coffeebranlaxative

I had the same problem today morning when I turned on my laptop (dv2000)CTO, I have the same NVIDIA GeForce Go 7200 graphics card.
I worked all morning on this laptop trying ways to repair it and from the beep codes online I found that its either motherboard or graphics card.

I called the HP Support Total care and they said I had to pay $400 to repair.

By Neeraj on Jul 18, 2008

Neeraj,
$400, that really sucks. Did you ask about the warranty enhancement? To the best of my understanding, this is a common issue so they made the warranty enhancement to cover it. It only covers you for two years from the time of purchase though, I think.
Portables are such a pain when they break. Parts are expensive and (most of the time) if a part is covered under warranty you can’t just get the part and replace it yourself.
Such is life.
Best of luck.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jul 18, 2008

Kalf
Its been about a year and 3 months since I bought it. HP says my product number does not match with the lists of product numbers which r faulty in dv2000 series.
The HP support only agreed to a call with the Case manager and he is gng to deceide the future:(

By Neeraj on Jul 20, 2008

Figures. That is really some typical corporate crap. Hopefully the case manager has a brain and can figure out that the problem is effecting more models than they originally thought.
Let me know how it works out.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jul 20, 2008

This exact same thing happened to my dv2000. I rang them to and said my particular product number was not in the extended warranty… complete BS – the extended warranty only has the product numbers of mostly corporate customers, not the little guys. Basically they said they would have to replace the motherboard. Its $400 US. I would rather by a new laptop for $600.

Anyway I opened it up myself and found that the thermal pads on the CPU and mainly on the GPU had seemed to be making poor contact. The GPU contact in particular is rediculously bad – it has a paste type stuff that is about 2mm think and then the heatsink on top of that. I replaced everything with artic silver. Mine now works 100% everytime and doesnt get as hot as it used to do.

By DanD on Jul 24, 2008

You can tell if its just the headsink problem. Turn your PC on and when it beeps leave it on and wrap it in a towel for 20 minutes or so until it gets warm, then it should boot. It looks like the CPU thermal paste drys and cracks, but when it heats up enough it ok and the GPU starts.

By DanD on Jul 24, 2008

One long beep and two short beeps indicates that the GPU chip is not working.

I have found that the GPU gum between the GPU and the heatsink is meant to fill about a 2mm gap, but the gum dries out and cracks. When this happens the chip overheats, and the BGA pins on the gpu loose there connection. If you leave the power on after the beeping and block the vents a bit, the GPU/CPU heat sink warms up enough to expand the solder on the BGA pins and make a connection and the laptop will run. But eventually the solder will fully fracture, and a ball may come off and then you are totally stuffed.

Fixing the heat sink does not fix the problem – its the cause of the problem though, so if you do get yours fixed, I would recommend opening it, scrapping off the blue gum, and inserting a 2mm peice of copper plate on-top of the GPU and using siler thermal paste to connect the GPU to the copper plate and then again on the other side to connect to the heatsink. But this won’t fix it if its already dead. (I tried it and I get the same long beep, two short beep).

To fix the problem you have to re-flow the solder on the BGA. This should be done as a last resort (after your laptop doesnt turn on any more even when you heat it up). You have to strip down laptop to the motherboard. Bake the motherboard in a fan forced over at 80 degrees celcius for at least 24 hours (to get rid of any moisture that might be in the chip or solder). Immediatly after you take it out of the over, you need a hot air gun capable of reaching about 300 degrees. Heat the entire GPU chip and its board (don’t worry – all components can take 300 degress celcius for solder-reflow and did when the board was made). Keep bumping the GPU chip very slightly with a small screw driver, it will eventually become loose. Don’t lift it up however. Just keep the heat on for a few seconds to let the solder reflow and make a connection with the balls underneath.

After that let it cool down and plug everything back in and it *Might* work. If not can you heat it up and try again.

HP should never have used a BGA chip for the GPU. Its rediculous considering how hot the chip gets. I think nvidia are partially at fault as well – the 7200 uses to much power to be a bga chip.

By DAC on Jul 25, 2008

I just spent over an hour on the phone with HP Support. They know about the problem, but to quote the 3rd person I spoke with “it’s a numbers game”. You see, not enough dv2000 owners have complained about this problem. There has been a partial warranty extension on certain models issued in 2007. So far HP is not acknowledging the problem with the dv2000 models sold in late 2006 and early 2007 because not enough people have reported the problem and some are willing to fork over the $400 to get their notebooks fixed. Personally, I’ll just never buy HP again. Call HP support and let them know how you feel about having a laptop that has a major problem after a little over 1 year. Email their CEO by clicking “Contact HP” on their home page. Then under “Email HP” click “Other questions/feedback”. Then click the last link, “Send a message to the CEO – Mark Hurd.” Sooner or later they will have to repair their name by repairing our notebooks.

By Terri on Jul 26, 2008

Thank you so much for the comments everyone. So, it seems like the most likely cause of this particular issue is the GPU is not properly cooled. I wish now I would have just cracked open my laptop and fixed it myself. Instead I’m still waiting for HP to fix mine. They told me there is a back order. Anyway, at least I didn’t have to pay. I’m sure they will just replace the motherboard, so I think I will open it up and do the copper and arctic silver trick.
For everyone else who is not being properly taken care of maybe we should start some kind of petition or something. What do you think?

By Kalf I. Nee on Jul 26, 2008

I agree with that, they should recall the defective units and replace them or something, this is a really bad design, I work in a company in UAE, and we are experiencing problems with HP Pavilion dv2000 up to dv6000. My boss’s dv6000 had his motherboard replaced… TWICE… My friend’s dv2000 quickplay buttons suddenly stopped functioning, now I have this dv2000 that just beeps. I hope my Acer doesnt fail me. By the way, thanks for the tips guys.

By Paul on Jul 26, 2008

I am never buying HP again… after 18 months I now have a $1,200+ brick. Mine got so hot that the harddrive has failed also, the last 20gb is not readable even when I put it in other machines. I noticed on my GPU chip that there is clear overheating and the circuit board laquor is discoloured and disformed from excessive heat.

By Mick on Jul 27, 2008

i was installing bios and i plug out the power dv2000 then i tryed to trun on dont work

By josef on Jul 28, 2008

Okay…Saturday I did the email the CEO thing. Monday I received canned phone call and matching email. They both basically said, “Sorry you’re having a problem. Your notebook is out of warranty. If we can help in anyway call us.” I called. After nearly 30 minutes of back and forth with a woman on their Escalation Team she finally “saw what she could do”. After a few minutes on hold someone else was able to get my notebook in as a one time in warranty repair to replace the motherboard and video card.

I’d won’t lie and say I’m happy now. I’ll save that for when I get the notebook back and when it works for more than 6 months. I would feel better if that had been offered up front. At this point I’m just hoping to get it back in less than 2 months and for it to work problem free for at least another year.

I’m not placing any bets though.

By Terri on Jul 29, 2008

OK I have now fixed mine myself. HP Australia refused to help me.

Goto the HP website and download the repair manual. It will tell you how to strip down to your motherboard. Take out the CPU and the heat sink fan assembly. Take everything connected to the motherboard off. Take out the RAM. Bake the motherboard in an oven at 80 degrees celcius. The older your board the longer you should bake it. I baked mine which is 16 months old for 16 hours. The actual recommended time is 24-48 hours if you want to be really safe. The point of baking is to remove moisture that might be in or around that chip that can explode if you heat past 100 degrees.

Next use alcohol to squirt under the nvidia GPU chip. Let it dry and squirt under there with solder flux. Place a light weight peice of metal on the GPU chip to weigh it down (I used a 10c coin),\. Next use a thermoeter and a hot air gun to heat the GPU chip to 190 degrees celcius. This is the reflow temperature of solder. At this temperature the little connections under neath the chip (the ball grid array) will go molten and reconnect. The idea is to heat it slowly till about 195, then thats it. Take the heat away and let it cool down and it will run.

MOST IMPORTANT TO ANYONE WHO FIXES THEIRS, EVEN IF HP FIX IT:
The problem is caused by dust clogging in the heat sink assembly. Unfortuently you can only get to the dust by removing the fan, to remove the fan you must remove the heatsink. To remove the heat sink you have to re-apply thermal paste to the GPU and CPU, not to mention stripping your entire laptop down to access the motherboard. So if you don’t want yours to fail again, make sure to strip it down and take the fan off the heat sink and clean the dust out at least every 6 months. The laptop should NEVER get to hot to touch. If it is you almost certain have dust clogging the air flow. Inside the heat sink up against the copper cooling blades you will find they are clogged with dust. If you keep it free it of dust it never over heats.

By DanD on Jul 29, 2008

Is dust really the problem? What I mean is, should the chip get that hot in the first place. My thinking is: if the chip is getting super hot the system should shutdown before the BGA starts going gooey. Who hasn’t had a thermal issue with a CPU before? Usually it’s no big deal. Open up the system, blow out the heat sinks, apply new thermal grease, maybe get a new cooling setup, and woo who runs like new. My point is: if a OEM and relatively new (15 months old in my case) setup is producing actual physical damage to components from thermal events, dust or no dust that’s a f’ing design flaw.
DanD I believe you are spot on about making sure the dust stays out, even after repair. When I finally get mine back from HP I am going to see about improving the cooling system.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jul 29, 2008

I’m thankful for all the people who commented on here. because my boyfriend gave me his pavillion dv2000 laptop coz i know a person who is a computer engineer but, before i talked to my friend to fix it i went to hp website and i searched if there might be a problem with this laptop i have search for it and this link showed up. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277#c01087277_bios
so anyone that has a laptop with these type of models should call technical support even if your warranty is expired they let me talk to them for free because alot of people complained about this problem. just mention that you read on their site that you read about the: HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement. Which means warranty is extented because of this serious problem even if you purchased the laptop for more than a year they will give u free technical and repair support. you are also allowed to ask the technical support if they can help you troubleshoot the computer to fix it on your own at home and if it is the hardware problem they will absolutely let you get a pre-paid box to ship them the laptop to get it fixed. they said the box will be sent within 2 business days and the repair will take about 7 to 9 business days. And you can check the status of the repairs in hp.com/gocsostatus or you can call them at 1-800-474-6836 they will also give you a ticket repair# if you want to ask about the update on the repairs or look it up online. IF YOU’RE NOT COMPUTER SAVVY OR EVEN IF YOUR ARE I RECOMMEND THIS SOLUTION YOU WILL NOT LOSE ANYTHING BECAUSE IT’S A COMPENSATION FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCTS, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. i finished calling them today at 9:30pm i hope they can fix it because my boyfriend already wasted $250 on repairs because he wasn’t aware that hp had faulty models and I’m glad i was able to read your comments about this concern i will update you all about the progress of the repairs once i send the unit to HP. thank you all and i hope more people will post concerns on here to help more people with the same problem.

By Rae on Jul 29, 2008

i forgot to mention that the problem was the monitor will not turn on but the keys still lights up i think it is because of the faulty wirings I’m glad i do not have to pay for repairs because i almost gave up on using this laptop.

By Rae on Jul 29, 2008

The GPU itself is not overheating and failing, this is probably why the PC happily runs and does not thermally shut down.

Whats happening is, because there is a gap filled with thermal paste, as the GPU gets hot, the solder is allowed to expand, as the heat sink is not locking it down. Instead the GPU moves upwards as the solder expands beneth it and pushes the thermal gum away. Then when you turn it off, the gum sort of holds the GPU up against the heat sink, so the solder cools and has to pull the GPU chip back down. Eventually this causes the solder to fracture, as they are continually being pushed and pulled on. It doesnt happen on the CPU because the CPU is screwed directly onto the heat sink. Where as the GPU has that 2mm gap filled with blue heat gum.

This is an obvious design error. The way they have a 2mm gap filled with gum is rediculous. Even if they fix it, it will happen again and again and again. Other message boards have had people who have taken there back 2 times or more now.

Fixing the dust will probably just prolong the time until it fails. I stronly recommend to remove the gum and use a 2mm plate of copper. Use thermal silver on each side. btw im electronics engineer and it still took me ages to figure out exactally what was wrong. You might have to grind down the copper to the right size. If it is too big, the heatsink my not clamp down on the CPU/GPU, if its to small it may slide out.

By DanD on Jul 30, 2008

Identify the symptoms

If your computer’s product number is listed above, and the 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 following symptoms apply to Pavilion dv2000 and Presario v3000 notebooks:
The notebook does not detect wireless networks and the wireless adapter is not detected in the Device Manager.
There is no video on the computer LCD panel or external monitor.
The following symptoms apply to the dv6000, dv9000 and v6000 series notebooks:
The notebook does not detect wireless networks and the wireless adapter is not detected in the Device Manager.
There is no video on the computer LCD panel or external monitor.
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.
The external monitor functions but there is no image on the notebook LCD panel.

More info about the problem is found in this site:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277#c01087277_bios

By Rae on Jul 30, 2008

DanD,
Perhaps I was to liberal with the term “overheating”.
The core point I was trying to make was that this is a design flaw, pure and simple.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jul 30, 2008

I have just experienced the very same problem only 3 days ago. I have an HP Pavillion dv2000 series I bought in Dubai 2 years ago & this is the only time it bogged down er “died”. I have also tried the resets & re-seats to no avail. But now you’ve mentioned something about the GPU I’ll try that one, too. I hope it works for mine. I sure am sending HP an email. They’ve just dropped out of my list to consider for my next lappy purchase! Thanks & Good luck to all.

By Warrenel on Jul 30, 2008

I already give up on my dv2100CTO. Every one a while I can boot up to Windows XP, but now the XP has broken too with the famous blue screen. Make me wonder to buy another HP and Nvidia powered notebook again.

By Dony on Jul 31, 2008

DanD, I’m kind of scared to do what you did, because I haven’t taken any classes that deals with computer repair and I might not be able to tell the the parts appart X

By Rae on Jul 31, 2008

DanD,

I have dis-assembled my dv2000 and I have seen the blue thermal gum that you were referring to. However I do not have the tools you mentioned like a hot air gun & even if I did would I not risk damaging the adjacent structures if heated to 195 deg? Would it suffice if I just replace thee thermal gum with a small copper or silver plate? I have throughly cleaned the fan & the board. Thanks!

By Warrenel on Jul 31, 2008

I just dropped of my HP Pavillion dv2000 to fedex, they will recieve it on monday. They told me it will take 7-9 business day so i will get it back approximately on Aug 14 or 15,2008 hopefully it fixed fine and i won’t have problems with it anymore i will update you guys how the repairs went and maybe I’ll ask my friend to replace blue thermal gum with copper or silver plate since he do it for a living and so that i won’t have anymore future problems hopefully it will last me a year or 2 so that i don’t have to waste money thank you all.

By Rae on Aug 1, 2008

DAC,
i was wondering if this copper plate will do for the self repair http://www.basiccopper.com/6×128milco4s.html and also i was wondering what are the dimensions of the copper plate that we need for the repair and what kind of hot air gun do we need coz when i searched on ebay there was alot of diffrent kinds of air gun i don’t want to make a mistake on purchashing the wrong one. can you be more specific and what brand of silver thermal paste do i need i saw this one from ebay but since the auction is ending i found it else where http://www.outletpc.com/c2027.html is this what you were talking about can you please help me and confirm if it is the proper materials and i really need to know what kind of hot air gun is needed is there any more tools that i need that you didn’t metion i hope you can reply thanks.

By Rae on Aug 2, 2008

P.S. also for the copper plate does it have to be exactly 2mm or can it be 2.032mm i was just wondering. and if possible can you take a picture or your repairs step by step or just show how the finish result look like can u pls paste the link on here thank you.

By Rae on Aug 2, 2008

Rae,
Seemed like for some reason you had two comments that said the same thing so I deleted the duplicate.
Anyway, I will be doing the modification to my laptop once I get it back from HP. That will not be until around Aug 8th, according to HP. I will take pictures and do up a guide if no one else has by then.
Oh, yea the point of the copper plate is to keep the gpu from moving up into the thermal gum when the chip gets hot and the solder balls of the bga expand.  (EDIT: It should also be more efficient at keeping the GPU cool.)  So, it doesn’t necessarily need to be exactly 2mm thick. It just needs to be thick enough to keep the gpu from moving around. In short, you want to fill the space between the gpu and the heat sink.

Warrenel,
The short answer is yes you can possibly damage surrounding components.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 2, 2008

Kalf I. Nee,
Is it possible to video your modifications because i will get my laptop around August 14 or 15 and can you tell me which tools and materials you used I’m not a computer genius so i need the steps to be as clear and as simple as they can be and so that I do not damage my laptop in the process and also point out which parts needs to be replaced do I need to solder anything do I need a soldering tool I’m interested in computer repairs it will be nice if you showed me pictures of the tools and materials you used thanks.

By Rae on Aug 2, 2008

5th Aug 2008.
I have the exact same problem with my Pavilion dv2000. Have just spoken with UK HP Support and said I have an error starting my laptop and the support guy pre-empted my problem by saying ‘Do you get 1 long beep followed by 2 short beeps’. So it seems as though word is getting through to HP.
They said it is a graphics card problem. I bought my laptop in Feb 2007. They said they could pick it up the next day and it will take 5-10 days to repair.
this option suits me as I don’t wish to try and fix the problem myself.

By Sport Billy on Aug 5, 2008

I posted a new update (NOTE: 8/6/2008 ) in the main post.

Rae,
It looks like it’s going to be a bit longer before I can make that guide. Sorry.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 6, 2008

Kalf,
im going to get my laptop tommorow i wont use it till u make a guide thanks for the response i just want a visual so that i dont mess it up to risky for me kalf i hope u understand video and pictures and uhm written guide will be nice i know its too demanding but im totally clueless about laptop repairs i hope you can be patient and forgive me for bein too demanding but i gravely need it thanks kalf…. :”>

By Rae on Aug 6, 2008

I have my laptop i got it this morning it works fine but then it still gets too hot so i know i have to do that repair for the overheat

By Rae on Aug 7, 2008

I have this problem with my Pavillion dv2000, and what pisses me off is that after being on a 60p/min phone line with HP for about 15 minutes they said i didn’t qualify for a free repair and stated i had to pay over £200…
Since i cannot currently afford such a high price-tag for a repair which would undoubtedly result in another failure for the same reason in due time, I’m also looking forward to this guide by ‘Kalf’ for his DIY modification approach; being a student i have access to my schools tools and equipment so this idea could work out perfectly.
I also have issues with the backlight not working, as that also cut out on the last day my laptop was usable…I absolutely hate HP for their lack of support, as i paid £999 for this laptop in late November 2006. SCUM.

By Cludzy on Aug 9, 2008

Hey i live in the UK and have had the same problem of the long beep and 2 short ones, i would just like to ask sport billy, or anyone else living in UK with the same problem what did HP do to fix it, did they actuley do good to it and would you be able to huck me up with some contact details so i can contact them and see what they can do for me.

thanks
p.s did it cost anything(as i have herd that over in america HP have realise the problem and admitted it is their fault and are replacing the gtrapics card for free? does any one know if this is ture ??

By Chris on Aug 10, 2008

Hey everyone, I am curious to know if you ever got this response from HP. I have a DV2200 model and is of course, out of warranty. After the computer went into sleep mode one night, it never woke up but only got one long beep, and 2 short beeps. I have been doing a lot of research online and everything online says it is the GPU. HOWEVER, I have been on the phone with HP as everyone has recommended and they tell me my computer is not a faulty one and not covered under the extended warranty. They did however check my ram sticks and determined that one was bad and are now resending me recovery disks. Should I just do the self-repair mentioned above? I would also like to see a step by step guide as I am not that computer. I am very frustrated because everytime I call HP support I get someone I can barely understand and whom really doesn’t know about computers. I asked him if it could be the GPU and he did not know what that stood for. So, could it be that my particular problem has to do with the RAM port, or is it really my GPU? My computer is on after it had been sitting “on” and warmed up enough. Is the self repair still possible?

By Mel on Aug 10, 2008

Follow up from my RAM message above, I performed the “towel” test on my computer, and after it heated up it did in fact start. Of course it gave me an initial start up error message, but I have run the start up disk check before with no good responses out of it. I don’t feel totally confident in taking my laptop apart right now to fix it as it states above, so I am going to search for a repair man that I trust to do this. I am NOT going to be sending it to HP at all. I do not feel like spending more money on a company that can’t get something like this right in the first place. Thank you so much for your extended research and description on how to fix our computers. This will definitely come in handy!

By Mel on Aug 10, 2008

Hey Mel,
It probably is the GPU. Nvidia had a whole bunch of defective(poorly designed) chips that are now failing left and right. All this is kind of just coming out now in the last 2 months or so. (EDIT: Oh I didn’t see your other post, so I guess you figured out that it is the GPU.) (EDIT: I just noticed how redundant my comment was because I already added a edit about the GPU thing to the original post.)
I wish I could tell everybody a definite day I will have the DIY guide ready but as I have to send my laptop back to HP again, who knows when I will get it back. I can only promise it will be as soon as possible.

Once again I would encourage everyone to email, call, otherwise scream and yell at HP; let them know you are aware of problems with Nvidia GPUs being defective and you are wondering what HP intends to do about it.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 10, 2008

hi everyone. i’m from Russia and unfortunatly, i have HP Pavilion dv2000 too. And the same problem – one long and two short beeps. And my product number is not in Extended Waranty list.
I Want to say thanks to DanD for his towel trick. You genius!:) Thanks to this i saved some of important data to DVDs.
I wrote letter to HP support. I described problem and what do you think they advised me? Shut the computer down, disconnect the AC adapter and remove the battery, press the power button down for about 30-60 seconds. Are they kidding me? How it can help? HP Support is s…..
I don’t have hot air gun ( no wonder! ), so i try to find some repair shop to re-flow chipset. Or buy another notebook, and it will not be HP, I am absolutely sure.

By Sasha on Aug 12, 2008

Hi guys,
I too have this problem and was wondering if I get the computer booted up with the “towell” trick, will the BIOS update help at all?
Thanks
Martin

By Martin on Aug 12, 2008

oh yeah the only thing they repaired on my laptop is replacing the heatsink and i think they did a BIOS update since the fan is always on now. they insist that it is only a motherboard problem and they do not cover any graphics card problems or any other part so if more people have problems with other parts please come forward and email hp about it so they won’t insist that its only a motherboard problem because they want to avoid losing profit from their faulty products i was lucky enough to have 16 days left of the 1 year warranty I’m not using my laptop as much yet till i get the DIY repair from kalf also always call HP about the repairs because they won’t repair it right away if they know you don’t care much about it i always call them everyday and it only took them 3 business days to fix and send me on the 4th business day instead of their 7-9 businesss day promise. I hope more people come forward about these problems or tell them that you will boycott them for their faulty products and we should start a petition about it if my laptop is still no reliable i will try to report it in a local news or post it on NBC or CNN so that this problem will be addressed nationwide and i encourage you all to email legit news site about this so that HP cannot lie about their faulty products.

By Rae on Aug 12, 2008

Martin,
The latest BIOS update runs the fan at full blast all the time in a poor attempt to keep the GPU cool (EDIT: I have not confirmed this.  I am going off of what Rae has said and what the industry’s response to this problem with the GPUs has been.  Other manufactures have also released BIOS updates which run the fan all out all the time. ). If your computer is already to the point where it won’t turn on without being preheated (the towel trick) it is not going to help at all.
Sorry.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 12, 2008

It seems this issue is really starting to blow up now. Wow, other than the fact that I am personally effected by this, it is kind of cool to watch it unfold.
Anyway, I have a new search term that yields some good results on this: “hp bios update for nvidia gpu”

Here’s another one: “nvidia defective gpus”.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 12, 2008

I am yet another victim. Right on time as well. It’s been around 14 months since the purchase of the dv2000 in Sydney. I couldn’t just sit there watching my computer die so I googled my symptoms and here I am. So I tried heating up my laptop using the towel method. I actually have an electric blanket which I just put on full blast and left my laptop on top of it so it would heat its ass. What do you know? It miraculously turns on!

HP are obviously aware of this problem but I could not find my product number listed as eligible for extended warranty. As you could imagine.. I’m pissed off. I am currently writing an email to the poor bottom of the corporate ladder dude who has to read them. I’ve told him to fix it with a 2mm copper plate instead of that blue gum and if he declines to fix it for free then I will take it up with Mark Hurd, the ACCC (consumer watchdog) and fair trading authorities. Come to think of it, we’ve had to take it in for a repair before this. The damn DVD drive wasn’t detecting!

I will keep you posted on their response! I really wanted to buy the HP Mini 2133 as well but now I’m quite reluctant.

By AyKay on Aug 13, 2008

Thanks Kalf,
Well, I reckon I’ll update it anyway as I did manage to get it booted up last night after sticking it in the oven with a baked potato for a couple of hours.
For a long term fix, I think the copper-spacer trick sounds the best. I have a feeling this a better solution that sending it back to HP under extended warranty!
Cheers – Martin

By Martin on Aug 13, 2008

Hi all,
Since I am posting a message here you already know that I am a dv2000 user. I bought my laptop 1 year and 4 months ago and yesterday it died with the same 1 long 2 short beeps symptoms. My laptop was bought in US but now I live in Belgium and I will see what I can do with the HP crap support.My product number is not listed on the official HP website for Limited Warranty Service Enhancement. But I know that I will NEVER BUT A HP AGAIN.

By sasoml on Aug 17, 2008

hi fellas,
glad i found this link…thanx to all posters..and obviously i have same problem with my dv2000…i hope our techie guys here will give us a step by step guide….(pics or video perhaps) to solve this prob….Martin is right about the copper-spacer tricks….so with finger-crossed i’ll be waiting and hope for the best,,,,

By shemberg on Aug 17, 2008

So to ‘fix’ this problem is it only the whole copper/silver procedure that needs to be carried out, or do actual components need to be replaced?

By Cludzy on Aug 21, 2008

It depends on how you define ‘fix’. The copper plate and arctic silver trick will hopefully let the laptop live a long, happy, and useful life. But the underlying problem is with the GPU. In a nutshell the chips are poorly designed and defective.
The only way the problem will be truly fixed is if HP does a recall. This will probably not happen. To my knowledge Nvidia still hasn’t made a statement on the specifics of which chips are effected. Basically it amounts to a giant hush campaign.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 21, 2008

To all the affected people Dv2000 is included under the warranty enchancement thing which means that you can get your laptop fixed because the problem falls in the nvidia GPU chip what kalf said was true the BIOS only change the the fan setting to run full blast all the time but still overheats easily even though i was only using it for a couple of minutes thats why i was hesistating to use it and they insist that it is only a motherboard problem and no other defect is unter the extended warranty (2years after the purchase) I greatly encourage people who have a problem with their hp laptops to insist that it’s only a mother board problem because other parts is also affected by the GPU chip defect. because hp will have to cave in and awknowledge that its not just a motherboard problem but it’s an overall design which affect all parts.

By Rae on Aug 22, 2008

i am having same issue with my hp dv2000. i bought it in nov 2006 and it overheated so badly it burnt a table . they told me it was my fault and i should have used a fan cooler with my notebook. they agreed to change it and give me a new one following day and i have had the same issue – overheating , beeps, and last week black screen. i had a one year warranty only . if i had two i would be covered for repairs until december. oh i have also had issues with wireless card. it never charged to 4 hour capacity – battery never runs longer than one hour. the shop put this down to my not charging it properly they didnt see a fault.
i think they should extend the warranty to two years for all dv2000 as at 1390 it is not cheap. its a joke.
i suggested to the retailer when they replaced my original purchase that this was a design flaw.. whether it is invidia graphic card and/or fan system and /or other it seems like a lot of faults in one package . they should have recalled them .

By julianna kenny on Aug 24, 2008

Hi all, i have been heated my graphic card on 6129eu, and it’s start to work!!! great!

By Dim on Aug 24, 2008

Right, well due to my new school year starting September i will attempt shortly to carry out the copper/arctic silver method to ‘fix’ it as i will desperately be needing it!!
But…
DAC said above: – “To fix the problem you have to re-flow the solder on the BGA. This should be done as a last resort (after your laptop doesnt turn on any more even when you heat it up). You have to strip down laptop to the motherboard. Bake the motherboard in a fan forced over at 80 degrees celcius for at least 24 hours (to get rid of any moisture that might be in the chip or solder). Immediatly after you take it out of the over, you need a hot air gun capable of reaching about 300 degrees. Heat the entire GPU chip and its board (don’t worry – all components can take 300 degress celcius for solder-reflow and did when the board was made). Keep bumping the GPU chip very slightly with a small screw driver, it will eventually become loose. Don’t lift it up however. Just keep the heat on for a few seconds to let the solder reflow and make a connection with the balls underneath.”

So where does the copper plate/arctic silver come into this?

I dont care about a picture guide anymore, i would just appreciate any simple worded instructions that are likley to ‘fix’ the problem in the simplest way possible.

By Cludzy on Aug 25, 2008

Oh and i cant see an ‘edit’ function so apologies for the multi-post…but yeah, Kalf, letting my laptop live a long, happy and useful life is exactly what I’m after!
I don’t particularly care for the chip being defective (things are as they are..) provided it wont break the connection down in a permanent way…(or i’ll mail bomb HP and nVidia. Repeatedly.)

By Cludzy on Aug 25, 2008

Cludzy,
You should attach the copper after you reflow the GPU and have the computer mostly put back together. Like right before you reattach the heatsink.

A word of caution: if you do this mod and HP does do a recall it might void any warranty entitlement.

By Kalf I. Nee on Aug 26, 2008

I bought compaq 6739 tu (here in thailand,same company hp/compaq)for two months. it has been sent to repair two times already(right now it is in the centre) It is so hot like a toast cooking stove, 63c within 5 min after opening without doing anything.the repair centre changed mainboard once,problems exist, send ot once and now wait. I just wonder how this can happen and if someone had the same problem as mine?

By kwan on Aug 27, 2008

I had this problem with my laptop…after only having it for 18 months its safe to say i was not impressed. After reading the advice on this forum we ‘cooked’ the computer and im happy to say it works again. Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I am on happy girl!

By Becca W on Aug 27, 2008

Becca,
what do you mean ‘cooked’??
And does yours now boot up normally?

By Cludzy on Aug 31, 2008

Sorry I have taken so long, I actually forgot where this website was at.

The steps to fix it are not for unskilled people. This is probably why HP wants you to return it. However there are 2 ways to fix this problem yourself:

1. By the motherboard from HP. They will sell the motherboard for a discounted price if you return the broken motherboard. This 3 beep problem is from a bad motherboard (the GPU chip is fixed to the motherboard). This *might* be cheaper than paying HP to fix it. In Australia where I am HP wanted $400+ to fix it, but I could buy a new motherboard for $300 if I gave them my old one (no doupt so they can swap the GPU and resell it).

2. You might as well try to fix it yourself before hand if you are going to buy a new motherboard, as you can’t really break whats already broken. use the tech manual on the site to strip down the PC and remove the motherboard board. Take off the heat sink and CPU. Bake in an over at 80 degrees Celcius for 24 hours (do it on a weekend when you are home I dont want people to burn their houses donw). Use a hot air gun or some other heating device to blow hot air directly onto the GPU chip to make it reach 190 degrees celcious (not 300 degrees!). That should reflow the solder. Rebuild the laptop and it should work.

Just putting new thermal paste on the CPU and GPU and cleaning the dust out isn’t likly to fix anything. It will stop a working laptop from failing, but it probably won’t get a dead one working.

If you are unsure weither reflow will fix it, there are a few ways you can test. You can either heat the laptop and try to boot it. The best way to do this to leave it on after it does its beeps and wrap it in a towel until it gets really warm.

You might want to consider removing the motherboard and taking it to an electronics repair shop and telling them you want the GPU chip reflowed. They should have equipment that can do this within a minute or so. Its very easy if you have a reflow station.

By Dand on Sep 2, 2008

The thermal silver paste comes into it when you rebuild the laptop. Since the heat sink is removed you need to re-apply thermal paste onto the top of the CPU. Buy a tube of artic silver and spread it over the top of the CPU and GPU as thin as possible before you put the heat sink back on.

By Dand on Sep 2, 2008

Thanks Dand!! Now that im back at school and have gotten permission to use their worktables for this i guess the only i will need to do is buy myself a hot air gun and the artic thermal silver paste.
Im assuming i would need static protection?
Hopefully by this time next week my laptop will be functional again!!! =]=]=]
I will report back anything interesting =]

By Cludzy on Sep 3, 2008

hey, I just fixed one of these laptops (dv 2000) for a friend, using some of the tips from this website. Basically what I did was, heat up the base of the laptop using a hot water bottle/electric blanket -

This allowed me to boot into xp and the beeps disappeared – i then updated the bios. But still it kept on beeping after rebooting, after being switched off for a couple of hours. So then I went into the Bios and disabled SATA Enhanced support (its the one that says will work better under windows 2000 and 98) and then the laptop suddenly booted as normal back into XP, no more beeps.

One more thing is the system battery may need replacing, as its not good at remembering bios settings, like the clock or disabling Enhanced SATA Support.

I hope thats help, thanks for this site! :O)
Peace.

By yousuf on Sep 4, 2008

Sorry theres a mistake in the above comment, after rebooting it blue screened with error no 0×00…7b, so disabling the SATA support fixed this issue – I believe…plus no more beeps.

By yousuf on Sep 4, 2008

Please translate spanish to english with Google.

Hola, mi nombre es Oscar y soy de Chile y les quiero contar que he realizado lo que mencionaron sobre la placa de cobre de 2mm en la GPU, igual como lo explicaron, y bueno, el dv2000 sigue teniendo 3 beep, pero casi nunca, pero al dejarlo calentarse por 15 minutos el notebook entra al sistema… y verificando su temperatura con el everest, ha bajado mucho… antes se calentaba demasiado en poco tiempo… 2 minutos y ya estaba en 67 grados celsius… y luego con la placa de cobre y pasta termica ha bajado a 47 grados celcius… Antes sonaban los 3 beep y el notebook no hacia nada.

Les agradezco mucho por los datos… y nada, un saludo desde el sur y fin del mundo, CHILE.

Oscar
Santiago de Chile

EDIT: (Google Translation)

Please translate spanish to english with Google.

Hello, my name is Oscar and I come from Chile and I want to tell them that I have done what you mentioned on the copper plate 2mm in the GPU, just as they explained, and well, the dv2000 still 3 beep, but almost never, but warmed to leave the notebook for 15 minutes… enters the system and verify its everest with the temperature has gone down a lot… before warming in too little time… 2 minutes and was already at 67 degrees Celsius… and then with the copper plate and thermal paste has dropped to 47 degrees celcius… Before the 3 beep sounded and the notebook is not to anything.

I thank you very much for the data… and nothing, a greeting from the south and end of the world, Chile.

Oscar
Santiago de Chile

By Oscar on Sep 4, 2008

i have the same problem w my customized dv2000 cto. we all have defective motherboards in connection w the nvidia gpu defect. EVERYONE needs to contact hp about this so that they will recognize the impact of the problem and hopefully be responsible about it. as terri said: Email their CEO by clicking “Contact HP” on their home page. Then under “Email HP” click “Other questions/feedback”. Then click the last link, “Send a message to the CEO – Mark Hurd.”

By jon on Sep 9, 2008

hp says the problem occurs with amd based computers. my research on forums says that its linked to a bad bios, or bad mother board, or bad gpu (nvidia). symptoms include: blank screen w/ indicator lights on, wireless connection problems….hp support put out a warranty enhancement, but it looks as if customers w customized laptops dont get service (like me). on further inquiry i found that theyre only servicing amd based products because they received a significant amount of problems with them. i guess they havent documented many cases w intel based products, so please do ur part by contacting them.

By jon on Sep 9, 2008

Right, my hot air gun and static protection strap have arrived tday, im still awaiting the arctic silver, copper and the correct screwdrivers..but within the week i should have all the tool necessary and will start work =]

By Cludzy on Sep 9, 2008

Yay, all the tools have come tday!! So tmorrow i’ll operate and just mabye..i’ll next be posting on my DV2000!!

By Cludzy on Sep 11, 2008

Bad news, the laptop failed again and has gone back to normal ways – I don’t we’re getting any beeps anymore – infact I don’t think we’re getting anything.

I’m going to try that oven trick and see what happens…

Peace

By yousuf on Sep 11, 2008

Well ive spent about 3 hours on it so far…and im still trying to take the dam thing apart! Its EXTREMELY hard to disconnect the plug wire port things as they are so small and delicate!…Umm..but having said that nothing has gone ‘wrong’ besides one screw being stripped which forced me to rip the plastic cover off partially…
Its extremeley stressful and i would advise any ‘novice’ person doing this to keep in mind that this is not a 3 hour procedure but something which will span several days…
I also have a bastard cat that keeps knocking the makeshift worktop in the kitchen about..i feel like locking it up somewhere! -.-

By Cludzy on Sep 14, 2008

Right, at long last in the dv2000 operation ive got to the motherboard =] im just in the process of getting it out (im not even thinking about the trauma of putting it all back together!!) but yeah, i think the heat gun process will be carried out tommorrow =]

By Cludzy on Sep 15, 2008

Well i have just contacted HP today regarding the same fault plaguing our DV2054EA unit, its been working ok most of the time, but the user started to say it wasnt booting at all, and i found that it was working ok without the battery a few months back. Got new battery for it, and all seemed well, until last week it was dying and beeping all the time.

found this site and all the HP website links, called the UK support today and after giving all the info, and escalating it to a Customer Service Supervisor/Manager, i got told that its 2 weeks out of warranty and that model is not covered under the Service Enhancement, despite telling them I am an IT Manager, let them hear the beep codes and tell them i did the bios update from F.10 to F.39 this morning with no difference. They want £260 for the repair, and will not do it any other way.

I got a bit angry given the amount of HP hardware we have in our company, and lost my temper a bit, now i am glad i made the decision a year ago to switch our laptops to IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads – i have never had a days bother from most of them, and the ones that had issues, i had replacement parts the next day.

I now have a nearly useless laptop now, and have to go break the bad news to my boss.

By Iain on Sep 16, 2008

What i meant with regaurds to ‘cooking’ my laptop is i left the motherboard in the oven for 24 hours. And yes in reply my laptop is working once again. I have now installed software to monitor the temperature of my laptop and purchased a cooling stand to sit it on which seems to be doing the trick. Also check out the HP website as there has been an exstension to the warranty of some of the dv2000 laptops. Good luck!

By Becca Wolf on Sep 19, 2008

right…heat gunning in about 2 mins…im not ‘quite’ sure what im sposed to heat for how long…but im assuming the GPU is the tiny chip near the CPU.
i hope i dont break it…

By Cludzy on Sep 19, 2008

right, ive spent an adequate 20 mins with the heating and i think thats enough…
im letting the unti cool, then i’ll apply the paste and i’ll rebuild it. (im gunna forget doing the copper as i serously consider buying a new laptop within a year or so anyway, so by the time this happens again it shouldnt bother me.
Im hoping it works. and im hoping that dropping the motherboard 15 cm onto the laptop plastic casing just after heating didnt damage anything!!
…im not too positive about the outcome…

By Cludzy on Sep 19, 2008

I had the same problem yesterday. After leaving the laptop sit there for a 30 minutes or so I tried it again and it worked. Not too long after though (maybe 20 minutes later) it froze again and when I tried to start it again it wouldn’t start, instead beeping. Since then I haven’t be able to start it.

Hopefully they’ll fix it the under warranty, not under HP though (over a year old), but under the extended warranty from the store I bought it at.

Is it recommended to leave in, or take out your hdd when sending for repairs?

By dh on Sep 21, 2008

What are the dimensions of the 2 mm copper plate? Can a penny, ~ 2mm, be cut down? If not, where did people get the copper plate?

Would there be any concerns about replacing the arctic silver paste with non-conductive mx-2 thermal compound?

Thanks

By Michaael on Sep 23, 2008

I have the same problem “1 long beep then 2 short beeps” on my dv2113tx yesterday. I buy it when i studied at China, and now i got back to Indonesia. I’m using Towel trick so i can use laptop for work. I know it would be a temporary solution,and time will come when it won’t work anymore..
DanD, after you did “cooked” and reflow, is your laptop work fine?
Cludzy, plz tell the progress? is your laptop back to normal condition?

By Jonathan on Sep 24, 2008

I took my dv2200 apart, cooked the motherboard at 80 C for 24 hours, heated the gpu, probably more than 190 C. It did not appear to be lifted and did not seem to move when I heated it. I did not do the copper plate as there did not seem to be a way to keep it in place.

I put it all back together and unbelievably, it works! I will see how long but so far so good. Hopefully the bios update that keeps the fan on will help. Thanks for the guidance.

By Michaael on Sep 28, 2008

i have my dv2000(dv2213tx), i have the same problem twice, i have already extend the warranty until 2010, but still waiting for good resolution for this problem. So far, changing Bios to newer version doesn’t make any better, just getting hot and hotter.

By jo on Sep 30, 2008

right im here to report what happened after i carried out procedures!!!
Basically to cut a long story short, my laptop worked for about 24 hours after completing the ‘fix’ however it was prone to overheating and spontaneous restarts. The c drive had lots of corrupt files and it was really glitchy and slow to boot and stuff.
Then quite simply, it restarted itself…but never booted windows again. And that was that.
I think the hard drive is at fault though because the laptop itself turns on fine without a problem…only thing is that ive now lost a hard drive, my operating system, and like lots and lots of programmes.
Least i ‘fixed’ it though. That felt good that did when it booted for the 1st time =].
Anyways my personal plans are to get a totally different machine and later if i can be bothered, buy a new HDD and put linux on the thing…

By Cludzy on Sep 30, 2008

Yeah, I had the same problem as all you guys here. I used the towel trick and now I can at least start up my computer. I called HP tech support, mentioned the warranty program (but my product number isn’t covered) and eventually got elevated to a Case Manager. I explained the situation and bsically they keep denying there’s a problem with Nvidia graphics cards – saying how the warranty is for a different unrelated problem. I tried to argue with them for about an hour but just gave up. We need more people to call them up and complain: 1-866-671-7362. Let them know you’re sick of this and want a repair. Hopefully they will extend the program to the rest of us affected.

By H on Sep 30, 2008

I called HP for this problem and they sent me a box and I shipped back to them. They said no charge. Hopefully this will work out OK.

By Graham on Oct 7, 2008

I have the same problem “1 long beep then 2 short beeps” on my DV2123TX last week. I bought it in Singapore on 2007.This is the second time.I called HP Singapore and they checked it, they asked me to pay around S$500.It’s unfair.I bought my notebook S$3000, it was not the cheap notebook.The 1’st time I spent S$500 to repair and now must I spend another S$500 for repairing? How come?I was very dissapointed with HP.It was my first time using HP notebook.I don’t want to buy another HP notebook anymore.I pay much in order to get a good product,so how about HP’s service to the customer especially for me as a new HP customer.

By Itang on Oct 29, 2008

Hey,

Great info….

I have a DV2000 – Just under 2 years old 3 BEEPS on boot etc problem – Im not too technical to the level some of you guys are on here so if there is anyone in and around the London (UK) area who would be willing to fix mine im sure we can come to some arrangement.

Thanks
Paulo…

By paulo on Oct 30, 2008

Well you can read how i fixed mine above, but two months later and it has failed again. I had noticed it getting a little hot and the next time went to turn on I get the stupid beeps AGAIN. I am going to try to reflow the GPU BGA chip again…

If you get yours working/fixed i recommend selling it IMMEDIATLY. You will eventually just get the problem again, its a poor design in the way the GPU heatsink attachs to the cooler and a poor vent/exhaust setup.

If yours is working never let it get hot to touch underneath and always give the vents plenty of room and open up the heatsink and fan assembly and clean it out like every month… mine clogs up nearly every month just because the dust fins are so skinny….

By DanD on Nov 3, 2008

Dear all,
Mine have the same problem with yours, the 3 beeps of death.
Then fortunately, i met a friend which is a technician. He fix my laptop not by reflowing the connection, but by completely replace the lead connections by tint, and fix the copper plate too. Then, he add some IC to get my fan run faster.
I found my laptop run by 42-48 Celcius even when burning DVDs now. I used both Everest and speedfan to measure temp.

My laptop has run for 2 months now, based on daily task: web surfing, office editing, emailing, burn 1-3 DVDs a week. And i am pleased to see it still survive.

Also, i am looking for a mainboard with GMA vga to completely replace the Nvidia. It’s a downgrade, but i think i will happy with that solution.

Good luck for you all.

By Mr. Monster on Nov 5, 2008

Hi DanD,
thanks for all your informative posts.

as I’m new at this, would like to ask if you have considered buying a new motherboard? will this solve the problem?

thanks

By A on Nov 5, 2008

I have the same problem with you all.I submitted my complain to HP Singapore because I stay in S’pore, they picked up up my notebook.It was the 2nd time for the ‘3 beeps sound’ problem.After diagnosing the engineer said that the problem is on VGA GForce 7200,so he must change the motherboard and I must pay around S$500.HP said that my product number is not mention on the list for warranty enchancement. After I checked in the HP web,mine was discontinued,so all the data about the same product number series are deleted.The first time 3 beeps sound happened 4 months after warranty expired and the second time happened again after 5 months repaired.I bought it on 2007. Could any body help me to solve this problem?It was so complicated,made me frustrating and wasting my time to talk to HP.The problem is HP doesn’t want to repair for free. Thanks.

By Harry on Nov 6, 2008

Would anyone be able to recommend a decent repair technician that would be able to complete this work – Im based north west of London …….

Cheers
Paulo…

By paulo on Nov 13, 2008

Hi, guys, isn’t convincing that HP DV2000 is one heck of a failure of HP?…I’m now in the process of striping one now…May God Help me, I think i’m gonna screw up rebuilding it all over again…I can’t loosen up the motherboard…could you help me on this…I’m gonna try the copper plate and thermal compound, heat gun and bakery thing…Let the whole world cross finger with me….

By Ismael on Nov 28, 2008

Hmn, I’m just wondering……
about the Motherboard…does it tell HP brand on it?….

..graphic card, is there any HP mark on it?…
…well the only words that is so familiar all over the board and in the chipsets is “Made in China”, Hp was read on the stickers and in the skin of the notebook only…uhm,…..we are really hopeless in this matter…..

By Ismael on Nov 28, 2008

Hi,

I followed DanD steps, except from baking the MOBO I did the rest… and I put it back to work fine… after 15 days it stopped again… so i did the procedure again but this time I used a 3mm cooper piece to make the cooler force the GPU down a little… has been working fine for 3 month now… I post any updates on this case… thx.

PS: If you ever try this procedure, you should be very careful with the hot air gun… you can easily set loose some of the SMD components near the GPU!

By gus_from_brazil on Dec 9, 2008

Hello,

as per DanD steps, mines is now working!, thank God, but i did not use that 3mm copper sheet, cuz its hard to find it here at my place, what I did is I added addtional silver thermal compound after blowing it with Heat Gun…

It is really a GPU issue, if ever it dies again the only thing you need to do is Blow it again with heat gun, (P.S. you don’t need to dis mantle the mobo) just remove the top cover and heat it,….

I think, if you want your DV2000 to live more is………………………………….

BLOW IT with A BLOW TORCH!….hehehehe…..

Oh, by the way, can anybody post some pictures regarding the locations of it’s screws…..
I’m kinda mess up here…can’t even remember one of them where to put ‘em…..

By Ismael on Dec 10, 2008

The towel method really works well, I upgraded the BIOS for dv2000 after boot up and seems the laptop seems to work fine after new bios F.39 upgrade. Thank you.

By Singapore User on Dec 15, 2008

After reading all your post here, i feel that i am definetely not the only person who has a defective item from HP, who’s customer service is extremely poor! I am tempted to create a blog where people will write into HP about this and then post their outcome on it. Does anyone agree with this?! I have writen to them and have had no reply, so i emailed them again this morning, but i’m sure not all owners would be bothered to write in so they haven’t got enough evidence to take actions. Let’s all be together and try and reclaim what we paid for.. a good laptop..not!

By catarina on Dec 17, 2008

Hi guys, i have now created a blog where i just would like people to comment on their experience with HP and if they have had their laptop repaired.
It is also a kind of incentivation for those of you who have not yet been able to convince HP that your laptop is faulty, to write to them or maybe to the watchdog if you are a UK user. here is the blog http://dv2000rippedoff.blogspot.com/

By catarina on Dec 18, 2008

My dv2278ea RZ978EA also has this problem and has been gathering dust since August 08 when it died 4 months out of warranty.

HP support bordered on rude even though I originally spent £900 let alone all the extras (bag, dock, 22″ monitor (now clicking), pocket drive, tv card, spare battery, spare charger!)

Well done Catarina for starting the blog. I shall add my comments there too.

By Battman on Dec 23, 2008

My dv2000t died in August and I’ve spent hours on the phone with HP without luck. There’s a lot of action on the HP forum sites, but HP is heavily censoring and quite a few vocal customers have been banned. Hence, I suggest you check out http://www.hplies.com and sign up.

By jwcrowe on Dec 23, 2008

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1274587
If you follow this thread which is the “business” forum community you will find close 800 – 1000 people with the same story – on ONE thread minus the 400 or more who were deleted from the thread by HP monitors – and if you troll the several communities you will find even more … I for one believe that while the Nvidia graphics card may be the focus (Nvidia is being sued and has authorized several millions of dollars for to builders to help with the costs Hp hasn’t offered a thing)the mother boards are defective as well.
But the main point is that HP is screwing the hell out of buyers. Many of the 400 or more that were deleted said so in no uncertain terms for which their post were either heavily edited or deleted completely.
I have a warning I will be “thrown out” from the “HP Team” for suggesting that the monitor was on “crack” after he posted some lame ass something about “forum rules and protocols” … in the face of the hundreds of complaints posted.
I have been visiting nearby stores like Officemax,Staples,Walmart and Best Buy giving their sales people the addresses of the known issue sites and the business forum site urging them to steer buyers away from HP.

Mine a dv9205 will be “repaired” but I have little hope it will hold – several posts on the forum are again posting AFTER the repair…
And one the guys on the forum is pursuing a class action lawsuit – which I really believe is what will be needed to pull HP’s head out of their ass – another thought is to batch email all the known posts to their main head quarters – I would if I knew how …
DON’T GIVE UP !!
Tigere
Arizona

By tigere on Dec 26, 2008

I use a pure silver piece with 2mm thick on top of GPU, and put artic silver on both sides of the silver piece, and then put heat sink on top of it. Now, my DV2208TX runs very smooth. Even with 40 minutes 100% CPU usage for rendering a movie, the GPU temperature is less than 60′C. With normall running for business, GPU temperature is about 50′C.

Thanks DanD! Your information is quite helpful!

I have already posted my pictures during DIY on a Chinese laptop BBS. The link is http://benyouhui.it168.com/thread-891566-1-1.html

By frank on Dec 27, 2008

My DIY is based on the laptop hasn’t problem of beeps. If it had problem of beeps and then no video no post, you’d repaired it first. During the last step of repairing, i.e., assembling, make it according to my pictures.

By frank on Dec 27, 2008

Hello everyone … I have the same 3 beeps issue and I’m hoping to get some resolve out of HP.

I notice the blog above has been removed, but the petition is still available here:-

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/HP_petition_laptop/index.html

Please sign so we can try to sort this out.

Thanks

By Stacy on Jan 2, 2009

dv2298ea – 1 long 2 short – bought in the UAE died just after the 1st year. Towel trick will allow it to start. HP no where to be seen.

By jerkchick on Jan 6, 2009

Thanks DanD for all informations.

I have just succeed to repaire my dv2000 today.
As I have no oven nor hot-air gun, I do it in some different way. I don’t know if someone already post here or not. I cannot read all the posts here.

I have replaced the thermal gum with a 1.5-mm-thick aluminum plate.

I followed how to disassemble the dv2000 from the manual at http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01035657.pdf.

I replaced the thermal gum with a 1.5-mm-thick aluminum plate (artic silver on the both side).

I reassembled the dv2000, not forgeting to apply the artic silver on CPU.

Then I did the towel trick until my dv2000 worked again. However, I need to the trick for a few times. The first time after the PC cold down, the beep problem came back again. In fact, I have left the PC very hot that it shut itself down for a few times.

After that, I updated the bios. And it seems to be good. I will post again to inform if I have more problem.

By Mai on Jan 8, 2009

Hi all. I am from Singapore.

After reading online about defective HP DVxxx series notebooks, I am pretty sure my HP Pavilion DV2121TX is defective too. Listed below are the specifications & defective symptoms.

Specifications:
HP Pavilion DV2121TX
Pdt No: RL366PA
Intel core 2 duo T5600 1.83ghz
NvidiaGeforece Go7200 up to 128mb turboCache Video memory
Intel PRO/ wireless 3945 a/b/g 802.11 a/b/g wlan & Bluetooth
2gb Kingston ddr2 sdram (2 dimm)
1.3mp webcam,
14.1” WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
Super Multi 8X DVD R/RW with Double Layer Support
MS Windows @ XP Media Center Edition 2005 Windows Vista compatible

Bought a HP Pavilion DV2121TX in Feb 2007, within the 1st week of purchase, experienced vanishing icons on both desktop & start menu with frequent ‘hangs’.

HP claimed OS software conflict with Internet Explorer 6 that I had upgraded to online & was misled into to reinstalling MS OS several times. But system was still unstable, frequently ‘hangs’, non-booting (only booted after several days of rest!?!?), non-functioning multi- media keys & dvd-drive, notebook base was always hot when in use (overheating?) etc. I was not in Singapore & couldn’t get HP to repair set with given 1 yr of local warranty. A sgd2400 notebook would reasonably be expected to last a minimum of 3 years but not this lemon.

2 months ago, Nov2008, my notebook went BSOD!
After F10 diagnostics with HP tech tel. support detected hard disk failure, I did a clean installation of MS MCE OS on new Hitachi hard disk ( sgd 110! as my warranty had expired !) with HP Recovery DVDs purchased at sgd 50! that were of course not included at initial purchase) . But webcam, DVD-drive were not detected even after drivers re-installed. ( motherboard problem ??)

HP tel. support guided or should I say misled me into reloading webcam, Dvd drivers & flashing my bios not once but twice, (subsequently only webcam worked but not the dvd-drive ( although select audio CDs could still be played?) HP claimed dvd drive was busted!)

1month later, Dec2008, after 8 hrs of continued use & shutdown, notebook wont boot into windows & displayed ‘ Blue Screen – windows was not shut down properly…”, couldn’t into SAFE or any other mode.

New installation of MCE was done by HP but IE hangs when I tried surfing at the service center, dvd / cd drive was still not working & webcam was malfunctioning. Lousy tech service, HP didn’t even ensure set was functioning normally b4 return!!! & had the nerve to charge me sgd 102!

HP did a 2nd new OS installation & initially claimed hard disk conflict- unstable but after much prodding about motherboard issues , HP recommended new motherboard at sgd500!!!! as;
1) Notebook still intermittenly can’t boot up.
2) DVD drive intermittenly not detected.
3) Applications loads too slowly and hangs; (eg. Internet Explorer & webcam ).
4) HP splash screen takes very long to load ( more than 2 mins)

HP wasted my time on long frustrating tech tel support, useless OS & drivers reinstalls & bios flashes.

Hp ROBBED me of sgd2400+sgd50+sgd110+sgd102 =sgd2662 to date,
tries to rob me of another sgd 500 for a new motherboard (BUT SAME FAULTY DESIGN-OVERHEATING motherboard with faulty nvidia gpu). Of course I declined after discovering online HP’s great Pavilion DVxxx cover-up.

I should not be paying for FAULTY NVIDIA GPUs or HP’s motherboard design flaws.

Never buy hp pdts ever again!!!

By egar on Jan 9, 2009

after two days, my dv2000 is dead again. And this time I cannot use the towel tric to heat the GPU again. The new bios doesn’t allow high enough temperature

By Mai on Jan 12, 2009

my laptop dv2123 have the same problem, cant boot up. when turn on the laptop got beep (1 long 2 short) and all the light on the panel is on. I have chat with the hp suport line and they told me is the display card problem. My laptop is just bought about 1year and 9 mths.
I think the product really got design error since some many people encounter this problem.

By nikko on Jan 15, 2009

I have a DV 2130 ea, bough in England. The same problem, 3 beeps, happened in September, shortly after the end of the warranty, of course.
Thanks for the tips about the towel, I will try to make it work, backup everything and give the notebook carcass to my daughers, so they can finally play with dad´s computer.
I signed the petition, also. Now, thinking about the future, what notebook should we go after? Which one does not have this defective motherboard? Thanks for any help.
Regards from Brazil,
Astolfo

By Astolfo on Jan 15, 2009

Hi Guys,

Tear the laptop apart, clean out the fan and grills, find someone who has a Weller Pyropen (http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103590435) and use it in the flame thrower mode (much easier to limit the target area than a heat gun) to reflow the solder, replace the thermal compound with a copper plate and Arctic Sliver (you can just get some copper pipe from any plumbing store, hacksaw it then beat it flat) and you are good to go. If you are not a gamer then you can use the Nvidia display panel ‘Powermizer’ option to reduce the GPU clock frequency thus preventing that area getting too hot. Good luck, worked perfectly for me and the laptop is now much cooler.

By Andrew on Feb 8, 2009

HP Pavilion dv9000
P/N: RU859PA#UUF
dv9202TX

I bought my dv9000 at Courts in Singapore for SGD 3,300 w extra RAM, in July 2007. It lasted for 14 months before dying with vertical black and white stripes. I’ve always had the beeps, but I could restart the notebook on second try, so it never occured to me to send it for servicing within the first year.

I sent it for servicing and was charged SGD 490.68 for the repairs (the warranty had expired by 2 months).By the way, it took HP 2 months to fix and return back, in November 2008.

After only a few hours of use the notebook died again with the same symptoms! But now I have done my research and I am aware that HP knowingly sold me a defective item.

I gave it back to HP yesterday, just in time before the 3 months repair warranty expires.
I intend to fight and win my case in Singapore so I’ll keep you posted on the progress and resolution.

By Fabrice on Feb 10, 2009

I have a pavilion dv9000, with the same symptons described here. 1 short, 2 long beeps. I do not live in the US (although it was aquired in the US), so Extended Warranty is out of the question.
I took my notebook to an Electronic technician and asked exactly what Dand suggested: “want the GPU chip reflowed”, I will post my results afterwards.
My computer, did boot after the beeps though, but there where nothing on the lcd neither external monitor.
I was just wondering, if Dand’s suggestion does not work, is the new Motherboard the only solution?
What about an external video card? Could that be an alternative?

Here some links about it:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/guide/laptops.asp#LaptopMultimon5

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/12/06/more-usb-video-cards/

By ciclonpy on Feb 17, 2009

ciclonpy:

An external video card really isn’t an option because the faulty chip inside the laptop will prevent the computer from booting. If you do buy a new motherboard you will most likely run into this problem again. So, basically you should figure out if you want to spend the money on the motherboard and end up in the same place again or just buy a new laptop.
That’s my opinion.

By Kalf I. Nee on Feb 18, 2009

Ok. Thanks Kalf, I guess after reading some posts of people with the same result even after a Motherboard change, that the best option is to get rid of the notebook. I used to have very good results with HP laptops in the past. It’s a shame that they made such a design mistake on this models. I would think twice next time to by an on-board Nvidia Chip specially on HP.

By ciclonpy on Feb 22, 2009

Funny! I have found this site 2 years after I bought my DV2207ea, (Spain). It went dead 7 monts ago. The warranty lasts only 1 year. I blamed windows vista and I decided to buy a Macbook; the one from I am writing now,. … and now I find this!!!

Well … perhaps I’ll nerver return to PCs.. but I want to recover my dv 2207 because I want to give it to my mother. I think that HP enterprise are true thieves, and I’ll never buy anithyng from they again. I hope they’ll sink for ever with this crisis, they sonofbitchs (It wont hapen).

I dont want to spend a day heating a board. To the hell with it and with HP.

By Wikiku on Feb 23, 2009

A few weeks ago a friend gave me his HP DV2000. It would start to boot then shut off. Everything we tried didnt seem to fix the problem. He eventually gave up and bought another laptop. He since gave his DV2000 to me so I can tinker with it. After doing research, I came across this website. You guys are genius! My laptop was overheating big time! So I tore it apart and was able to add the copper pieces and artic silver and low and behold it completly fixed the problem! Now I have a great laptop that works like a champ!! Thanks everyone!!!

By Joel on Feb 25, 2009

hi guys

dv9000 same problem tryed to start but blank screen ,emailed hp in usa from the uk said they cannot help out of warranty told them this was not good engough they told me to call a number cost me £18.00 for the call
still no good.
£1200 down the drain
hope one day we can win these sort of problems

Phil

By phil on Feb 28, 2009

i had the same problem with my dv2419. i sent it in to HP under the limited extended service enhancement thing and they sent it back with a new mother board in working order.

i noticed that there is a flaw in the design of these things. the cooling fan is about 3 inches in diameter, but the air vent is only about the size of a quarter… so i took the computer apart.. drilled some more holes in the vent area with my dremel drill, put the computer back together and bam! now the computer maintains a pretty good working temperature. i can feel a lot more air blowing from the vent as well.

By chris on Mar 29, 2009

i also had dv2000 that gave 3 beeps when attempting to turn it on,Ive managed to take it appart and blasted the gpu chip with a heat gun for a few minutes removed blue heat pad and replaced with a piece of copper plate put it all back together and it worked no problems, Also i raised it of the table a inch with some homemade legs and removed cover from underneath and placed a small fan to blow cold air from below the result is idle temp gpu and cpu of 38c and gaming 60c……

By ste0835 on Mar 31, 2009

you guys are cool! i’ll try the procedure tomorrow. i’ll add one step tho’ – that’s to cover the whole mobo with alum foil except for the GPU. that way the other components will be protected from the heat.
thanks dan !

By edc on Apr 10, 2009

Guys help !! I recently got the 3 beeps, I managed to strip my laptop; followed your blasting GPU and thermal copper procedure;the 3 beeps gone and I can see now the HP logo.
I do a clean install but at the middle of installation it stops then shutdown on its own.
I tried doing it again but no luck.

Is this the same GPU failure mode?

By jmg723 on Apr 17, 2009

jmg723,
Sounds like your system might be overheating. It’s not the same GPU issue, as you would not be able to boot if it were.

By Kalf I. Nee on Apr 18, 2009

Hi Kalf,

Yes, it could be overheating problem now returns to 3 beeps.
I guess I need to do the reflow again; if it aint working then I guess its the end of the line for my hpdv2000.
No way I’m going to pay HP for a new MOBO.

By jmg723 on Apr 19, 2009

The heat gun procedure worked for me. My dv2200 has been working since 4/10. I highly suggest that you protect the other parts of the board from the heat when doing this procedure. I used alum foil – but don’t let it touch any part of the board except the nvidia chipset. cheers!

By edc on Apr 22, 2009

The heat gun procedure worked for me as well! Thanks a million for the tip.

I ended up using a reflow profile I found online at:

http://www.altera.com/literature/an/an081.pdf

I placed the heat gun approximately 6 inches from the chip surface and made sure I covered everything but the chip in aluminum foil. I also monitored the temperature with a simple meat thermometer in close proximity (but not touching) the chip and a timer. I placed a coin on the chip for a weight, moved the heat gun in slow circular motions, and let everything cool to ambient temperature before moving anything.

I will post back to let everyone know when/if this mod fails. For now, all is well and I will make sure that I monitor the temperature of the chip in the meantime.

Again, thanks for the help!

By Rob on Apr 23, 2009

Thanks Rob/ Kalf,

Pbfree 217C reflow profile indeed is the right temperature. I tried the 180C temp profile it worked but it did not last; goes back to 3 beeps.
Aside from the GPU; I also had an overheating CPU which I think is the root cause of this GPU failure.
I would suggest, that after doing the GPU reflow copper fix ; dont forget to thoroughly clean your CPU heatsink/fins and to put on fresh thermal grease to CPU and NVIDIA chips.

Mine is working now, Thanks for the help.

By jmg723 on Apr 26, 2009

Well, after 6hrs of work i got the motherboard out heated it for 5min with a hair drier, put things back together bt didnt work, if i cnt find a heatgun, what can i use? Can anyone help me with a pic that indicates where the videocard is on dv2000

By Boudy Bacha on Apr 26, 2009

hi everybody, one long and two short beeps , not any screen visual.Computer is HP pavilion dv 2000. My friend gave me that dead computer one week ago . I am in Turkey and the HP tech service picked up a bill 427 Usd plus tax for repairment. Changing for main board ,battery and fan! The warranty time passed only one month. I don’t think to send it to service .
I read all the mail in your web and understand that there is no safety side beyond the some strong firm just like HP.

By mehmet on Apr 29, 2009

This is an email I sent to HP CEO:

My HP notebook is dead. As soon as I restarted my laptop I get the following beep error from the BIOS: 1 long beep, brief pause, 1 short beep, brief pause, 1 short beep. Then nothing, no video, no nothing. All of the lights came on (Quick Play, power, etc.) but the computer was just sitting there a worthless hunk of metal and plastic.

I am part of bigger community having the same issue.

Some useful information:
SN XXXXXXXX and PN: XXXXXXX#XXXXX

Please see this link:
http://nf0g.projectnf0.com/coffeebranlaxative/2008/07/07/hp-pavilion-dv2000-3-beeps-no-video-no-post/

My notebook is delivered in your authorized service provider in Saudi Arabia in Khobar city. Luckily I have a 3 years extended warranty. However, I love my notebook, but with this experience, I lost my trust with HP products. I am an experienced IT professional and already dealt with other notebooks manufacturers and I realy care about your company reputation and name.
——

I suggest everyone send the same message I sent.

By Aiman on May 4, 2009

Hi,

An update:

I’ve called HP local authorized service center and they found that the motherboard need to be replaced. It will take them 10 to 15 working days to get it from Dubai (HP middle east HQ).

Also, I’ve got this auto reply from HP CEO office :

Thank you for taking the time to send HP your comments.
We apologize for the difficulties you’ve experienced.
Your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate
people within Hewlett-Packard for their information and review.
Your input is important to us.

Sincerely,

CEO Customer Relations

———–

Please wait for the next update

By Aiman on May 6, 2009

Update:
I’ve got a call from HP customer care center in Dubai on May 6, asking about the problem and I guess that the message from the CEO office was forwarded to them. I explained the problem to the lady on the phone and she promised to take care about the issue by expediting the repair and the spare parts delivery process. I told her that my problem is with the warranty since I will got a new motherboard and this is a major change in the notebook. She replied that HP policy says we have no more than 3 years that includes the extended warranty even with a major replacement like this!

Today is Sunday and until now there is no new news from HP.

PS: I am 100% sure that the CEO or at least the HP customer care have visited this blog.

———–

Please wait for the next update

By Aiman on May 9, 2009

My notebook is hp pavilion dv2000 ,It beens a year and a month i have used it and now I got the same problem like you guys just 2 days ago.No video and the 3 beeps.
Now I’m searching for a video to see and learn the reflow process.
Thanks for the towel tips and now i can use my notebook for now

By blackstar222 on May 16, 2009

Finally the notebook is fixed and i’ve got it back with a new motherboard. Thanks to Hp for the great support

By Aiman on May 19, 2009

Aiman,

I’m glad HP replaced your motherboard. Many other people haven’t received any support from HP. Also, I hate to be negative, but replacing the motherboard doesn’t necessarily “correct” the problem. If the new motherboard contains the same faulty Nvidia GPU there is a good chance you will have this problem again. There are people who have had their motherboard replaced 3 times.

By Kalf I. Nee on May 19, 2009

I have a heat gun with 3 heat settings. At second setting, I have seen it melting plastic before. So, without a meat termosmeter, I set it to heat setting 1 and heated the GPU for one minutes. With copper plate added, it worked for 2 days and died again. Opened up, reheated for couple of minutes, but unfortunately, this time, it didnt help. Still in the opened state. Perhaps I’ll check if the temperature can reach 190 deg C at setting 2. Where I live, it’s hard to find meat thermometer. Hmm…

By SJ on May 21, 2009

I thought of buying good laptop that would last for years but HP disappoints me. Same problem after several repair with NVIDIA 7200 and 8400. I got both DV2121TX and DV2500 CTO both are dead after a year.

By Mark on May 24, 2009

Hi All, got a slight problem with a dv2175. Reflowed the graphics chip on the board and after reassembling worked fine and produced video. I placed a 2 pence piece between graphics chip, thermal paste and the already existing thermal pad, once i had everything back together the bloody fan was catching on something and buzzing on startup so i dissasembled to try and fine the solution. I thought it might the two pence piece so i changed it for a penny (i hadn’t got any 2mm copper handy) Now when it starts nothing no beeps no post just the fans going round and the wireless light on red and of course all the switch bar lights blue. Has anyone got any ideas? Should i reflow again? The heat gun i used has two settings 300 degrees and 600. I foiled all the plastics up and did a mix of 300 for aroung 3 minutes or so and 600 for a minute or so. Can someone tell me if the solder on the board has to bubble / melt as all i got mine to do was go a funny colour of brown round the edges? Thanks in advance. Mark

By Mark D on May 28, 2009

Mark D,
Reflow again. I’m not sure what you mean by the solder on the board, but the idea is to melt the solder balls of the GPU. Also, you really want to do away with that thermal pad and use some copper and thermal grease.

By Kalf I. Nee on May 28, 2009

Kalf I. Nee,
Thanks i will try the reflow again, before i don’t think i got it quite hot enough before.

By Mark D on May 29, 2009

Kalf I. Nee
Reflowed again today and im pleased to say it’s working fine now. I hope it lasts a while though as i’ve heard some reports that it breaks soon after. GPU-Z is telling me the temperature is currently 51 degrees whilst typing this. I have also updated the bios to F.39. I couldn’t get any 2mm sheet copper so i left the penny in there with two nice hefty blobs of thermal grease either side, i also removed the thermal pad. Thanks for you help.

By Mark D on May 29, 2009

I have a friend with a dv2130ea, she had the same problem, i’ve been working in IT for 15 years, i’ve never come across anything like this before, and i can’t believe that HP refuse to recognise this as a problem. The simple fact that a blanket over the unit fixes the issue. I left it on till it over heated and turned off (sounded like a better plan than fireing it up in the oven, especially with the stickers and other stuff on it) i’m still flabbergasted that it turned on. For those using a penny be careful that it doesn’t have a steel slug in the middle and it’s copper plated. I can see where the problem comes from, how HP expected the cooler to cool both the GPU and the CPU with that cooler is beyond me, especially if you block the ports on the bottom of the laptop. My plan if i can find the copper strip is to take it out beyond the heatsink and either drill some wholes in it to release the heat, or bend the plate over to reconnect back to the heat pipe. Then drill more holes in the chassis to let more air in.

For those of you taking the laptop apart it’s a right pain the … but only too me 2 hrs to take it apart and check the gum pad and put it all back together agin. I’ll let you know how it goes.

By Glynn on May 31, 2009

hello again everyone.
i had done what you guys did.The copper sheet thing and reappying thermal compound and i had cleaned my heatsink and removed the clogging dust.
The first time I starts my lappy was a success.I was really happy then i restart my computer and lifted it to see the heatsink fan .but is suddenly stops rotating and emits the 3 beeps.
Now i used the towel trick but it takes really long time than usual cos it wont get hot easily.But i managed to get it working again.
my quistion..what is my mistake?do i need to reflow again?
Are theres any specific explanition why this happens?
Pls do answer my question..^^

By BlAcKsTaR222 on Jun 1, 2009

BlAcKsTaR222,
Sounds like when you reflowed you didn’t get the GPU hot enough. On the brighter side, it sounds like you did a good job with the copper and thermal grease. Reflow. When reflowing the GPU try placing a small weight on top of the GPU so when the solder goes molten and then hardens again you get a good connection.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jun 1, 2009

I have a custom designed wired desk top computer which I purchased directly from HP about Feb 1 and placed in service April 14 (2009). The wireless keyboard went out last Friday. I spent 3 or 4 hours on the phone with some yahoos in India, the phillipines, or whatever wherein they ran every conceivable test to satisfy themselves it didn’t work. Finally, they agreed it didn’t work and placed an order for a replacement but not without demanding that I give them a credit card number to ensure I sent the defective one back. They assured me I would get a replacement within 2 or 3 days. Well, it now 5 days later and no notice or replacement.

So, I first tried to find out its status from the order department. After an hour (again with an oriental I could not understand) I was told I would have to speak to a technician. Well, I was lucky one again to get another oriental who I could not understand. (They also don’t understand me). But I did find out what happened. It seems that when the order dept. got the replacement order, they decided not to fill it since my stock PC called for a wireless keyboard and some brilliant person decided that the order was erroneous and cancelled it without consulting me or anyone else. As I said my PC was custom built and was configured “wireless”. I don’t even have a place to connect a regular
keyboard.

So now, they have supposedly ordered me another one which may make it to me by the 9th of June. I again had to give them my credit card info. All of this took about 3-1/2 hours. I am retired and can spend the time, but wonder how others have that kind of time.

I know one thing, I will never buy another piece of hardware from HP. I also will bad mouth them to any one I know. I may have to buy cartridges from them but nothing else.

By Pauline Westbrooke on Jun 3, 2009

I mistyped my PC. It is wireless.

By Pauline Westbrooke on Jun 3, 2009

Pauline Westbrooke,
Well… I approved your comment because that’s just the kind of guy I am. First, your comment seems really off topic. The original post specifically has to do with GPU failures in HP computers. I suppose it does highlight the poor customer service demonstrated by HP. I really don’t know how to feel about your “yahoos/oriental” comments. I know how hard it is when a person is trying to get a problem solved and there is a communication problem. It just kind of seemed liked you were bad mouthing a whole group of people over something they have no control over. You see ultimately, some corporate business type at HP made the decision to place customer support for an English speaking country in another country whose first language is not English. These “yahoos/orientals” are simply trying to make a living.
Maybe I picked up on some undertones that simply were not there, if so don’t take my comments to seriously. But it seemed to me like you were angry at the “foreign” customer support because they didn’t speak you language well enough. It’s not really their fault. The company made the decision, the company hired them.

By Kalf I. Nee on Jun 3, 2009

Its really sick, to see such a bad quality in a product. My dv2000 has had the same issue not one, but 4 times. Now im out of warranty, and guess what?? They want 300 of my hard earned bucks. Way to go HP. how come they cant just acknowledge their problem, i think even thought they’ll lose some money, they’ll earn their customers happiness, because at least in my case, i wont be buying any hp product soon.

By Julio Lorenzo on Jun 4, 2009

Omg the same thing happened to my compaq v3000 laptop. The screen went black today even though the sound card light, and the wireless light [orange] is on. They wanted $300 from me too, which i told them no. I’m going to be mad if they knew this problem will exist past their “extended” warranty!

By tai on Jun 7, 2009

Hi, i’m having the same problem as all of you, I have a dv 2213tx and just last year, I sent my notebook for repair due to the same problem and just earlier today, I restarted my computer for updates when the 3 beeps occured once again. I really don’t know what to do now since I have no way to reach any of the re-flowing tools. I am very dissapointed and shocked by the fact that HP’s notebook design is completely and utterly flawed and judging by all the comments above, contacting my area’s HP customer care service will be pointless.

Could anyone specify the method behind the towel trick, at the moment it looks like thats my only shot at getting this piece of junk to turn on…

By ben on Jul 1, 2009

alright, I’ve got it to work last night, thanks so much but the only problem is that while using it, it only lasted for about 30-40 minutes and then my wireless application began to fail and I was prone to restart, when I did the 3 beeps occurred again. any suggestions on how I can keep my computer running after using the towel trick to “jump start” it?

By ben on Jul 2, 2009

i got the same problem and i tried one unusual thing. I putted my laptop in frigde for 20 minuts and its works fine, but i am have worries about the moiste.

By serj on Jul 3, 2009

Thanks to DanD, DAC, Chris for the tips on fixing this laptop as i have many of these pavilion laptops to fix. I’d also like to thank Kaif I. Nee for this neat blog that’s been so usieful in resolving this issue. I’ve fixed one and have reflowed a second one. Gonna test that one tomorrow. The local HP Service centre people buggered it up before i got it though.

What i do differently is i don’t do the baking in the oven bit as its not really necessary. I also have an infra red rework station so i do the reflow with this. What is most helpful from this blog were the suggestions about the copper piece and increasing cooling by drilling extra holes. This certainly is better than getting a board from HP as it’ll fail again if it has the NVIDIA GPU anyway. HP has made a big blunder by using the thermal pad for heat transfer for the GPU. This is normally only used for cooling RAM chips in some boards. Like DanD i too am an electronic engineer and can see the defects in HP’s design of the laptop series.

If anyone in India needs this problem sorted, email me on digiwiz (at) bsnl.in . Remove the brackets and replace “at” with “@”. I do this to avoid spam emails.

Its a lot cheaper than getting a new board from HP, besides the cooling improvements will be added after the GPU reflow.

By Ricardo on Jul 3, 2009

I did the reflow thing and it seems to have worked. My craptop would not start at all. I have replced the mother board before so I had a spare one and had nothing to loose. I gave it a go and reinstalled my origional MB and all is good so far. I added an alumimium strip between the chip and the heat sink removing the heat goo and using heat transfer grease. I am in testing phase now. Intresting to see how long it will last.

By Geoff on Jul 21, 2009

I have the same problem with a HP 9396EA
a $2000 laptop is now a $2000 paper weight.

I will nor repair it and spend de repair costs to self-assemble a desktop again. that’s easyer and cheaper to fix when it breaks.

This is not only HP anymore. every “so called” A-brand makes crap these days. Shiny good looking throw-away crap.

By manu on Jul 26, 2009

I’ve now fixed 5 of these. All working well, and as far as i know they should last for a long time till the rest of the components age. The cooling modification by adding a copper piece is vital after the chip reflow. This is the only thing that will ensure the laptop works for a long time, else your just having a short term fix and with repeated reflows the motherboard or the Chip will be permanently fried. I have repaired Pavilion Dv 2000, DV 6000, and Compaq V3000 series laptops all successfully. Now i have another 3 lined up. I repair these for 100USD. Cheap compared to any alternative. Besides its a permanent fix compared to buying a board. I’m sure i can also fix DV9000 series laptops as the problem is the same.

To check the GPU temperature, download and run GPU-z from this link: http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

Use the logging function and run the laptop. Initially check if the GPU temp is more than 60 degrees running normally and under stress it shouldn’t exceed 75-80.

If the temperatures are over this, you HAVE to improve the cooling by adding a copper piece as detailed above and also use arctic silver thermal paste on the GPU and between the copper piece and heatsink. This way you will sove the problem that HP created. Please understand, this is a design defect that HAS to be corrected. Else your laptop WILL fail even if you get it to work by reflowing the chip.

The thermal pad between the GPU and heatsink is the cause of this failure.

Even if your laptop hasn’t failed yet, it most likely WILL in the near future as HP has kept a ticking time bomb in there.

Anyone needing me to do it can email me. The address is in my earlier reply.

Good luck!

By Ricardo on Jul 30, 2009

Well I have continued to test my craptop and used the temp logger from Ricardo’s post.
GPU starts at about 46deg and goes up to 70deg under watching video clips. It sems to be going ok for now so will continue to test it.
Regards
Geoff

By Geoff on Jul 31, 2009

Check out these two sites. Hopefully, it should solve your problem.

This is a crazy tip, but for me…it Worked!

Original Post at:
http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-35186-hp-pavillion-dv6000-graphic-card-problem
Big Thanks to mehmet24a

and my post at
http://www.fixya.com/support/t821285-hp_1_long_2_short_beeps

Here is my solution via poster user mehmet24a

Turn on your laptop (dv2000) and let it do its thing with the black screen and One long and Two short beeps. Keep the laptop plugged in…Now here is where the “are you kidding me” part kicks in.

Wrap your laptop (while it’s on) in a blanket and put it on a bed or a couch (where the laptop won’t have room to circulate air beneath it). You must leave it wrapped in the blanket for about 30 minutes minimum, or wait an hour if possible.

Chances are, your laptop will get ver hot and shut itself down at some point before you come back in an hour. When the hour is up, try turning on your laptop again. Ideally, it should work and you now have a working laptop again.

I realize this sounds crazy, but I am typing this quick fix from my dv2000 after doing exactly what i just subscribed. I read it on some other forum when i was on my wife’s pc. If this doesn’t work the first time, try it one or two more times. This trick has something to do with getting a “broken” (?) connection between the video card and the motherboard soddering back together.

Hope this helps at least one of you. Good luck.

By JT on Aug 2, 2009

Hi there. Absolutely amazing forum post. I’ve got someones DV2000 and now I’m fully armed for taking on HP tech support!
I’m in England. What are other peoples experiences with HP support here? Is there an extended warranty? i think the laptop was bought about 2 years and 2 months ago (so is just over the extended warranty if there is an extended warranty).
If HP are asking for some ridiculous money only to replace the motherboard with another motherboard that will eventually fail then I’m going for the reflowing, extra copper plate and drilling some holes in the case!

Thanks,
Dan

By Dan Gent on Aug 4, 2009

I got the solution for this. Try to insert any USB flash or any USB device in your computer, and it should boots up.
I’m sending my laptop to HPHQ to fix the overheating issue

By Ahmed on Aug 8, 2009

Just wanted to update my laptop reflow results. Still going strong and no problems whatsoever. I have monitored my temp, and I can (for the most part) keep the GPU temp between 45-50. I don’t do a lot of hard core video work, however. Anyway, again I must thank this blog for saving some life for my laptop.

By Rob on Aug 11, 2009

I recently fixed a dv2000 by using the above suggestions, reflow and heatsink fix. I have since received another laptop a samsung R70 with a 8400 GS GPU which produced similar symptoms as described in posts above, strange white/black screen output no beeps however. I reflowed and did the heatsink fix with some added copper and it now works perfectly. It’s not only HP but seems to be a poor design in heatsinks. Do all these HP laptops produce beeps when the GPU needs reflow?

By Mark D on Aug 16, 2009

Well today we went to start the craptop and got the 3 beeps again. So I tried the towel trick. It worked. I went to do a backup and had to restart the pc. No restart.
It sucks. Now I will replace the MB today and try again.
ARHHHHHHHHH Drive me crazy

By Geoff on Sep 2, 2009

Well I haven’t done anything else but I tried a restart and now it goes again! This is amost as bad a a woman changing the ruels without notice for men!! I’ll leave ti while it is working!

By Geoff on Sep 3, 2009

I have the same problem with my DV2175 and as everyone else has said, my product number is not covered by the extended warranty.

HP in the UK would not entertain any attempt on my part to get them to fork out for the repairs. The guy on the phone said that if I wanted to pay for the repair that they could replace the motherboard. I asked if the motherboard would be the same as the one I had i.e with the faulty GPU and he told me that it would be a direct replacement with an identical board. He could not or would not confirm if any upgrades had been done to the new boards.

They suggested that I contact the repair center so I called them and they told me that they could repair it for £261.00 but that it was a fixed fee to repair the laptop no matter what the fault was. The guy there agreed that it was a design fault and that it was their major source of income!!!

I am still unsure what to do about mine. I think a new laptop might be the order of the day or give the re flow idea a try.

By Cornbeef on Sep 5, 2009

So it is broken again and so I have replaced the MB with a “Factory Refurbished one I had . I will see how long it lasts and if it fails it becomes a paper weight!
Regards
Geoff

By Geoff on Sep 11, 2009

This issue of overheating NVIDIA GPU chips seems to be appearing in other laptop brands like Acer and Dell (Studio XPS M1330). It looks like its a bad thermal design across brands. Its unlikely that 3 different laptop manufacturers all would make a bad thermal design. It looks like its NVIDIA’s heatsink design specifications that might be wrong. Also these NVIDIA chips give off too much heat. I had one reaching 140 degrees centigrade in under 2 minutes. You could cook food on it perhaps. Lol.

The towel fix is temporary if it works and will only botch up chances of the laptop being permanently fixed. Its best to go to someone who’s a professional in Laptop BGA reflow/rework and get it fixed.

By Ricardo on Sep 14, 2009

Today my HP Pavillion beeped twice, black screen, I called HP service, they suggested motherboard replacement.Than on my Mac, which never beeps – I found this incredible forum. After reading, I already know, I’m not going to bake, solder, drill etc. I will simply sell my Pavillion “as is” and never buy anything with HP logo on it. And at the end I have naive question. If this issue is known to HP guys, why they don’t service all faulty machines using method described on this forum?
Regards and good luck to all owners of drilled, wrapped in towels and backed HP’s
Janusz

By Janusz on Sep 17, 2009

Hi, I´m in Spain, same prob on an HP dv2207ea. I am really angry. Laptop 2 yrs 2mths old from Hipercor/Cort ingles. Have yet to talk to store but reckon i will get short reply. Anyone know of economical fix.

By giovanni on Sep 25, 2009

This is the second time I have problem with dv2000. The first time,it was still under warranty, so they just changed the MOBO. But now,after 2years, it happens again. The 3beeps-no-display. I have been so careful with my laptop, using fancooler and such, but still… Fortunately, I could use that ‘towel trick’ but I know its just a temporary solution.
Another thing,I dont know if its just mine, but even my charger heats badly. I could even use it as my feet’s heater during winter. Geez.
Oh,do u think that updating the BIOS will do any good? Mine now is F.26.. Im trying my best to prolong my laptop’s life.

Cheers.

By Emtee on Nov 15, 2009

i have same problem with my DV2123TX laptop too, I hear 3 beeping sound & can not boot-up so i send the unit to HP service center and pay the amount of S$650 for parts and labor due to warranty expire but after 9month of use from 1st repair by HP it happen again with same problem so i feel very disappointed to HP so i decided to bring my unit in simlim and again i pay S$250 for parts and labor. Now if i plan to buy computer i don’t buy HP product anymore.

By shox202 on Nov 23, 2009