.

New HP G62 freezing!!! - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/New-HP-G62-freezing/m-p/476401

g62-340us crashing repeatedly - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/g62-340us-crashing-repeatedly/td-p/46354...

Brand New G62-B12SA Keeps freezing!!!!! - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/Brand-New-G62-B12SA-Keeps-freezing/td-p/...

G62 not responding - Page 3 - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/G62-not-responding/td-p/408825/page/3

Windows 7 freezes randomly - Microsoft Answers

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/windows-7-freezes-randomly/e1...

Re: HP G62-340US Notebook BLUE SCREEN - HP Support Forum

http://208.74.204.203/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/Re-HP-G62-340US-Notebook-BLUE-SCREEN/td-p/51...

i have g62-340us,the cursor/touchpad keep freezing? - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/i-have-g62-340us-the-cursor-touchpad-kee...

Tag: " g62-340us" in "Notebook Lockups, Freezes, & Hangs" - HP Support Forum

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/tag/%20g62-340us/tg-p/tag-id/19037/board-id/Laptop-Freeze

Eratic Crashes - Windows 7 Forums

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/138674-eratic-crashes.html

Hp G62-340US notebook keeps freezing please help!!!? - Yahoo! Answers

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110719162637AAuX3oM

PC Review HP G62-340US

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/bccodes-t4030859.html

Computer rebooted while on, then froze. Power button no longer working. - Tech Support Forum

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f108/computer-rebooted-while-on-then-froze-power-button-no-lo...

Updated: HP Compaq Presario, G-series, Mini BIOS Releases

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/G62-not-responding/td-p/408825/page/3

HP Notebook System BIOS Update (AMD Processors) HP G62-340US Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-93590-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&...

BIOS F.28 REV: A for AMD G62 Models

HP once posted F.29 but says F.27 is the “latest.”

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp52001-52500/sp52257.html

BIOS F.47 REV A for Intel G62 Models

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp52001-52500/sp52190.html

[gtseng]

fellow victim here! There should be a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT !!!!

[GavinPalmer1984]

This makes me want to avoid HP for the rest of my life.  I just tried a BIOS update for this perpetual freezing problem.  I froze in the update.  Now I turn on the laptop and the HP logo pops up and nothing else happens.

Absolutely ridiculous.  BTW - my 1year warranty ended 5 days ago.

[GavinPalmer1984]

I burned the ultimate boot cd.  http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/Ultimate-Boot-CD.shtml

My g62 355dx has a samsung harddrive.  The samsung hard drive (HDD) tool did not help.  But there was a tool on the CD that allowed me to address bad sectors on my hard drive.

I selected HDD -> Diagnosis -> HDAT2 V 4.5.3

"no drivers" -> hdat2  (main program)

select your harddrive

drive level test menu -> check and repair bad sectors

======================================

Try this out and let us know if it works for you... I definitely had bad sectors on the samsung hard drive sold with my HP laptop.

[SedonaF]

---

GavinPalmer1984 wrote:

I burned the ultimate boot cd.  http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/Ultimate-Boot-CD.shtml

My g62 355dx has a samsung harddrive.  The samsung hard drive (HDD) tool did not help.  But there was a tool on the CD that allowed me to address bad sectors on my hard drive.

I selected HDD -> Diagnosis -> HDAT2 V 4.5.3

"no drivers" -> hdat2  (main program)

select your harddrive

drive level test menu -> check and repair bad sectors

======================================

Try this out and let us know if it works for you... I definitely had bad sectors on the samsung hard drive sold with my HP laptop.

---

Please be aware that the above post is linking to a third party site and procedure, and is not authorized by HP.  Also please note that any damage to your PC by using this procedure is not the responsibility of HP.

[dreamoutloud]

I've been trying to work on my son's G62 notebook but only have a couple of minutes after I log on to do anything.

I'm not even able to troubleshoot unless I'm in safemode but I can't do diagnostics in safemode.

Ugh, I'm not that technically inclined and hope he is still under warranty.  From everything I've read I wouldn't be able to do some of the things suggested even if it didn't freeze up after 2 or 3 minutes.

He's going to have to call tech support, I'm afraid.

[girishrane]

I think HP laptop sucks major time. If they dont fix existing bugs they are going to face extinction. I have two of them. First one is DV5 1000 and it has major flicker problem even after replacing lcd screen.

And this one has freezing problem....... I think mobo itself is faulty for all the laptops.

I am going to avoid  HP products in future and will advice so to my 100's of my friends and followers. HP better act on these to fix them.

[madker123]

Hi All -

Start sending email's to the CEO.  There is a link in customer support to send emails.  I will send more than one - give him - 2 weeks to respond and then send another.

I just said - my model number is g62-340us, when are you going to fix the BIOS problems and hard drive.

So again if I don't hear back again in 2 weeks i will send it again.

regards-

madker123

[benrubs27]

Save your files and do a clean reinstall your Windows7 from your recovery disk. Register and download the HP support programs but disable the automatic Windows 7 updates. This is not recommended by MS but in my experience, everything works fine for a day or two after reinstalling but always comes back. The first 2 update (automatic update/download update but ask before installing) always results in freezing and hanging problems after a while. Even the third option (inform me before downloading and installing)  results in the same problem because the update program updates itself automatically without informing you first.

If you feel you need to install the updates, create a restore point first and choose the 3rd windows 7 update option wchich is to inform you first  before downloading/installing. 

Install the update 1 or 2 at a time and observe  for a day or two if thehanging problem comes back. If it does, you can always revert to the restore point that you created. Just remember to disable the automatic uptate option again after dowloading your chosen updates.

In my case, the Service Pack1 update always results hanging problem after updating. It also causes some difficulty  even when you create a restore point  because you can not completely revert  to the restore point you created.

Its been over two months since I have tried this and it is the longest trouble free time that I have had since using my G62.

[Wallter]

Re: Any Hope for a G62-340US Fix?

12-27-2011 08:30 PM

Save your files and do a clean reinstall your Windows7 from your recovery disk. Register and download the HP support programs but disable the automatic Windows 7 updates. This is not recommended by MS but in my experience, everything works fine for a day or two after reinstalling but always comes back. The first 2 update (automatic update/download update but ask before installing) always results in freezing and hanging problems after a while. Even the third option (inform me before downloading and installing)  results in the same problem because the update program updates itself automatically without informing you first.

If you feel you need to install the updates, create a restore point first and choose the 3rd windows 7 update option wchich is to inform you first  before downloading/installing. 

Install the update 1 or 2 at a time and observe  for a day or two if thehanging problem comes back. If it does, you can always revert to the restore point that you created. Just remember to disable the automatic uptate option again after dowloading your chosen updates.

In my case, the Service Pack1 update always results hanging problem after updating. It also causes some difficulty  even when you create a restore point  because you can not completely revert  to the restore point you created.

Its been over two months since I have tried this and it is the longest trouble free time that I have had since using my G62.

I hope your solution works for some others users, though it wouldn't for me. As you will see in the links in the original post, others have found a variety of "solutions" that worked temporarily. I hope yours works for you permanently, or at least indefinitely. Good luck!