Wireless not detected? Please HELP!

[dragonflyerman]

Wow everyne... this is not a universal problem - HP is screwing all of us! That is the fact. Broadcom card works fine on a fresh install and craps out only one after one of HPs "updates". You can try it yourself. If all of us told their friends and their friends told their friends to never buy  HP - only then the problem would get fixed. Otherwise, you all can moan all you want but HP is going to laugh & call you suckers all the way to the bank.

For me, this has been the last thing I ever bought from HP, for as long as I shall live

[GARRAS]

rajman, why the stupid question? If you want an answer, why don't you keep reading the posts instead of filling this up with crap? Maybe someone just answered your question. Idiot.

[BoogWar]

For the record, I like my 2007 laptop. I have a dv9408ca. It looks the part. But its internals leave a lot to be desired. My laptop gave up its wireless six months into warranty. I live in Jamaica, and the computer was bought in Canada (that's what the reseller told me). I am a journalist, and this laptop WORKS, and I have conversations on it with confidential info. So there was NO WAY I was letting it travel halfway around the world to fix it when I have capable dealers locally. 

I did some research , and found that the GPU was overheating, and caused the surface mount controller IC's to lose their grip on the solder that attaches the chip to the mobo. The case is not vented properly, so if you like to put your laptop on the bed and use it, you will eventually screw up your laptop. The following diatribe is applicable to AMD equipped laptops dv series laptops only. I'm not sure the procedure will work on Intel based laptops, as I don't have one.

Ironically, the solution is to to get the chips to overheat again. Put the thing on the bed - on a towel (if u have a close fitting laptop bag, stick the keyboard side of the computer into the bag, leaving the screen outside, so u can plug it in and stuff). Make sure all the vents are covered - and turn it on. Even if your GPU has failed, and you have no screen, once the laptop is cycling on and off, leave it on that towel (or in that bag). If you have the startup shut down syndrome, what will happen is eventually the laptop will stay on (but still have the no screen condition). When this happens - after about half an hour or so - you've got it made. Just turn it off and turn it on - it will boot this time. If it doesn't, try again. It will eventually come up.

For the wireless problem, do the same thing, but wait until the machine blue screens or just completely shuts down. The mobo has a built in safety feature that shuts the device down before any damage is done to it.  After this happens, turn it off and allow the machine to drop temp (put a fan on it, if possible) until it is dead cool to the touch. Once I did this, my GPU gave me no problems and my wireless comes up without theatrics. I bought a XB3000 laptop stand for my laptop - it has the same colour scheme and is just as handsome as my now three year old machine - so I wouldn't have to put my laptop on the bed. No problems since, and it's been months. I've fixed other friends laptops this way more times than I can count, now. There are said to be taller rubber feet for for the 15.4 and 17 inch dv's, which raise the machine a bit higher off the surface so you don't get reflected / radiant heat issues that can restart this problem, but I haven't been able to locate them on the web.

Now if I could only get my freakin' Express Card remote to work I'd be golden!

[r_m_mccord]

Just an FYI - my Pavilion dv9230us is not on the list, but I wanted to get the new BIOS update.  However, once I enter my product, that BIOS is not offered, even though I do indeed have 9000 series laptop.  Go figure.  But my problem, detailed in another post, is that the blue wireless LED is on, HP Wireless Assistant and Windows Device Manager both see the device and tell me it's working, but Windows doesn't list it in response to an "ipconfig /all" command and I can no longer associate with my Belkin router.  Makes me want to grind my tooth (I haven't many left anymore ...).

[kahuna6009]

My dv9000 won't recognized HP wireless assistant, shows no wireless connections, and only shows an orange light. I have updated the BIOS, made sure the switch is on, run my antivirus and spybot.

I finally found a page on the HP website showing that my product number along with several others has this known problem.  I called HP and they told me I had to complain about this problem prior to Jan. 2009 for it to be covered or it would cost me $259 to replace the defective motherboard. That's more than 1/2 of what I paid for the computer.

If this is a known problem HP shouldn't fix it no matter when it happens? At least they should have contacted me and all others before Jan. 2009 to tell me about this known problem. 

I have an office with 10 HP computers and this is the type of service HP provides?  I guess I'll have to take my business elsewhere.

Does anyone have a way around this problem?

[jesseridoo]

Brilliant solution BoogWar!  The overheating solution WORKED!  I needed to fix a client's Presario V6000, same issue as everyone else - no wireless adapter found, amber light always staying lit - and HP would not cover it under warranty as it's been 3 years since her purchase.  So I sandwiched the computer between two pillows and left it on for a couple hours.  The computer got very hot but did not shut down or exhibit any strange behavior.  After two hours the blue light was on!  and after a few more hours of cooling and using the computer it still works!  Let's hope the fix stays and that the heat reconnected the joint between the AMD chip and the motherboard (or whatever happened in there). 

Thanks! Sweet Success!

[vanilla_thunder]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! Worked for me too, thank you so much BoogWar!  I guess my problem was delayed from happening for so long because I've been pretty good about using my cooling pad until just recently.  You better believe I'm hooking it back up right now!!! Thanks again.