Articles/Guides
Info Bin: May 14, 2009 HP Battery Recall / Notice to Travellers / nVIdia GPU Issues / About BATTERY Recall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2009
Release # 09-221
HP Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Fire Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Lithium-Ion batteries used in Hewlett-Packard and Compaq notebook computers
Units: About 70,000
Importer: Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif.
Hazard: The recalled lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm and CPSC are aware of two reports of batteries that overheated and ruptured, resulting in flames/fire that caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are used with various HP and Compaq notebook computers. Models that can contain a recalled battery include:
Sold at: Computer and electronics stores nationwide, hp.com and hpshopping.com from August 2007 through March 2008 for between $500 and $3000. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer and contact HP to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. After removing the recalled battery from their notebook computer, consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives. Consumers should only use batteries obtained from HP or an authorized reseller. <click here>
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Lithium-Ion batteries used in Hewlett-Packard and Compaq notebook computers
Units: About 70,000
Importer: Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif.
Hazard: The recalled lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm and CPSC are aware of two reports of batteries that overheated and ruptured, resulting in flames/fire that caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are used with various HP and Compaq notebook computers. Models that can contain a recalled battery include:
Sold at: Computer and electronics stores nationwide, hp.com and hpshopping.com from August 2007 through March 2008 for between $500 and $3000. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer and contact HP to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. After removing the recalled battery from their notebook computer, consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives. Consumers should only use batteries obtained from HP or an authorized reseller. <click here>
Our take: This is not the first time a brand has recalled batteries.
If you read futher down this page battery recalls have affected all laptop brands since August 2006.
While others see the "recall" as a "negative" impact on the a brand like Dell or HP, we actually view it as a positive development. The incident further reinforces the distinct advantage of Branded Laptops, in the sense that the big companies are willing to sacrifice monetary considerations for the general welfare of the consumers.
To date we have not heard of Taiwan based manufacturers who have issued product recalls despite the industry known fact that majority of computer components are outsourced, meaning they usually come from the same factories as those from the bigger "branded" companies.
All Batteries of laptops sold at CoolTOYZ have been marked with a warranty sticker and with the serial number recorded on the Unit Warranty Acceptance Form. If you have a Battery determined to be part of the recall from a laptop sold by CoolTOYZ; we shall assist in the processing of the replacement at no expense to the consumer. Thank You!
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By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 1, 2008; Page A01
Link for Original Source <click here>
Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.
Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The policies . . . are truly alarming," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), who is probing the government's border search practices. He said he intends to introduce legislation soon that would require reasonable suspicion for border searches, as well as prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin.
DHS officials said the newly disclosed policies -- which apply to anyone entering the country, including U.S. citizens -- are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism. Officials said such procedures have long been in place but were disclosed last month because of public interest in the matter.
Civil liberties and business travel groups have pressed the government to disclose its procedures as an increasing number of international travelers have reported that their laptops, cellphones and other digital devices had been taken -- for months, in at least one case -- and their contents examined.
The policies state that officers may "detain" laptops "for a reasonable period of time" to "review and analyze information." This may take place "absent individualized suspicion."
The policies cover "any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form," including hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover "all papers and other written documentation," including books, pamphlets and "written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter.' "
Reasonable measures must be taken to protect business information and attorney-client privileged material, the policies say, but there is no specific mention of the handling of personal data such as medical and financial records.
When a review is completed and no probable cause exists to keep the information, any copies of the data must be destroyed. Copies sent to non-federal entities must be returned to DHS. But the documents specify that there is no limitation on authorities keeping written notes or reports about the materials.
"They're saying they can rifle through all the information in a traveler's laptop without having a smidgen of evidence that the traveler is breaking the law," said Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Notably, he said, the policies "don't establish any criteria for whose computer can be searched."
Customs Deputy Commissioner Jayson P. Ahern said the efforts "do not infringe on Americans' privacy." In a statement submitted to Feingold for a June hearing on the issue, he noted that the executive branch has long had "plenary authority to conduct routine searches and seizures at the border without probable cause or a warrant" to prevent drugs and other contraband from entering the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff wrote in an opinion piece published last month in USA Today that "the most dangerous contraband is often contained in laptop computers or other electronic devices." Searches have uncovered "violent jihadist materials" as well as images of child pornography, he wrote.
With about 400 million travelers entering the country each year, "as a practical matter, travelers only go to secondary [for a more thorough examination] when there is some level of suspicion," Chertoff wrote. "Yet legislation locking in a particular standard for searches would have a dangerous, chilling effect as officers' often split-second assessments are second-guessed."
In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco upheld the government's power to conduct searches of an international traveler's laptop without suspicion of wrongdoing.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 1, 2008; Page A01
Link for Original Source <click here>
Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.
Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The policies . . . are truly alarming," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), who is probing the government's border search practices. He said he intends to introduce legislation soon that would require reasonable suspicion for border searches, as well as prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin.
DHS officials said the newly disclosed policies -- which apply to anyone entering the country, including U.S. citizens -- are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism. Officials said such procedures have long been in place but were disclosed last month because of public interest in the matter.
Civil liberties and business travel groups have pressed the government to disclose its procedures as an increasing number of international travelers have reported that their laptops, cellphones and other digital devices had been taken -- for months, in at least one case -- and their contents examined.
The policies state that officers may "detain" laptops "for a reasonable period of time" to "review and analyze information." This may take place "absent individualized suspicion."
The policies cover "any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form," including hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover "all papers and other written documentation," including books, pamphlets and "written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter.' "
Reasonable measures must be taken to protect business information and attorney-client privileged material, the policies say, but there is no specific mention of the handling of personal data such as medical and financial records.
When a review is completed and no probable cause exists to keep the information, any copies of the data must be destroyed. Copies sent to non-federal entities must be returned to DHS. But the documents specify that there is no limitation on authorities keeping written notes or reports about the materials.
"They're saying they can rifle through all the information in a traveler's laptop without having a smidgen of evidence that the traveler is breaking the law," said Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Notably, he said, the policies "don't establish any criteria for whose computer can be searched."
Customs Deputy Commissioner Jayson P. Ahern said the efforts "do not infringe on Americans' privacy." In a statement submitted to Feingold for a June hearing on the issue, he noted that the executive branch has long had "plenary authority to conduct routine searches and seizures at the border without probable cause or a warrant" to prevent drugs and other contraband from entering the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff wrote in an opinion piece published last month in USA Today that "the most dangerous contraband is often contained in laptop computers or other electronic devices." Searches have uncovered "violent jihadist materials" as well as images of child pornography, he wrote.
With about 400 million travelers entering the country each year, "as a practical matter, travelers only go to secondary [for a more thorough examination] when there is some level of suspicion," Chertoff wrote. "Yet legislation locking in a particular standard for searches would have a dangerous, chilling effect as officers' often split-second assessments are second-guessed."
In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco upheld the government's power to conduct searches of an international traveler's laptop without suspicion of wrongdoing.
WINDOWS VISTA SERVICE PACK 1 Now Available(March 19, 2008)
For download site: <click here>
VISTA Service Pack 1 is now available to grab from either Windows Update or the Microsoft Update site.
You may visit the Microsoft website for the list of improvements. <click here>
Noticeable among the list is a statement for Microsoft:
"With SP1, Windows Vista will report the amount of system memory installed rather than report the amount of system memory available to the OS. Therefore 32-bit systems equipped with 4GB of RAM will report all 4GB in many places throughout the OS, such as the System Control Panel. However, this behavior is dependent on having a compatible BIOS, so not all users may notice this change."
Notice from Trusted Reviews website: "There are also a few security fixes, two of which close holes that allowed unofficial and non-activated copies of Vista to be used illicitly. We don't condone or encourage piracy here but as there will doubtless be someone reading this using pirated Vista the fixes are as such: An exploit allowing users to convince Vista it was a legit OEM copy by tweaking the BIOS, and the well known Grace Timer exploit that set the usual 30-day trial' use period to a much longer time. So if you're running Vista using either of these and install the update, you'll find yourself locked out of your PC." <click here>
For everyone else, I cannot stress enough how much you need to grab this update. Subjectively it makes Vista a much more pleasant experience and the speed enhancements are definitely noticeable.
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Update: December 18, 2007
HP has released a CRITICAL BIOS update, version F.3D, in December for certain
HP Pavilion dv6000, HP Pavilion dv9000 and Compaq Presario V6000 series notebook PCs.
If you do own one or more of these products, the critical BIOS update can be obtained
and updated on your notebook PC by visiting <click here>
If your notebook PC experiences one or more of the symptoms listed below, contact HP during the Duration of the HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement to determine whether you are eligible for a free repair.
* The notebook does not detect wireless networks and the wireless adapter is not detected in the Device Manager.
NOTE: If the notebook PC starts normally please verify that your system BIOS is version F.3a or greater before contacting support for this issue. For instructions on determining the current version of the BIOS installed and how to obtain the latest version see the "Update the BIOS to version F.3a or later" section of this document.
The notebook has no power and no active LEDs.
The notebook does not start.
The battery charge indicator light does not turn on when the battery is installed and the AC adapter is connected.
The notebook issues a single beep during boot indicating no power.
There is no video on the computer LCD panel or external monitor.
The external monitor functions but there is no image on the notebook LCD panel.
Update the BIOS to Version F.3a or later.
For More Information please visit the HP advisory: <click here>
CoolTOYZ customer please coordinate with us for any required assistance.
Thank You
HP Pavilion dv6000, HP Pavilion dv9000 and Compaq Presario V6000 series notebook PCs.
If you do own one or more of these products, the critical BIOS update can be obtained
and updated on your notebook PC by visiting <click here>
If your notebook PC experiences one or more of the symptoms listed below, contact HP during the Duration of the HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement to determine whether you are eligible for a free repair.
* The notebook does not detect wireless networks and the wireless adapter is not detected in the Device Manager.
NOTE: If the notebook PC starts normally please verify that your system BIOS is version F.3a or greater before contacting support for this issue. For instructions on determining the current version of the BIOS installed and how to obtain the latest version see the "Update the BIOS to version F.3a or later" section of this document.
The notebook has no power and no active LEDs.
The notebook does not start.
The battery charge indicator light does not turn on when the battery is installed and the AC adapter is connected.
The notebook issues a single beep during boot indicating no power.
There is no video on the computer LCD panel or external monitor.
The external monitor functions but there is no image on the notebook LCD panel.
Update the BIOS to Version F.3a or later.
For More Information please visit the HP advisory: <click here>
CoolTOYZ customer please coordinate with us for any required assistance.
Thank You
Footnote:
HP has released a critical Bios update.
Dell, Toshiba, IBM, Apple and most major brands recalled batteries.
None of the generic brands made by so called OEM/ODM manufacturers acknowledge the same issues.
Be thankful you purchase that branded laptop!
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Foreword: According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Dell, certain Dell notebook batteries can overheat and pose a fire risk. The mainstream computer manufacturer has gotten wind of three incidents involving the batteries where damage was reported to a tabletop, a desktop, and "personal effects." No personal injuries have been reported yet, however in the interest of public safety Dell opted for a recall.
We actually spent the whole of Aug. 15, 2006 checking each unit in inventory if any of the batteries are part of the recall.
We found neither Brand New, Refurbished or Used laptops included in the Battery Recall Program.
To avoid being overly alarmed we would like to note the following facts:
1. The recall involves Only 18% of Dell's 22 million notebook computers sold between April 2004 and July 2006. <click here>
2. This incident is not exclusive to Dell.
Other Manufactuers have likewise issued Recall for laptop peripherals in the interest of public safety:
a. Apple/Macintosh Battery Recall: <click here> + <click here>
b. Hp-Compaq Battery Recall: <click here> + <click here> or <click here>
c. IBM Thinkpad Battery catches fire: <click here> + Adaptor Recall <click here>
d. Toshiba Battery Recall: <click here> + RAM Recall: <click here> + <click here> + July 18, 2007 Recall <click here>
e. Sony Vaio Battery Recall: <click here>
f. Fujitsu-Siemens Battery Recall: <click here>
g. Acer Battery Recall(April 25, 2007): <click here><click here>
While others see the "recall" as a "negative" impact on the Dell brand, we actually view it as a positive development. The incident further reinforces the distinct advantage of Branded Laptops, in the sense that the big companies are willing to sacrifice monetary considerations for the general welfare of the consumers.
To date we have not heard of Taiwan based manufacturers who have issued product recalls despite the industry known fact that majority of computer components are outsourced, meaning they usually come from the same factories as those from the bigger "branded" companies. We quote the statement of another laptop user - "...so essentially you are not buying dell laptops but rather you are buying dell support or dell warranty for generic laptops.."
Chairman Michael Dell told reporters in Singapore - "We have confidence that they(Sony) have taken the right countermeasures and the process is now secure. We expect that Sony will continue to be a good supplier of batteries for us". Sony and Dell cooperated in investigating and presenting the matter to the consumer safety commission. Neither party has resorted to litigation. Sony has addressed the safety problem in its lithium-ion battery cells and "Further modifications have been made that provide a greater level of security".<click here>
If it is determined that the Battery from a Dell laptop purchased from CoolTOYZ is covered by the recall program, please do send us an email and we will gladly assist in the replacement of the battery.
All Batteries from Dell laptops sold at CoolTOYZ have been marked with a warranty sticker and with the serial number recorded on the Unit Warranty Acceptance Form. All Batteries determined to be part of the recall and sold by CoolTOYZ shall be replaced at no expense to the consumer.
On the link is the official statement of Dell released on August 14, 2006. <click here>
Thank you!
We actually spent the whole of Aug. 15, 2006 checking each unit in inventory if any of the batteries are part of the recall.
We found neither Brand New, Refurbished or Used laptops included in the Battery Recall Program.
To avoid being overly alarmed we would like to note the following facts:
1. The recall involves Only 18% of Dell's 22 million notebook computers sold between April 2004 and July 2006. <click here>
2. This incident is not exclusive to Dell.
Other Manufactuers have likewise issued Recall for laptop peripherals in the interest of public safety:
a. Apple/Macintosh Battery Recall: <click here> + <click here>
b. Hp-Compaq Battery Recall: <click here> + <click here> or <click here>
c. IBM Thinkpad Battery catches fire: <click here> + Adaptor Recall <click here>
d. Toshiba Battery Recall: <click here> + RAM Recall: <click here> + <click here> + July 18, 2007 Recall <click here>
e. Sony Vaio Battery Recall: <click here>
f. Fujitsu-Siemens Battery Recall: <click here>
g. Acer Battery Recall(April 25, 2007): <click here><click here>
While others see the "recall" as a "negative" impact on the Dell brand, we actually view it as a positive development. The incident further reinforces the distinct advantage of Branded Laptops, in the sense that the big companies are willing to sacrifice monetary considerations for the general welfare of the consumers.
To date we have not heard of Taiwan based manufacturers who have issued product recalls despite the industry known fact that majority of computer components are outsourced, meaning they usually come from the same factories as those from the bigger "branded" companies. We quote the statement of another laptop user - "...so essentially you are not buying dell laptops but rather you are buying dell support or dell warranty for generic laptops.."
Chairman Michael Dell told reporters in Singapore - "We have confidence that they(Sony) have taken the right countermeasures and the process is now secure. We expect that Sony will continue to be a good supplier of batteries for us". Sony and Dell cooperated in investigating and presenting the matter to the consumer safety commission. Neither party has resorted to litigation. Sony has addressed the safety problem in its lithium-ion battery cells and "Further modifications have been made that provide a greater level of security".<click here>
If it is determined that the Battery from a Dell laptop purchased from CoolTOYZ is covered by the recall program, please do send us an email and we will gladly assist in the replacement of the battery.
All Batteries from Dell laptops sold at CoolTOYZ have been marked with a warranty sticker and with the serial number recorded on the Unit Warranty Acceptance Form. All Batteries determined to be part of the recall and sold by CoolTOYZ shall be replaced at no expense to the consumer.
On the link is the official statement of Dell released on August 14, 2006. <click here>
Thank you!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a two (2) step process to identify if your battery is affected:
1. Check if your battery model MAY be affected. If your battery is not listed, you are not affected.
2. Check if your specific battery PPID (Dell Part Piece Identification) is affected. This step is necessary to identify if your battery is affected. Only some batteries within each model are affected. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form. Is your specific battery affected by this issue? (Click Me)
Below is an illustrations:
To determine whether your battery is affected by this issue, you should Click Here. The website will direct you to find and enter an identification number from the back of your battery pack so as to determine whether the battery is affected by this issue. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form. Dell will also provide a means for you to return the affected battery packs for proper disposal.
Please note that only the described battery packs are subject to this recall and not the notebook computers themselves.
Batteries subject to recall should NOT be used while awaiting a replacement battery pack from Dell. You may continue to use your notebook computer using the AC adapter power cord originally provided with your notebook.
Dell apologizes for the inconvenience caused by this issue. Shipment of quality products always has been and continues to be Dell's foremost concern. As always, if you have questions or concerns about this or any other subject, please feel free to contact Dell Support in your region.
Sincerely,
Dell Inc.
Attn: Battery Recall
9701 Metric Blvd. Suite 200
Austin, TX 78758
USA
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C. USB 2.0 Driver Bug: <click here>
Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a flaw in its USB 2.0 drivers for Windows XP Service Pack 2 that can cause a notebook to consume power at a faster-than-expected rate when using a peripheral device.
The issue, first uncovered by Tom's Hardware two weeks ago, appears to affect certain Intel-based notebooks running Windows XP Service Pack 2. When a peripheral device was connected to a USB (universal serial bus) 2.0 port, the notebook's battery life plunged at a greater rate than would normally be expected from the use of a peripheral such as a mouse or storage key. At the time that details of the flaw were published, Intel denied its processors or chipsets were the responsible for the issue. And Microsoft refused to confirm to CNET News.com until yesterday that the software company was responsible for the battery performance problem.
Microsoft published a Knowledge Base article on the subject in July 2005, but made that information available only to PC vendors and partners, a company representative said in a statement. The software maker is not releasing the article to the public, but a copy was posted on Slashdot that industry sources have confirmed was the original article.
In that article, Microsoft outlined a problem with its USB 2.0 drivers that prevents a mobile processor from entering advanced sleep states designed to minimise power consumption. On Tom's Hardware's testing, the effect was even more pronounced on Intel's new Core Duo processors, which are capable of entering a deeper sleep state than older Pentium M chips. Other tests by reviewers such as Anandtech found the problem affected notebooks with a variety of Intel processors. It was not clear whether the issue also affected notebooks with Advanced Micro Devices' Turion or Athlon 64 processors.
In the private Knowledge Base article, Microsoft outlined a fix that involved modifying the registry key for USB 2.0. However, since then the company has realised that this is an impractical fix for most users, and is working on a new fix that could involve a BIOS update patch, a company representative said in a statement. (sic... how about Generic Laptops)
The severity of the problem depends on how USB 2.0 has been implemented in a notebook -- which encompasses a wide variety of factors such as the operating system, processor, chipset, USB 2.0 device, and the software and drivers attached to all those components, an Intel representative said. Intel is also working on a fix for the problem that would not be dependent on a software download, such as a tweak to future processors, the representative said.
Notebook users who experience the problem should contact the manufacturer of the notebook for further assistance. Some notebook manufacters have modified the registry keys as outlined in the Knowledge Base article, but this solution does not always work as intended outside of lab testing, the Microsoft representative said.
The issue, first uncovered by Tom's Hardware two weeks ago, appears to affect certain Intel-based notebooks running Windows XP Service Pack 2. When a peripheral device was connected to a USB (universal serial bus) 2.0 port, the notebook's battery life plunged at a greater rate than would normally be expected from the use of a peripheral such as a mouse or storage key. At the time that details of the flaw were published, Intel denied its processors or chipsets were the responsible for the issue. And Microsoft refused to confirm to CNET News.com until yesterday that the software company was responsible for the battery performance problem.
Microsoft published a Knowledge Base article on the subject in July 2005, but made that information available only to PC vendors and partners, a company representative said in a statement. The software maker is not releasing the article to the public, but a copy was posted on Slashdot that industry sources have confirmed was the original article.
In that article, Microsoft outlined a problem with its USB 2.0 drivers that prevents a mobile processor from entering advanced sleep states designed to minimise power consumption. On Tom's Hardware's testing, the effect was even more pronounced on Intel's new Core Duo processors, which are capable of entering a deeper sleep state than older Pentium M chips. Other tests by reviewers such as Anandtech found the problem affected notebooks with a variety of Intel processors. It was not clear whether the issue also affected notebooks with Advanced Micro Devices' Turion or Athlon 64 processors.
In the private Knowledge Base article, Microsoft outlined a fix that involved modifying the registry key for USB 2.0. However, since then the company has realised that this is an impractical fix for most users, and is working on a new fix that could involve a BIOS update patch, a company representative said in a statement. (sic... how about Generic Laptops)
The severity of the problem depends on how USB 2.0 has been implemented in a notebook -- which encompasses a wide variety of factors such as the operating system, processor, chipset, USB 2.0 device, and the software and drivers attached to all those components, an Intel representative said. Intel is also working on a fix for the problem that would not be dependent on a software download, such as a tweak to future processors, the representative said.
Notebook users who experience the problem should contact the manufacturer of the notebook for further assistance. Some notebook manufacters have modified the registry keys as outlined in the Knowledge Base article, but this solution does not always work as intended outside of lab testing, the Microsoft representative said.
Our take: Feel thankful you bought that branded Laptop with Bios Support.
B. HP Mobile Battery Pack Replacement Program
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, on October 14, 2005, HP announced a worldwide voluntary recall and replacement program for battery packs used in certain HP notebooks.HP customers affected by this program will be eligible to receive a replacement battery pack for each verified, affected, recalled battery pack at no cost.
The computer industry has recently experienced battery pack recalls by other computer manufacturers. However, HP believes that this current battery pack recall is unrelated to any other announced battery recall.
HP and the battery pack cell manufacturer have identified a defect in assembled battery packs manufactured between March 2004 and September 2004. HP considers the defect to pose a potential safety hazard to end users.
The affected battery packs were distributed worldwide in the following notebook PC products:
NOTE: If your notebook is NOT listed below, you are NOT impacted by this program.
The computer industry has recently experienced battery pack recalls by other computer manufacturers. However, HP believes that this current battery pack recall is unrelated to any other announced battery recall.
HP and the battery pack cell manufacturer have identified a defect in assembled battery packs manufactured between March 2004 and September 2004. HP considers the defect to pose a potential safety hazard to end users.
The affected battery packs were distributed worldwide in the following notebook PC products:
NOTE: If your notebook is NOT listed below, you are NOT impacted by this program.
Please visit the link <click here>
Please advise our company if we can be of any assistance. Thank you
For Frequently asked question please visit this link <click here>
A. HP NX6120 BIOS UPGRADE: <click here>
HPQFlash for HP Notebook System BIOS (68DTD) - Windows-Based
version F.0B (15 Sep 05)
Fixes:
Fixes issue where local hard drive is not detected when the External USB hard drive is used to "Ghost" image.
Enhancements
Improves thermal tables to minimize fan activity. Changes the F10 Setup utility "Fan Always On on AC" option to run the fan at 20 percent power instead of 40 percent power. (Recommended setting for this option is "Enable"). This slows down the fan Power-On and Power-Off to reduce fan noise during a rapid temperature increase.
Adds support for Computrace from Absolute Software.
Adds the ability for the administrator to remove the Power-On password.
Notes
PURPOSE:
o Routine
OPERATING SYSTEM(S):
o Microsoft Windows 2000
o Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (32-bit)
o Microsoft Windows XP Professional (32-bit)
NOTE:
o To determine the ROM family and ROM date, press F10 on the target notebook during startup to run the Setup Utility, and then view File/System Information.
version F.0B (15 Sep 05)
Fixes:
Fixes issue where local hard drive is not detected when the External USB hard drive is used to "Ghost" image.
Enhancements
Improves thermal tables to minimize fan activity. Changes the F10 Setup utility "Fan Always On on AC" option to run the fan at 20 percent power instead of 40 percent power. (Recommended setting for this option is "Enable"). This slows down the fan Power-On and Power-Off to reduce fan noise during a rapid temperature increase.
Adds support for Computrace from Absolute Software.
Adds the ability for the administrator to remove the Power-On password.
Notes
PURPOSE:
o Routine
OPERATING SYSTEM(S):
o Microsoft Windows 2000
o Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (32-bit)
o Microsoft Windows XP Professional (32-bit)
NOTE:
o To determine the ROM family and ROM date, press F10 on the target notebook during startup to run the Setup Utility, and then view File/System Information.