pavilion 17-f145nl hangs on broadcom wireless malfuncion - windows 10

[silenzi71]

Here I am again, unfortunately.

After Windows 10 Anniversary Update, last september, I started to experience notebook freezes again, after 4 months of straightforward functioning. First once a month, then with an higher frequency from the beginning of january.

I've noticed that:
- the Synaptics SM Bus and the broadcom wireless card share the same IRQ (18), even if windows system check reports no conflict on IRQs. Since there is no way to change the IRQ assigned to each of them, I've tried to change Synaptics driver, with no change at all. So I switched back to the updated ones

- the wireless connection is unstable, and often there is a wireless disconnection before a freeze, and the wifi tray icon shows a red cross

- I have three access point in my home (the Netgear router and two TP-link homeplug); I've noticed that hang happens when connected on each of them

- When the last hang happened (few minutes ago), I've realized that the event often happens when I move the notebook

I've disabled the bluetooth and ethernet device to see if there may be a conflict between them and the wifi-card, but the problem still remains. I've also downgraded broadcom wifi drivers to the windows 8.1 ones (6.223.215.21), and reinstalled HP driveguard driver (the version installed was the same, anyway).

Next trials will be:

- to disable the Synaptics touchpad, and use an external mouse, to see if the IRQ overlap may be the issue to solve,

- to uninstall the HP driveguard driver

- to go for a windows 10 installation refresh, via the media creation tool

someone on the net suggests also to go for a change on the storsvc behaviour, with the command  "sc config storsvc type= own"; eventually I will go for this trial too.

Any other suggestion? The situation is getting really annoying, and since there's still the guarantee coverage until july 2017 (by the vendor, not by HP), I shall understand if I can solve the problem on my own before sending the notebook to assistance, hoping that will be worth it...

[silenzi71]

...still experiencing hanging.

Now I've uninstalled HP driveguard application, to see what happens. Next step will be touchpad disable. Then I will go for windows 10 installation refresh if there are no improvements.

Does someone from HP have any clue?

[silenzi71]

The Driveguard driver seems to have no responsibility for the notebook malfunction. I've also tried to intervene on touchpad, with no avail.

Now it's turn for windows 10 refresh (again), after having updated and restored all drivers.

If no improvement happens, then I will try to disable Intel rapid storage power savings....and book for HP support intervention

[silenzi71]

Finally, after all this trials, I've spotted the driver responsible for this annoying malfunction: the Realtek Ethernet card one (Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller)!

In the last two months, I'd already tried to keep that card disabled, apparently with no benefit, so I was not thinking to it as responsible for the issue. Nonetheless, when I refreshed Windows 10 installation, from the USB key prepared with the Media Creation Tool, I decided to connect to the router via Ethernet cable, to avoid any trouble during the (long) operation. When finished, I kept the notebook plugged to the Ethernet line to carry out further operations, and I'd noticed that the Ethernet connection was unstable, and the system was frequently switching between wi-fi and Ethernet, apparently without any reason.

So I searched for an updated Realtek driver on HP site or by the windows 10 update driver function, but there weren't any signalled. So I looked for the card specs on the driver window, achieving the card model (RTL8106EUS.Ndi.NT), and I was able to find an updated driver on Realtek support site (0015-install_Win 10_10013_01172017, released on January 2017). Now the Realtek driver version is 10.013.1223.2016, instead of the 10.1.505.2015 Rev.A published on HP support site.

I suggest HP to update the package available for the Realtek Ethernet card with the new driver, that has completely solved my problem: the notebook has been working without any problem for two weeks, with high internet traffic.

[silenzi71]

Sad to say that I did not resolve the issue at all. After 10 days of proper functioning, the notebook started to hang again, sometimes very frequently, without any indication on the cause for it (the best candidate remains the wifi driver, but I cannot be sure of).

I'm still trying to seek for a driver combination that may stabilize the notebook, but I fear that I have no other option but to send the notebook to HP assistance, considering that no one is replying to these posts or is able to suggest a way out.