External Dual Monitors and Laptop screen issue EliteBook 840/850 G3 and 2013 UltraSlim Dock

[thumathd]

There is a Docking Station Firmware update that targets the DisplayPort outputs.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp79001-79500/sp79015.html

we tried multiple docking station firmware versions before this one seems to have finally worked.

[Narbasaur]

Thanks for the reply. 

I found this FW update in other threads, and have tried to install plenty of times. 

I just get the error -

"Can not find Synaptics MST DP hub IC"

I have the cables (DP to HDMI ; VGA) connected. 
I should mention here, as well, the laptop won't detect both monitors. It only detects the DP-HDMI connected monitor. In order to get both to display, I have to (from docking station) unplug both cables, plug in VGA, wawit for image, and then plug in DP. If I ask Intel GFX UI to "Detect" monitors after this process, I loose the VGA connection. 


Here is another thread showing users with similar issues (no resolution):
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Unable-to-install-HP-2013-Slim...

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[Narbasaur]

Switched to DP to VGA and seems to work.

Let me reiterate that the issue is not with the cable manufacturer - my colleague is using exactly the same setup, with laptops bought at the same time, set up by the same person, with all the same settings/software/fw. I experience the same issue with his hardware (docking station, monitors, cables), and does NOT experience the issue with his hardware or my hardware. 

I hope people find a resolution to their problem. 

[thumathd]

"you found this FW update in other threads" ?

the URL you posted was for from 2014,. the 2.33 docking staion firmware update only came out THIS YEAR, specifically March 2017.

there has been probably about 10 firmware updates for this docking station trying to fix this issue,    also remember that when it has been done, the laptop needs shutting down, undock, UNPLUG DOCKING STATION POWER CORD,  then plug all back in.

[Narbasaur]

Yes. I found this firmware update listed in other threads.

For instance: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1978806-hp-850-flickering-screen


Not the thread  mentioned (which was from 2014), referenced simply as another thread (one of many) where the issue seems not to have been resolved, which draws attention to how long these issues have been going on. I am glad the issue has been resolved for many people, apparently. 

The issue is that I cannot install the firmware update, also paired with that I cannot find a firmware update for my docking station, which I cannot seem to identify with HP's product number and serial number. 

As I am having only minor issues with detection now with a VGA cabe (not HDMI), I can't pursue this any further.


Good luck! And Thanks!

Please see the link you posted: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp79001-79500/sp79015.html
The effective date would suggest it was released in January. 

[skriddles]

Any news?????

Sorry if I overlooked an entry, but has anyone tried connecting the monitors directly to the laptop to see if the problem persists? Also, if you got a new mainboard with the additional capacitors to prevent "bridging" of the processor with cellular signals, did that permanently solve it?

"Intermittent blinking" is the best way to describe the behavior of the dual monitors, though it is a very slow blink, like my cat does when sleepy. And the monitors don't always "blink in sync".

System details:

Windows 7
Elitebook 840 G3, purchased 2016

HP EliteBook Laptop Docking Station (D9Y32UT#ABA) as seen at http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-2013-ultraslim-docking-station

Dual HP monitors connected via DisplayPort cables to the dock

[skriddles]

Corncob75, thanks for posting the information. Does it seem that the new main boards were a lasting solution?

[GregSmid]

Here we are in 2019, a year and a half from the last post, and I'm still having this exact problem. Has anyone found a permanent fix?

HP EliteBook 850 G4

Windows 10 v1809

DisplayPort to DisplayPort (two daisy-changed external monitors - they both blink but not at the same time)

No WWAN but this is an office so there are cell phones everywhere

It seems to come and go for me, especially after a reboot. If things were mostly ok, I might reboot and the blink frequency goes way up. Another reboot and it might go way down. Or stay the same. There really seems to be no rhyme or reason.

Greg

[Corncob75]

Sorry all, for some reason when I went to update my status on this (reply to Skriddles) back in Oct 2017 it said the thread was locked?  Thought HP must have locked it down from new comments.

@GregSmid - The mainboard change that HP did for us with the extra capacitors fixed the bridging issue with our mobile phones and internal SIMS.  We haven't seen the issue since this, nor have we seen it on any newer model (we're on the 840 G5, and 840 G5 HealthCare models now).  We have not had to do any extra software or firmware changes to the Dock itself.

As per my comments here:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Video-Display-and-Touch/External-Dual-Monitors-and-Laptop-scr...