Coping with the Compaq CQ56-115DX - Life After the NVIDIA Settlement

[shinobi1]

Thanks for the help Mr. Fox. I read the info on the links still nothing worked. It was until I opened the memory area up to put the old 1gig sticks in that i saw one of the dimms was not full seated. After nicely placing it back into its seat and mentally kicking mine ; I now have 7.95 gigs usable. Thanks for the help!!

Geez. A hardware problem! (slaps forehead)

Didn't see that one coming.

[Mr. Fox]

That should have been one of those first things to check, especially since memory had just been added to the system. Overlooking the obvious is something we all do at times, but it's odd that the system detected the extra memory without the module properly seated. That generally causes other flaky behavior, too... freezes, BSOD, etc.

[Deldrin]

I've been working on remapping the quick launch keys on the left. It bugs the crap out of me because my fingers naturally go to those keys when I want to hit control, shift, tab or caplock. So far I got control, shift (in a goofy way) and caplock (though it gets stuck on). The tab key doesn't seem to do anything. Even the program I use to capture the scan code of the key doesn't pick up on anything with that key. I post more when I'm done.

[Mr. Fox]

Deldrin - those same issues with the keyboard used to bug the snot out of my wife, too. Good luck with the remapping. Look forward to learning more about what you are able to accomplish with that.

[Deldrin]

I'm using keytweak to capture the scan codes. You could almost use that utility alone to map your keys except the keys that HP put there are weird. Only a couple of them can be directly mapped. The one with the printer icon (second from the bottom) cannot be directly mapped. It does not have it's own unique scan code but shares it with the "P" on the keyboard. So if you remap that one, you're also remapping your "P" which sucks. That printer key is literally like pressing Control-P. Using a utility like AutoHotkey confirmed that literally that's what's going on with that key. Control's and P's scan codes are being sent to the computer from the keyboard. So I am using a script in AutoHotkey to remap Control-P to Left Shift since that can't be done in keytweak. I never use that key combo to initiate the printer dialog box so I ok with it. I was able to confirm that after remapping, I can press that key or I can press Control-P and it now acts like a left shift. Pretty silly, but it works. I just need to work on the others now.

[Wolfman-Iraq]

I'm using keytweak to capture the scan codes. You could almost use that utility alone to map your keys except the keys that HP put there are weird. Only a couple of them can be directly mapped. The one with the printer icon (second from the bottom) cannot be directly mapped. It does not have it's own unique scan code but shares it with the "P" on the keyboard. So if you remap that one, you're also remapping your "P" which sucks. That printer key is literally like pressing Control-P. Using a utility like AutoHotkey confirmed that literally that's what's going on with that key. Control's and P's scan codes are being sent to the computer from the keyboard. So I am using a script in AutoHotkey to remap Control-P to Left Shift since that can't be done in keytweak. I never use that key combo to initiate the printer dialog box so I ok with it. I was able to confirm that after remapping, I can press that key or I can press Control-P and it now acts like a left shift. Pretty silly, but it works. I just need to work on the others now.

Deldrin,

Here's what I did to my daughter's HP G62, which has the same side keys you want to change/disable..

Re: How to disable Quick Launch keys on G62?

Go to the start bar in Windows 7, type “regedit” and press enter. If you’re unfamiliar with the Windows registry then please be careful, messing with values here can cause a lot of errors.

Navigate to the registry folder:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey

I changed the names by adding a "1" to the end of each.

PowerDVD9 (Program Files (x86) Renamed to "PowerDVD9_1" to keep it from starting up with the "hotkey"

In the folder you’ll see more folders, the ones we care about are:

- 15 calls for the Assocation of mailto
- 16 calls for the Assocation of .cda
- 7 calls for the Assocation of http (opens the browser or program associated with http)
- 17 calls for a ShellExecute of ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
- 18 calls for the Assocation of calc.exe

===================================================================================

These are the mail, CD, Internet, Print, Calculator buttons respectively.

If you want to change them, simply modify the values inside each folder. Association will open the program that is tied to the protocol or file type. ShellExecute on the other hand is the same as typing something into Run and pressing enter.

An example: Let’s say you want the mail button to open Notepad: Go into the folder named 15, rename “Association” to “ShellExecute”, double click ShellExecute to modify the key’s data and enter “notepad.exe”, replacing “mailto.”

Want to disable a button? Just clear out the ShellExecute or Association data. For the mail button you would double click the Association and replace “mailto” with nothing.
------------------------------------------------------------
reference site:
How to disable Quick Launch keys on G62? - Page 3 - HP Support Forum

[Deldrin]

@wolfman
I saw that info out there on the internet, but thanks for posting that so others can see and have a choice on what to do with those keys. As for me, I want those keys to behave like the control, shift and other keys just to the right of them. From what I can determine, those reg keys help with launching programs, but not with making the keys behave like other keys. I just want the far left bottom to be control, the next up shift and so on because that's what my fingers are used to. It's a pet peeve of mine for manufacturers to use a non-standard keyboard layout (especially for laptops). This laptop gets the right side right, but blows the placement of the function keys and the left side.

[shinobi1]

Guys no sale for me and after six weeks I'm on the verge of opening my CQ56 and need some help:

Tried yesterday to locate Windows 7 for download. Want to download the OS and do a clean install on the CQ56 . . . I'm not at all inclined to attempt cleanup of what is already on the HDD.

I found Windows 7 for download but I ended up confused and shut out. There were warnings about being sure your key (license) was of the proper type for the download. At that point my knowledge of the situation was exceeded and in the end I downloaded nothing. I don't know that much about Windows 7, about all the various kinds and types of licenses.

Can somebody here point me to the correct Windows 7 download, the proper version for a CQ56-115DX, one that will work with the license key on my laptop? Thanks!

[Mr. Fox]

shinobi1 - here are two sources with links to Windows 7 downloads. The NBR thread includes links to additional tools that I use. (I have not used the "3 file method" on the NBR thread and cannot recommend that convoluted method. Just go with an ISO download... much easier and I'm not sure why the other method even exists except maybe for dial-up internet dinosaurs, LOL.)

LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!) (first release)

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River My Digital Life

I have used the linked 64bit ISO files from both the NBR thread and My Digital Life with success, in both bootable CD and USB thumb drive installations using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to create the installable media. I also recommend backing up your activation with ABR rather than using the product key on your COA. Be sure to use the linked tool to delete the ei.cfg and you'll have a universal media for any version you have a valid product key.

[shinobi1]

shinobi1 - here are two sources with links to Windows 7 downloads. The NBR thread includes links to additional tools that I use. (I have not used the "3 file method" on the NBR thread and cannot recommend that convoluted method. Just go with an ISO download... much easier and I'm not sure why the other method even exists except maybe for dial-up internet dinosaurs, LOL.)

LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!) (first release)

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River My Digital Life

I have used the linked 64bit ISO files from both the NBR thread and My Digital Life with success, in both bootable CD and USB thumb drive installations using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to create the installable media. I also recommend backing up your activation with ABR rather than using the product key on your COA. Be sure to use the linked tool to delete the ei.cfg and you'll have a universal media for any version you have a valid product key.

Thank you, Mr. Fox. I really appreciate the assist.

I am assuming I use the 64 bit Home Premium version. Is that correct?

Hmmmm

Am seeing an interesting idea in there.:

You load the OS into a USB-connected thumb drive and then boot from that. You still store all your stuff on the HDD but you do not use it as a boot drive.

Is anyone doing that? The idea appeals to me.