Sunday, November 21, 2010

How to fix Pavilion DV8t wireless button and volume slider issues

As an owner of a HP Pavilion DV8 laptop, I have generally been very pleased with the product.  After a few months, however, I began experiencing a strange issue:  the capacitive buttons for the wireless internet and the bass/treble slider would occasionally actuate themselves, cutting off internet access and sending the volume into a hissy-fit.  This seemed to happen most frequently when moving the laptop, leading me to believe it was a hardware issue.

After extensive troubleshooting, google searching, and HP support chats, there didn't seem to be any improvement, and the issue still seemed to be hardware based.  Just before resigning myself to sending the machine to HP for repair, I found a suggestion buried in a large thread on a message board, which I decided to try out.  After a couple of days, I'm happy to report that it's working beautifully!

As it turns out, theres a wire under the keyboard that needs to be in contact with the ground plate, and by default is not actually fastened to it in any way, but depends on pressure from the components above.  If the laptop is shifted in such a way that the wire loses contact with that plate for a moment, the problem triggers.  Poor design?  Yes.  The good news is that it's easily fixed!  Here's how:

Firstly, follow the instructions in this document to remove the keyboard.  At that point you should be looking at something like this:


The red box indicates the wire mentioned above.  A better view is here:


All that is needed is to secure the foil above to the plate just below it.  I used masking tape, and everything seems to be working perfectly.

A word of warning though: when removing the speaker plate, do not try to pry the silver side plates of the machine away to facilitate the process, as the clasps that hold it in place are very delicate.  I have a  broken piece of plastic bouncing off of my cooling fan now and then, and its a bit disconcerting.  Worth it though, for a working touch panel.

Good luck on your efforts, and comment below if you find this helpful :-)
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102 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    This was very helpful! Was able to fix my dv8t

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dave SolheimJanuary 12, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Happy to help :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 17, 2013 at 10:50 AM

      10/17/2013 - I can't believe I happened upon this blog.....I've been suffering with this problem for the past couple years and have hesitated taking it in for a fix because of the $$$. Will try this immediately! Thanks, AboutToBeHappyAgainInMyrtleBeach.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJuly 16, 2016 at 2:57 AM

      I guess it worked for my HP DV8 Pav 1290 ee (July 2016). Things were very unpredictable. Bass turning on and WiFi turning on & off by itself, felt like virus affecting my laptop!!
      It was a loose wire as you have mentioned. Used couple of masking tape layers to paste it to the bottom.
      Thanks a lot.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2011 at 4:32 AM

    I tried this and my dv8t-1000 is still having problems. I'm wondering if it's actually a software issue in my case, because I've never had problems with the bass/treble/volume controls. and even the wireless seems to crap out in software slightly before the button on the keyboard goes from blue to orange. quite frustrating to say the least! but thank you for your instructions nonetheless -- I'm glad you mentioned the silver side panels, because I definitely would have tried to pry them if you hadn't said not to :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dave SolheimJanuary 27, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    Aye, that sounds more like a software problem. Uninstalling the wireless device via the device manager and then reinstalling with fresh drivers from HP is probably your best bet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Thank you very much. Fixed my HP DV8T. No more loss of connectivity. I tried various methods to correct my problem of losing my internet. Nothing worked.....till now. Your fix of the problem was exactly what was wrong with my laptop.
    Thanks,
    Bob T.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    I had this problem till I took my laptop on a trip. Must have repositioned the wire to make contact, for now at least. When It re-occurs as it most surely will I will know how to fix. Thanks for the good instruction - pics and all.
    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  7. 410FortuneMarch 9, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    finally some pictures and a link to the proper keyboard removal proceedure! My wifes Dv8t has been having this issue since it was 3 months old, lately it occured so often the computer was innoperable. I too found mention of the fix deep in a thread on some HP forum. I then began to search for pictures and the keyboard removal manual. SWEET! I am an engineer so I had a good idea from descriptions on how to fix this, but with your pictures and link I now have her laptop fixed in under 20 minutes and once again I am the hero prince charming!!

    THANK YOU!

    People sharing information is FAR MORE POWERFUL then the standard power down and reboot Devry educated over seas phone pool tech support BS we would otherwise be left with

    ReplyDelete
  8. AtotheRMarch 15, 2011 at 10:49 AM

    Followed the instructions to a "T" and I am still having the same problems... I used electrical tape to tape down the foil to the ground plate. I uninstalled HPToneControl which has helped, but I was trying to regain that functionality.... Also WiFi is still on the fritz on and off.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AtotheRMarch 15, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    Also, reinstalled a brand new windows 7 installation/ssd drive just prior to doing the attempted repair... so I don't think it's software. Fuck HP :-(

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dave SolheimMarch 15, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    My next thought would be to put a small piece of foam or maybe cardboard folded over a couple of times to act as a spring forcing the foil into the plate. I'd also make sure that both surfaces are very clean. If that doesnt help, then you most likely have a bad connection someplace else in the system.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousApril 12, 2011 at 1:05 PM

    dave: how good I found the thread of the problem, it makes a lot of searching and nothing came not find solution. I import a dv8t hp to Argentina because I liked the product, but after a while started with this problem.
    Now I find the solution, soon makes disarmament.

    thanks dave.
    publish more photos.
    Hernan from Argentina

    ReplyDelete
  12. Matt ParkApril 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    So yeah I think dave is right about where the problem is. I also went the extra step as he suggested, and put a little piece of cardboard in that spot. I first taped down the spot with regular blue masking tape. Then I took a piece of regular 1/8 corrugated and compressed it down to about 1/16 and put it over the spot and taped that down as well. Even though the cardboard was only 1/16th of an inch, it seemed to push the keyboard up a little in that spot, but not too badly.

    You can also probably test if this solution will work for you WITHOUT taking the computer apart, by pressing down firmly on the keyboard in the space between the f8 and f9 key while it is acting up.

    lol @ hp troubleshooting steps:
    1. reboot computer
    2. reformat

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousApril 25, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Hea guys, I tried this and I also used foil tape to cover the route of the Wlan antenna's as well as grounding them to the same foil used to cover the cables in the description. I really think this works. I was concerned about the Wlan radio energy having an effect on treble and Wlan switch as these are detecting capacitive reactance changes when you touch the Volume, Treble, Etc. areas. Seems so be working for me. My notebook worked fine for about 6 months, and then I started to have problems. Just got worse with time. The interesting thing is, it only affected the treble/base and Wlan. Both of those are right under the Wlan module Antennas. Non of the other functions were affected. Good luck with yours.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousJune 11, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    It looks like the problem is gone, thank you very much, I was pulling my hairs already, after months of searching I found you and you hit the spot. Thank you, thank you, thank you

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousJuly 3, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    I'm a mechanic by trade. Fix stuff all the time, but I have never done something like this before. After having my dv8t 1200 sent in and repaired about six months ago for the treble/bass button and wifi button popping on and off to the point of no return, I ended back up on the phone and chat again with hp support and it's going to ba back in the shop. Who knows for how long this time. Anyway I decided to do some reseach on the fix it myself solution. I found in the past that it had been a problem with others but I had warranty left and in fact due to I have never worked on one of these before I decided to go ahead and purchase 3 more years of warranty hoping by then the bugs would be worked out and all this would be behind me. Anyway here I am again with them telling me to send it in and it's probably the mother-board blah, blah, blah what I said didn't sink in and what they said I wouldn't totally except. So. back to my reseach I came across this place. Unbelievable!! Were they that stupid at hp. I did just exactly what was told to do on here with the exception of using a smear of electrical grease on the contact points of the ground and put three or four small strips of black electrical tape to build that area up some so the cover would sure hold it down and as soon as put it back together it has never been shut off and not one problem yet. I know it hasn't been long but it's been running non stop and moved around and shook around on purpose and even banged on some and it hasn't failed yet. So with all sincerity thanks a lot and I hope you get rewarded for your geniousness.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousAugust 18, 2011 at 12:18 PM

    Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Works like a charm so far. If this didn't work, I was gonna go office space on my laptop.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousAugust 23, 2011 at 3:07 AM

    HP has released a fix for this. You can search under earlier models for the quick launch buttons firmware update. The link below is to the dv8t-1200.

    http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-96360-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&os=4063&product=4186313&sw_lang=

    If you're running the 208.26 nvidia drivers, you might have to revert to an older driver, because after this update I experienced a black screen, and had to go back to the 258.96 one.

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousAugust 23, 2011 at 5:52 AM

    I'm so relieved over this fix that I felt I should leave my thanks. From one Dave to another,thank you for saving my sanity.

    ReplyDelete
  19. MBWheelerSeptember 2, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    Thank you for posting this procedure. This thing has been aggravating me a long time. It is really great to have my machine fully functional.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousSeptember 5, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    I think that there are two contact points, the aluminum strip only showed low resistance under pressure.
    I added a very small wire to the DVD Drive.
    seems to work now.

    ReplyDelete
  21. WychySeptember 20, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    Many, many thanks like MBWheeler I have been putting up with this issue for a very long time, and it is beautiful to see my machine functioning as it should be!! Your instructions were clear and easy to follow.. Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Thank you very much, this helped me!
    Normally I had about ten disconnections per eight hours. Now I have two days of disconnection free time!

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2011 at 7:27 AM

    Day 3 since performing this repair - still no problem.

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousOctober 5, 2011 at 5:58 PM

    Just did the mod. A bit trickier than expected although I did get my dv8t-1000 back together and functioning. There were two more screws needed to remove the speaker plate on my model which were not listed in the pdf instructions. I managed with some nervousness as this was my first laptop over haul. If this works, it's a real deterant to purchasing HP in the future. What a poor design.
    I'll keep you posted regarding my results.
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousOctober 7, 2011 at 8:15 PM

    Two days and counting without a hitch/glitch for my wifi. Amazing! This needs to be well publicized. Thank you so much for posting this fix. I have been pulling my hair out for months trying to find a solution that actually worked. This is the real deal. Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousNovember 24, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...I didn't do the overhaul but just pressed above the F8 & F9 keys and got the buttons back. I'm not brave enough to remove the keyboard cover! Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousNovember 29, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    THANK YOU, SO MUCH, LAPTOP REPAIRED

    ReplyDelete
  28. Genc BreguDecember 6, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    Thanks. I followed exactly your instruction and now my dv8 is working properly.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Bill WellerDecember 13, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    This is good information to be sure however the DV8t has a software issue as well. I am learning that it may be a driver conflict that causes the buttons to indicate a false representation i.e. speaker control indicating mute even when windows and speakers are functioning or wireless light to show disconnected. I use a backup of my operating system which does not have any issues with the control buttons and where everything functions correctly. However when I install the latest version of Flash player for example my buttons start acting up. When I reformat my computer with the back-up the problems disappear again. Flash seems to be the only variable at this point.

    This happens every time..

    ReplyDelete
  30. JeffDecember 26, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    Dave,

    Just dropping a note to Thank you for posting this. The absolute frustration of trying to surf the web and find a solution for the wireless on/off issue was terrible. After I staggered across your page here and actually Saw the wire that is causing the problem, it was a very simple fix.

    I went with the route of creating a spring of sorts out of a piece of folded construction paper and taping it to the top of the ribbon cable. So far all is well with the wireless connection. As for the volume/tone control thing, HP released a patch for it that Seems to be working (but it did nothing for the wireless issue). Now if you can tell me how to revive my DVD/Blueray player/burner, I'd be forever grateful.

    Thanks again for the info.

    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    I have found a fix but it requires you to unplug the ribbon from the touch bar above the keyboard - you will lose all the "pretty" lights from the top but to be honest I ever only used the volume button.

    You can just use the windows functions in the bottom right of screen.

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousJanuary 21, 2012 at 7:46 AM

    Thanks dude.

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2012 at 3:18 PM

    The tape trick worked? almost two years of dealing with this and finally my wifi is steady. Thanks for sharing and the picks were a great help!

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2012 at 3:51 AM

    Thanks for posting this fix. I used Kapton tape, no more problems.

    ReplyDelete
  35. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2012 at 2:14 PM

    I didn't try this yet.
    However I struggled with this problem ever since I bought it.

    Few days ago, my secondary hard disk died and I bought a new one.
    As soon as I installed it into my dv8, wireless problem stopped.
    It looks wird but it is working now.
    Perhaps it was a power consuming problem?!

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2012 at 5:53 PM

    I have been putting up with this problem for 3 LONG Years. I chased blogs for a while, learning that I could at least kill the HPToneCtl process to rid the annoying tone control interrupt, but while typing this blog - this is the longest I have ever been able to stay connected to the wireless. This solution was dead on. Unimpressed with HP's ability to own up to the quality issue, our last 2 laptops WERE NOT HP. I'm glad I don't have to curse them everytime I get online anymore. Thanks for sharing your wisdom - which obviously exceeded any support tech at HP. One simple supggestion to others - be gentle pulling speaker cover off - it's easy to break the tabs.Although I'd take broken tabs any day over the stupid problem. Hey girls - you can fix this yourself! I Did!

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    I fix my problem... mine is only wireless...

    It caused by 6200 wifi card. it's too weak to heat..

    And change with 5300 full mini size there is no problem!..

    Damn intel 6200 I think there are simirar cases.

    ReplyDelete
  38. AnonymousFebruary 29, 2012 at 9:08 AM

    Thank you. I've been dealing with this on and off for a couple of years. I never sent to HP because they like to wipe hard drives.

    Great job and it is great that you took the time to publish it.

    ReplyDelete
  39. AnonymousMarch 24, 2012 at 10:07 AM

    I had all the problems described with the wireless/treble/bass. The treble/bass problem was fixed by re installing the HPToneControl software.

    The wireless problem however, was not solved by mask taping the foiled wire to the plate below.

    I fixed my problem by disabling the Bluetooth device in the device manager since I have no need for Bluetooth anyway.

    Thank you for your post. It helped me on the right track :-)

    ReplyDelete
  40. AnonymousApril 5, 2012 at 11:00 AM

    Thank-you so much. I can not believe I waited this long to fix. It is like having a new machine. Can not believe the design flaw. Taped down and built up a little to add some pressure in case the tape comes loose. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousApril 23, 2012 at 2:20 PM

    "Sending your laptop in, downloading drivers, updating the BIOS ect will not fix the issue.
    I had the same issue a couple years ago. I sat for hours on the phone with tech support, waited over a week to have the laptop repaired and sent back only to have the issue come back (bass/treble and wifi having a mind of its own). I just lived with it on a wired connection.
    While browsing to see if this has been resolved I came across the driver and BIOS updates.... ha... didn't work. Kept looking around.. found a .pdf for disassembly instructions.
    I took out a total of 6 screws, removed the plate that goes around the Keyboard. (This plate contains the touch controls) I took some electrical tape and spread it down the length of the underside where the touch controls are on the plate. I took additional strips of electrical tape and covered all metal surfaces under the plate. I addition I put a small piece over the zip connector.
    Issue solved with full functionality of my touch controls. "

    ReplyDelete
  42. AnonymousMay 17, 2012 at 10:53 AM

    Sleepless Nerd, you rock! Was loving this machine until all the kookiness with treble/bass/wifi. Your fix was perfect. Thanks! Subcribing to your blog now!

    ReplyDelete
  43. AnonymousMay 24, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    I have tried various approaches, they seem to work and then the problem comes back. Only permanent solution is to disconnect the connection to the button panel. i cannot use the bass treble panel, but no more internet dropping issue. finally getting some sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  44. UnknownJune 11, 2012 at 12:04 AM

    Sleepless nerd, I just followed your direction and it seems like it is working so far after 3 hours with no auto wireless disconnect so far. Thank you very much for your instruction. You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  45. AnonymousJune 19, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    I just tried it out and so far so good.. I was tempted to throw this damn thing today!!! Gracias

    ReplyDelete
  46. AnonymousJuly 2, 2012 at 10:13 PM

    As another said. Just pull out the ribbon from the touch buttons. Job done.

    ReplyDelete
  47. UnknownJuly 11, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    It worked!!!! Bad thing is I bought the Power On/Off button from HP and sadly that was not the problem. Awesome fix! Poor Design.

    ReplyDelete
  48. AnonymousJuly 17, 2012 at 9:33 AM

    MY DV8 IS DRIVING ME NUTS, JUST GOT OFF PHONE WITH HP BUT THEY HAVE WASHED THEIR HANDS OF ME BECAUSE I'M OUT OF WARRANTY. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER BUYING HP PRODUCTS AGAIN AND I SUGGEST NO BODY DOES COS THEY ARE RUBBISH. GOING TO TRY THE REPAIR ABOVE AND I HOPE IT WORKS OR THIS THING IS GETTING SMASHED. I CAN'T BELIEVE HP ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT, THEY ARE SCUM.

    ReplyDelete
  49. AnonymousJuly 26, 2012 at 7:57 AM

    So I disconnected the button panel and everything was fine... till I tried to use the system without a power cord. Seems this is all somehow tied to the battery?! If true, it's an extremely poor design. But, I can make the system stop recognizing batteries by unplugging the ribbon cable and make it start by plugging it back in. Is anyone else seeing this problem? I will never buy HP again - this laptop is a POS because of this seemingly incurable problem (I've tried every method, including the one on this post) and I have a newer HP Deskjet that is also wireless but NEEDS PHYSICALLY TOUCHED every time I need to print something. Useless.

    ReplyDelete
  50. AnonymousJuly 26, 2012 at 4:37 PM

    Brilliant!
    My wifi was turning off and on about 10 times an hour, did what you said, took 20 mins max, and now no problem for 2 hrs. Fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  51. AnonymousJuly 27, 2012 at 1:49 PM

    AnonymousJuly 3, 2011 7:59 PM
    I'm a mechanic by trade. Fix stuff all the time, but I have never done something like this before. After having my dv8t 1200 sent in and repaired about six months ago for the treble/bass button and wifi button popping on and off to the point of no return, I ended back up on the phone and chat again with hp support and it's going to ba back in the shop. Who knows for how long this time. Anyway I decided to do some reseach on the fix it myself solution. I found in the past that it had been a problem with others but I had warranty left and in fact due to I have never worked on one of these before I decided to go ahead and purchase 3 more years of warranty hoping by then the bugs would be worked out and all this would be behind me. Anyway here I am again with them telling me to send it in and it's probably the mother-board blah, blah, blah what I said didn't sink in and what they said I wouldn't totally except. So. back to my reseach I came across this place. Unbelievable!! Were they that stupid at hp. I did just exactly what was told to do on here with the exception of using a smear of electrical grease on the contact points of the ground and put three or four small strips of black electrical tape to build that area up some so the cover would sure hold it down and as soon as put it back together it has never been shut off and not one problem yet. I know it hasn't been long but it's been running non stop and moved around and shook around on purpose and even banged on some and it hasn't failed yet. So with all sincerity thanks a lot and I hope you get rewarded for your geniousness.

    It's now been over a year and the fix worked very well up until about two months ago. This time it's not as bad. In fact it now after it's on a while it will quit again. The problem stops. However after it's first turned on and for about 20 to 30 mins. of run time it stops malfuntioning. But when it does malfuntion it is exactly what it was doing before. No control over bas/treble slider and losing wireless. I'm still in warranty after purchasing the extended warranty. but I am reluctant in returning it to hp after I have done the repairs myself the first time. I'm afraid they will say it's my fault. I could go back and try to see if some tape has came loose and moved, but idon't know if should. I purchased the in home warranty plan but they say can't authorize this type of repair (Internal) at home.

    So does anyone have another grand idea or suggestion. I sure would take it in appreciation.
    Thanks for your help everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Dave SolheimJuly 27, 2012 at 2:11 PM

    My first reaction would be the same as yours, the tape may be coming loose. I think at this point the manual repair (unfortunately) throws warranty options out the window either way. I would go ahead and open and up to take a look.

    ReplyDelete
  53. DaveAugust 18, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    Hi Dave,

    After years of just accepting a great laptop has a crappy problem, i found the time and your article and attempted the fix. It Worked perfectly and im using just your average sello-tape. No more moving my laptop as if I were a bomb difusal expert in order to keep the wireless on.

    Cheers again

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  54. miksAugust 22, 2012 at 9:03 PM

    Worked for me so far.
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  55. AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:48 PM

    Gave up on DV8T - this problem persists with this and every other fix I've seen. Bought a new laptop and sold the DV8T (disclosing the problem, of course). I'll never buy another HP product.

    ReplyDelete
  56. AB INTERFACESSeptember 4, 2012 at 6:37 AM

    A FEW EXTRA NOTES TO ANYONE ATTEMPTING THIS FIX.

    I own a web design company and have been dealing with this maddening issue for 4 years now since I first bought my HP DV8T. I have spent probably 15+ hours on the phone with different HP techs, I sent it in for repair twice, I tried the firmware update released in 06/2011 which helped slightly but only for a little while, and I have almost slammed my computer against the ground multiple times out of sheer when the treble/bass would steal the focus from my mouse while working every 2 seconds for hours/days on end.

    Thank you SO very much for this post as the solution immediately worked for me Dave! You have no idea how appreciative I am. I actually saw this post a while back but was afraid to attempt it. Now that my warranty just ended I finally went for it. For anyone attempting it there are a few things I want to add in hopes that it helps someone.

    I have an HP DV8T 1100CTO:

    1) The keyboard cover on mine actually comes off opposite of how the PDF says. I had to lift up on the back edge near the function keys (NOT the front edge near the touchpad mouse).

    2) The "LIF Connectors" stand for "low insertion force". I tried to pull one of them straight out and broke the left hinged side of it. After that I Googled it and found out that a little bar easily lifts up and then the bare ribbon simply falls out. If you are using any force you are doing it wrong. Here is a video on how to release them at http://goo.gl/yQXEW.

    I still cannot BELIEVE that HP won't even acknowledge this is an issue with thousands of posts related to it. They HAVE to know but they play dumb I guess so they don't have to fix so many people's laptops. $2800 for a laptop and I had to duct tape it together. I will NEVER buy another one... ever. Thanks again for helping me (and so many others) to get this fixed once and for all.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Steve CainSeptember 6, 2012 at 5:48 AM

    Hi David, Thank you for your article. I had this problem and followed your instructions, took just 15 mins and all looking good. Regards, Steve

    ReplyDelete
  58. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2012 at 11:36 AM

    I came up with a simple solution just unplug the ribbion that connects it since i never use the touch thing anyways. problem fix

    ReplyDelete
  59. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2012 at 5:52 AM

    Unplugging the ribbon on mine caused my laptop to stop charging the battery when plugged in.

    ReplyDelete
  60. UnknownOctober 31, 2012 at 2:26 PM

    Thanks for the article and pictures. This did the trick

    ReplyDelete
  61. AnonymousNovember 25, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Thanks for the post. This worked awesome and wasn't to bad to do. My laptop has had this problem since about 6 months after I owned it. I had tried all the goofy little trucks to try and get this to stop. I figured I was gonna buy a new laptop and not an HP. It took me about a half hour to do and I have never pulled a laptop apart before this. My suggestion is take your time if you need to do this and don't pull any of the cables off. You can lay the outer keyboard ring forward and flip the keyboard towards you. I used one piece of electrical tape about 2 inches long and then used 3 about a half inch long stacking those right over the pad. Went back together fine and works like a champ. That is a horrible design. I will have a hard time buying another HP laptop. Thanks again for this post. Saved me a bunch of money.

    ReplyDelete
  62. BMDecember 3, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    Oh Man, your are my hero! I've sent my laptop to HP to resolve this problem without any success. I followed your procedure and it works like a champ. Thank you soooooooooo much for your help.

    Bijan

    ReplyDelete
  63. elix545December 4, 2012 at 6:30 PM

    The final soluction is a Firmware update: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-96360-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&os=4062&product=4186313&sw_lang=

    With this update the touchpad is more slowly and working without flashing and blinking any more.

    ReplyDelete
  64. AnonymousDecember 16, 2012 at 5:47 AM

    Dave ,

    Do you think this could effectively be the same problem on a DV7?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dave SolheimDecember 16, 2012 at 10:09 AM

      Quite probably, but I can't be sure without having one to take apart.

      Delete
  65. UnknownDecember 25, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    I still am amazed...I followed your procedure step by step, and voila! I am very disappointed in HP and the money I spent because they do not stand behind their product...Santa gave me this three years ago today and I have been living with the problem of the WLAN cutting on and off and the Bass/Treble control going haywire!!! Thanks to you and your knowledge, its better than new! MERRY CHRISTMAS O GREAT ONE!!!

    ReplyDelete
  66. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2013 at 1:18 PM

    I had the same problem. Opened up switch cover,key board cover and keyboard. Used air can on dust, it was built up pretty good in there. Put lap top back together and no issues so far. Before the wireless indicator was more like a blinker. We will see in a few days.

    ReplyDelete
  67. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2013 at 7:42 PM

    Awesome! I followed the procedure and like magic - the problem solved. I was ready to chuck the HP out the window but the wireless is rock solid now. THANK YOU!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  68. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2013 at 3:33 AM

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JFWKSM/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=hi
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049KTIAU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A35TOPIEYAQ7RQ

    These products should help.

    ReplyDelete
  69. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2013 at 3:54 AM

    Here I found the most "profesional" solution, including 2 excellent videos (15 min each) explaining in detail how to carefully remove the keyboard and how to correctly isolate and ground the above mentioned cable.

    http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-e-g-Windows-8/dv8-and-HDX-Series-OSD-Pop-Up-Solution/m-p/816295

    Regards.

    ReplyDelete
  70. AnonymousApril 16, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    Thank you very much, this has worked for me right away!!! :o)))

    ReplyDelete
  71. AnonymousMay 4, 2013 at 10:11 AM

    This worked like a charm! You sir are a scholar and a gent! I tip my imaginary hat to you!

    ReplyDelete
  72. AnonymousMay 18, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    Cool man, it really works !! Now all the fancy buttons are functioning as it should~
    It was an easy fix "once" I got to the grounding part, with which I taped a thin strip of neoprene to put some positive pressure on the contact, but taking off the various covers is a little tricky and I ended up breaking that delicately stuck tab anyway, haha~ No big deal since this works like a charm, thanks a lot !!

    ReplyDelete
  73. AnonymousMay 25, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    Thanks! I recently replaced the keyboard, and started having problems with the wireless adapter soon after. As you suggested, I taped the cable to the ground and all is good!

    ReplyDelete
  74. AnonymousMay 30, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    Thank you so much! My wife's DV8 was going crazy, we couldn't figure out what was going on. I looked around online to find and came across your page here. We removed the parts, used tape to put it down and now hopefully it won't go crazy again because she loves the DV8 despite the problem here. Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  75. UnknownSeptember 3, 2013 at 3:17 PM

    Thank you so much, at last I can use my laptop without both of us getting crazy!

    ReplyDelete
  76. AnonymousSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:33 AM

    This has been getting steadily worse over the last few months, I knew about this fix and have only just got around to getting this done. Hopefully it will work.

    ReplyDelete
  77. AnonymousOctober 11, 2013 at 8:13 AM

    Success!
    Thanks a lot! :)

    ReplyDelete
  78. AnonymousOctober 12, 2013 at 3:43 PM

    I've own HP laptops for the past 10 years. Purchased the DV8 several years ago. Have experienced the exact same issues with the blinking wireless, bass/treble, volume, mute - it's been a nightmare to say the least. Spent countless hours with HP Support (WASTE OF FRICKING TIME - LET ME REPEAT.... #HP_SUPPORT_SUX)... I returned the item for repair under warranty twice - did not fix the problem. Bought and extended warranty to ensure my issue would be covered - WASTE OF MONEY as they did not want to fix it AND they had the nerve to tell me they never heard of my DV8 wireless connection problem (LIARS!!!)... They stole my money and refused to fix a faulty product. I will try this and see where it takes me. I'm with some of you on this post - I will not purchase an HP product again just out of principle considering how they treated me. I will use Social Media to share my story - maybe write a song and post on YouTube... Either way - #DONE with HP!

    ReplyDelete
  79. UnknownNovember 9, 2013 at 11:59 PM

    Still having Wi-Fi blink off(red/orange) & on (blue) issue after taking apart & taping the foil to the ground. Is it possible that I didn't do it right? After reading all the great comments - Any more ideas are welcomed!!!

    ReplyDelete
  80. AnonymousNovember 19, 2013 at 3:40 AM

    Yeeeehaaa. It works! Since 2 years i had the same problem. I did not use a masking tape. What i have used was a foil ( aluminum paper ) I rolled it (thick enough) and ... it works perfect .....

    ReplyDelete
  81. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2014 at 12:03 AM

    Damn, this fix works good! Spilled coffee on my HP keyboard this morning and was looking online for some advice. I also had wifi / base /treble flickering on/off regularly. I had to smack the keyboard to reconnect the wifi. What a pain. taped down the ground strip and it now works properly. I figured it was a loose connection. But now my left mouse button does not work. Does anyone have tips on cleaning touchpad mouse buttons?
    Richard.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Chef Christopher DayFebruary 13, 2014 at 4:51 PM

    Originally came because I too had the same basic issue. Eventually I ended up needing to replace my whole keyboard (for a different child-spilling issue.) Replaced it successfully however currently it still won't fully work. Is it worth replacing the keyboard one last time or do you think I have another issue all together?

    ReplyDelete
  83. UnknownApril 18, 2014 at 7:04 PM

    Hiya and thanks a crapload!!!! Wow,,,I've been "ignoring the slider vols and tones, and recently hasn't done that. Been a while. But next time it comes up and think about throwing it out the window...I'll follow your instructions!

    I've always thought it something as simple as this, but just ignored it because of...well...1st...we have tooooo many computer and laptops...and 2nd...being the tech of the "FAMILIES"...I've thrown stuff out and told them..."did you backup everything?" (said that a million times).

    Too BAD...don't call me when your STUPIDITY made the dang thing break and I fixed it zillion times and your kid pulls off the keys....????

    no man...yo helped me out a lot on this and bows to the website, as well as you to post and fortunately I've stumbled upon green pastures!!!

    Bless man!
    Danny

    ReplyDelete
  84. AnonymousMay 17, 2014 at 12:07 PM

    Thanks. Problem with my laptop solved!

    ReplyDelete
  85. AnonymousJuly 26, 2014 at 7:29 PM

    Many, many, many thanks!!! Like the others, I've been putting up with this for way too long. Things got to the point where wireless would not work any more.

    I applied your fix, and wireless works again!

    Very, very grateful. I'd like to buy you a beer! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  86. AnonymousJuly 26, 2014 at 8:33 PM

    wonderfully thought out and explained. sincere thank you for the help, you've done us all a great service <3

    ReplyDelete
  87. Ward CalawayAugust 31, 2014 at 9:06 PM

    I'll add my thanks to Dave for sharing this solution. You have made a boatload of friends. I really like my dv8t except... but was ready to trash it. Problem was, the best looking replacement was another HP, and after all the BS, I really didn't want to buy another of their products. Did the fix a few months ago, and have been happy since. You saved me some mental anguish.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Edie JamsSeptember 15, 2014 at 1:27 AM

    This new version keyboard in this keyboard some changes which are great and useable mostly people like it or thanks for sharing this update.

    Singapore Brand Advertising Company
    Brand Advertising Agency

    ReplyDelete
  89. AnonymousOctober 18, 2014 at 2:34 PM

    put this off for a long time as the problem would come and go, sometimes it was OK for extended periods, all in all it was a very easy fix, now to see if it is permanent... thanks for all your efforts, I believe it has helped many users

    ReplyDelete
  90. AnonymousNovember 23, 2014 at 5:33 PM

    This fix worked well. However, when I opened up the laptop, I found that HP had already taped the referenced cable to the grounding patch. I assume HP did this a few years ago when I sent the laptop in for a warranty repair (HP replaced the touchpad, keyboard and monitor!).

    I took off the tape, used some fine sandpaper to remove any oxidation from the cable and grounding patch and then taped it back down. I then taped a small "pad" of masking tape on top of the cable over the grounding patch. I was hoping that this would apply extra force to the cable / grounding patch connection.

    Reassembled everything and the laptop is working great!

    ReplyDelete
  91. FrankFebruary 17, 2015 at 2:49 AM

    Thanks man! Seems to be perfectly working so far.

    ReplyDelete
  92. CinephobicAugust 11, 2015 at 12:06 PM

    Thanks friend working perfect ;)

    ReplyDelete
  93. ChrisAugust 13, 2016 at 1:47 PM

    dv8-1110ea here, same problem. I used paper tape that I've used in the past in various places in laptops, it tends to stay in place even in higher temperatures, I believe it will hold up nicely. Thank you so much for this nifty trick, I was considering removing the connection alltogether before. Kudos and greetings from Greece

    ReplyDelete
  94. moonarSeptember 30, 2016 at 1:57 AM


    This is really fantastic! I really like the last painting!


    HP Printer Phone Number

    ReplyDelete
  95. Geert Kraaijeveld (The Netherlands)January 23, 2017 at 3:40 AM

    You saved my mental health with your solution
    to my/our problem!
    It did the job allright!! THANK YOU a thou-
    sand times.
    times.

    ReplyDelete
  96. joe karkiAugust 15, 2017 at 11:08 PM

    Thanks for the informative blog...
    123 HP Deskjet 3518 Setup

    ReplyDelete
  97. UnknownDecember 12, 2017 at 4:41 AM

    Excellent information.I like the way of writing and presenting.
    123 HP Deskjet Setup 3518

    ReplyDelete
  98. Saqib KhatriJune 8, 2019 at 4:05 AM

    Thanks for the blog filled with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. Now my task has become as easy as ABC. RAVPower FileHub AC750 Review

    ReplyDelete
  99. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2022 at 11:32 PM

    Today when you come to a computer shop to buy a mouse you can be confused. It's not that easy now to find what you are looking for because computer stuff has changed a lot. You can't even explain why we call a wireless gadget a mouse. It has lost its tail and changed its appearance. Wireless mice are connected to your computer with a radio signal... Wireless mouse

    ReplyDelete

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