Understanding HP Software. (for PCs/Notebooks)

[Martini]

Hi

I have a HP laptop dv6 - 1355dx for a year. I had some problems understanding how the HP software is organized. I had the conception that the HP software is disorganized, but possible is it that I don't understand it, so any tips from experienced HP software user will be helpfull.

Let's focus this question on a user that uses Windows 7 64 bits.

1) How is the HP Software organized?

I think that how the HP Software that goes into notebooks is organized is very difficult to understand. If I reinstall from scratch Windows 7 in a HP machine, I don't know for sure which HP software should I include, and the HP web pages are not very helpful.

Sorry to compare, I used to had a lenovo machines on the past, and every software that the Laptops use are under the same brand "Thinkvantage" and they have the single page where it described the products. And there is even a download page that will point you to the last version of the software.

In case of the HP Support Assistant, it has a web page which is very good. But it lacks of any kind of download link (or at least I can find it) which tell which is the last version.

The HP MediaSmart page it is better because it ties together some products under the same brand (SmartMedia) but again, there is no download links.

The HP Advisor, HP Recovery Manager , USB Recovery, SmartMedia Webcam, seems to be untied (not technical, I mean as brand).


2) Where are the last versions?

I found it very hard to find the last version of HP Software. Even that HP Support Assistant makes a good work finding updates, sometimes it do not work and does not show the last version available on the web.

EX: The Support page for the dv6 - 1355dx says the last version of HP Support Assistant is Version:4.3.1.2, while the last one I was able to find is 4.4.6.3 and works fine under this model.

Is there any other way to search or find the last version of each HP Software for notebooks?

3) Does HP Advisor makes sense?
I found that HP Advisor (3.2 b 9652) software has something that does not make sense, like when launching the movie player it loads Windows Media Center instead the HP MediaSmart. Does HP Advisor software makes sense for Windows 7?

4) The Last version I has able to find are:

• HP Advisor 3.2 Build 9652
• HP MediaSmart DVD Software 3.1
• HP MediaSmart Live TV Software 3.1A
• HP MediaSmart MVP Software 3.0D
• HP MediaSmart SlingPlayer 3.0c
• HP MediaSmart SmartMenu 3.1C
• HP MediaSmart Webcam Software 3.0D
• HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 4.0.3.1A
• HP Recovery Manager for Win 7 5.5.2202 Rev. A
• HP Support Assistant 4.4.6.3
• HP USB Recovery Flash Disk Utility 2.00A
• HP Wireless Assistant ??
• Wallpaper Picture Position Enabler ??

Please let me know if this software is the last version, or if any of those are discontinued, which I'm missing, or which does not make sense to have on Windows 7 (64bits)

Any tip or recommendation will be appreciated. As I told you before, possible it is only I that had this idea that the HP Software seems disorganized as brand and web structure support.

Regards

Martin

[Vidya]

Here are the latest versions I could find...

•HP MediaSmart DVD Software 3.1
Latest VERSION: 4.0.3822
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48296.exe
•HP MediaSmart Live TV Software 3.1A
Latest VERSION: 3.1.3003
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49094.exe
•HP MediaSmart MVP Software 3.0D
Latest VERSION: 3.1
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp47501-48000/sp47676.exe
•HP MediaSmart SmartMenu 3.1C
Latest VERSION: 3.2.1.12
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48552.exe
•HP MediaSmart Webcam Software 3.0D
Latest VERSION: 4.0.2829
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48696.exe
•HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 4.0.3.1A
Latest VERSION: 4.0.5.1
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48408.exe
•HP Support Assistant 4.4.6.3
Latest VERSION: 5.0.14.2
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49174.exe
•HP USB Recovery Flash Disk Utility 2.00A
This is the latest
•HP Wireless Assistant ??
Latest VERSION: 4.0.7.0
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48832.exe

[Martini]

Thanks.

How do you keep track when a new version appear ? which is your technique ?

On the other hand it will be great if you can escalate inside HP to try to organize the software better.

Martin

[HaggisCat]

I don't know about Vidya, but after spending a lot  of time here answering peoples questions and looking things up, you get to know what versions are current.

 HP is a mess, some models software and drivers are updated while others are forgotten. People don't realize that the Media Smart software will work in any HP machine, so of course they are not going to look for it on another models page.

 It's scattered all over the place.

 My own dv8 still has the original NVIDIA graphics driver posted which is woefully out of date. I had to go to NVIDIA itself to get the most current one to solve a problem I was having with Blu-ray play-back.

[Martini]

Oh, and by the way, it is incredible that even the lastest HP Support Assistant 5.0.14.2, still says that there are no software updateds, while I have all HP software out-dated.

[Martini]

Ouch.. keeping track of HP software updates is very painfull.

Here it is what I can found, organized by Update date.

Name	Version	Date	Link
HP Support Assistant	5.0.14.2	2010-07-14	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49174.exe
HP ProtectTools Security Manager	5.0.9.724 A	2010-07-02	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49363.exe
HP MediaSmart Webcam Software	4.0.2829	2010-06-28	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48696.exe
HP MediaSmart Live TV Software	3.1.3003	2010-06-25	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49094.exe
HP QuickWeb Software	1.0.1.68 REV: A	2010-06-21	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49155.exe
HP MediaSmart Applications for HP Touch-Enabled Monitors	4.0.5 Rev. A	2010-06-11	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49131.exe
HP QuickSync Powered by Syncables	6.2.684.10454 REV: A	2010-06-08	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49059.exe
HP Media Suite	3.2.2.70 REV: A	2010-06-08	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp49001-49500/sp49050.exe
HP MediaSmart SmartMenu	3.2.1.12 A	2010-06-05	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48552.exe
HP MediaSmart Movies and TV	1.0.0.10 A	2010-06-05	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48552.exe
Lightscribe System Software	1.18.13.1 A	2010-05-28	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48792.exe
HP MediaSmart Video Software	4.0.4021	2010-05-28	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48569.exe
HP Software Framework	3.5.22.1	2010-05-20	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48431.exe
HP Wireless Assistant	4.0.7.0	2010-05-19	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48832.exe
HP Quick Launch Button Software	1.00 A	2010-05-17	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48501-49000/sp48757.exe
HP MediaSmart DVD Software	4.0.3822	2010-04-28	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48296.exe
HP MediaSmart Music Software	4.0.1.3903 A	2010-04-23	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48297.exe
HP MediaSmart Photo Software	4.0.1.3911 A	2010-04-23	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48299.exe
HP TouchSmart Photo Software	3.2 A	2010-04-23	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48300.exe
HP TouchSmart Video Software	3.2 A	2010-04-23	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48303.exe
HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection	4.0.5.1 A	2010-04-22	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48408.exe
HP System Diagnostics (UEFI)	3.0.0.0	2010-04-14	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp48001-48500/sp48394.exe
HP MediaSmart MVP Software	3.1	2010-03-20	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp47501-48000/sp47676.exe
HP USB Recovery Flash Disk Utility	2.00A	2009-10-22	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp45501-46000/sp45774.exe
HP MediaSmart SlingPlayer	3.0 C	2009-10-22	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp45501-46000/sp45694.exe
HP Recovery Manager for Win 7	5.5.2124	2009-10-09	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp45501-46000/sp45602.exe
HP Tone Control Utility	2.00A	2009-09-28	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp45501-46000/sp45617.exe
HP MediaSmart Internet TV Software	3.0 C	2009-09-25	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp45001-45500/sp45184.exe
HP Webcam IR Driver	1.6.0.0 A	2009-09-25	ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp44501-45000/sp44937.exe

[HaggisCat]

Wow !! Don't burn your self out over this. I usually go by this rule of thumb. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

On occasion updating to newer versions of software or drivers can cause a lot of problems. Sometime bits of the older versions are left in the registry that can cause conflicts, errors, lockups etc.

 I always trouble shoot when there are troubles, if everything is working great, then I leave it alone. On rare occasions I will experiment with a new driver, but I will always make sure I have the previous one available and that my Windows restore is up and working.

 I have removed HP Update and HP Support Assistant from all my machines for these reasons. I don't like HP dictating to me that I should install new drivers and software. I also have Windows updates set on manual so I know exactly what comes in and then I can choose what to update. That way if something does go wrong it makes it much easier to pin point the specific thing that caused the problem. That's assuming that it was any of the given updates that caused the problem. It makes it easier to sift through all the possibilities when trouble shooting.

 PS.  HP has still not fixed the broken OSD for the Tone Control Utility. I tried it a few weeks ago and it still looks like this :

 http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Operating-systems-and-software/HDX16-buttons-in-windows-7/m-p/154571#M2...

[Martini]

Was there any effort (HP or external) to try to explain or categorize the Software that HP provides for Desktop, Laptops and Netbooks ?

Possible something like this:

[HaggisCat]

NOW THAT'S IMPRESSIVE !!  WOW ! 

 I would be curious to know what you do for a living, for you to go to all that effort.

[Dartan]

I just go to the hp support website and look up things by my model.