HP ZBook 15 G2 not detecting monitors

[milleniumaire]

Hi, my company have just supplied me with some new kit, but I can't get it to work:

HP Zbook 15 G2 with Windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit

HP Docking Station A7E32AA

I have two HP monitors: HP Z27i &  HP ZR24w

My old EliteBook 8440p & docking station (running Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit) would detect either of these monitors and "just worked".

The new Zbook will NOT detect either monitor.  Here's what I've tried:

- Upgraded graphics driver (at latest version for HD Graphics 4600)

- Installed monitor information files (drivers)

- Connected monitors to docking station using Displayport cable and DVI (tried different cables and different types of cables)

- Connected monitors directly to Zbook using Displayport cable

Nothing works!  When I go into the Intel HD Graphics Control Panel, there are NO options to select a different display on any screen.  It simply shows "Single Display".

This is driving me mad, so any advise would be gratefully appreciated before I give up and send the Zbook back and get a different make of laptop!

[milleniumaire]

I've now tried all three types of connections:

- DisplayPort

- DVI

- VGA

The VGA connection DOES work, however it only provides a resolution of 1920 x 1200 on the HP Z27i, which is capable of 2560 x 1440, so clearly this is not acceptable.

I've re-installed the graphics driver but this makes no difference.

So, why isn't the DisplayPort or DVI working from this laptop or docking station?  Is this a known issue?  Both monitors and cables have been tested on my desktop and they work perfectly, so this is an issue being caused by the HP ZBook!

I could really do with a pointer from someone on this issue!  Is anyone from HP support monitoring this forum?

[milleniumaire]

While rebooting the new ZBook 15 G2 I noticed that it frequently boots to a black screen and simply hangs, but some of the keys appear to be flashing.

Determined that when the Caps lock and Num lock keys flash like this, there is an issue and the table at the end of the following web page explains the meaning of the flashes:

HP Notebook PCs - The computer boots to a black screen

The four flashes I'm seeing indiate there is a graphics issue.  That figures!

This suggests to me that the brand new HP Zbook laptop has a faulty graphics card.

Any comment from HP Support before this thing gets shipped back and I get a laptop that works?

[milleniumaire]

The IT support department have spent a lot of time looking into the issue with this machine and determined that it was missing a graphics driver!

Having looked at the spec. of the laptop again, this makes perfect sense as the Device Manager was only showing one graphics card: 

• Intel HD Graphics 4600

However this is the integrated graphics and the laptop also has an Nvidia graphics card:

• NVIDIA Quadro K1100M (2 GB GDDR5 dedicated)

This card wasn't showing because no driver had been installed to enable it!  Once the Nvidia driver was installed, the laptop was able to be connected to external monitors using digital cables.

Not sure what the boot issue, with 4 flashes represents, but hopefully this won't happen any more!

[soccer_dan]

Just as FYI, the zbook 15 g2 (and g1 for that matter) have switchable graphics technology that uses the Intel embedded graphics in the processor when graphics performance is not required by the OS or applications and automatically uses the nvidia graphics card when an app starts using, say, opengl 3d graphics. It is automatic and designed to help improve battery life when high-performance graphics are not needed. Both Intle and nvidia drivers need to be installed

[Nikolai_K]

Hi!

The issue here is not in th equipment.

Basically what you are saying is that you were using A7E32AA docking station with 8440p  and it was working.

Now you are  this Docking with Zbook 15 G2 and it is not working. And it is how it sohuld be.

Reason: A7E32AA  is 90W docking station and not indeed to be used with Mobile Workstations. Physically your Zbook will fit there but will not work as it doesn not have enough power. Mobile Workstations need more powerfull docking stations.

Please check specifications of Zbook 15 G2 to see which docking stations are compatible with it: http://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c04407527

As you can see in "Options and Accessories" part of the specs it is compatible with

HP 230W Docking Station A7E34AA#xxx

HP 230W Advanced Docking Station A7E38AA#xxx

So there is actually no issue here. You have to use a compatible docking station - then everything will work fine.

Best regards,

Nikolai Kalinin

[vanarebane]

Hello,

I have similar issue.

I'm using ZBook 15 G2 with HSTNN-I11X dock with 200W adapter and try to connect 4K UHD display with DisplayPort. Connecting it dirrectly will work fine. Trough dock, I sometimes get it working with 1080 resolution only and then it has short horistonal lines running accross the screen. I tried the same dock with 8570W and got the same result. Connecting the cable only to the laptop DisplayPort and not using the dock will give results desired.

Can someone confirm that the newer A7E34AA dock will support UHD resolution over DisplayPort?

[skorphult]

I had a similar issue with 2 monitors connected to a Zbook 15 G2 and the solution had nothing to do with power supply. It turned out that the Intel and Nvidia adapters couldn't agree on which to handle which monitor. Went into bios and changed the Graphics setting to enabled (default is Auto). That way it is nVidia all the time with  my high resolution screens. Now it works like a charm (with a 120W power supply, using a 230W didn't make any difference what so ever).
Relevant is that it worked well with WIndows 7 but the upgrade to Windows 10 and latest HP bios and verified drivers raised the issue.

[vanarebane]

Thanks, skorphult.

Can you give specifics, of what dock you are using and what resolution screens?

Enabling on Disabling the video adapters seemed like a good idea but unfortunatelly this did not help.

I have one UHD display (3,840x2,160) connected to  witch I can only get up to 1920x1080 resolution. It seemes that the older version dock is spliting up the DisplayPort capabilities to DVI and VGA and cannot get to full UHD resolution on the DisplayPort itself.

Here the PDF explains that when using dock, the DP has resolution limits: http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA5-2657ENW

[vanarebane]

What dock did you have?

I have changed bios settings but nohing change. I'm using older, 2009 dock model HSTNN-I11X, perhaps this is the fault