*HP HDX DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 1*

[Dan_Aykroyd]

As of Windows 7 Build 7068 (RC 0.91), HP Quick Launch is flagged as incompatible (due to incompatible QuickPlay, so it would be useless to load Quick Lauch in memory).

Workaround: Choose 'Run' after ticking 'Don't show me this message again' and use the QP replacement executables I posted several pages ago.

OK... will try it then, although I don't want to use QuickPlay at all. Can Blu-Ray be played with PowerDVD or something else in Windows 7.

Also, do you have ALL the quicklaunch buttons working (TV, QLaunch, Eject, etc.)?

[Dan_Aykroyd]

As of Windows 7 Build 7068 (RC 0.91), HP Quick Launch is flagged as incompatible (due to incompatible QuickPlay, so it would be useless to load Quick Lauch in memory).

Workaround: Choose 'Run' after ticking 'Don't show me this message again' and use the QP replacement executables I posted several pages ago.

Oh, and about the Intel Matrix Storage drivers that you posted before. Do they really improve the performance or something? Because my school of thought with Windows 7 is (I'm forcing it to be) to install ONLY the drivers for the unknown devices, instead to install for every one of them. Because if I had to do so, then I'll have to go and search every update for them and it'll be the same mess as with a clean Vista installation! By staying with Windows 7 native drivers, I also get the certification (they are Microsoft Certified, right?) of the drivers, thus staying close to 0% BSOD caused by faulty, legacy drivers.

Hope what I'm doing is cool and would work in the long run. So now that I see this Intel Matrix Driver, I have that question. Should I update them? Should I update other drivers too to improve performance? Which? All of them or only some (audio, video, what?).

EDIT: About Driver Detective... I showed 22 outdated drivers after finishing W7 installation + drivers. Do you think I should buy it just to see if it gets all the drivers "updated"?

[kindheart]

Oh, and about the Intel Matrix Storage drivers that you posted before. Do they really improve the performance or something? Because my school of thought with Windows 7 is (I'm forcing it to be) to install ONLY the drivers for the unknown devices, instead to install for every one of them. Because if I had to do so, then I'll have to go and search every update for them and it'll be the same mess as with a clean Vista installation! By staying with Windows 7 native drivers, I also get the certification (they are Microsoft Certified, right?) of the drivers, thus staying close to 0% BSOD caused by faulty, legacy drivers.

Hope what I'm doing is cool and would work in the long run. So now that I see this Intel Matrix Driver, I have that question. Should I update them? Should I update other drivers too to improve performance? Which? All of them or only some (audio, video, what?).

EDIT: About Driver Detective... I showed 22 outdated drivers after finishing W7 installation + drivers. Do you think I should buy it just to see if it gets all the drivers "updated"?

The new Intel Matrix Storage drivers (v8.8.0.1009 released 3/13/2009 by Intel: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filt...=150&submit=Go!) are a must with Windows 7 on the Dragon. They enable Disk Caching and fix WEI score for the hard drive.

The other driver worth ensuring you have (if not automatically installed by Windows 7--it's on Windows Update anyway) is the NVIDIA v181.71 WDDM 1.1 drivers for the 8800M GTS. (WDDM 1.1 = Windows 7-native; WDDM 1.0 is Vista's).

I don't use Driver Detective.

[kindheart]

OK... will try it then, although I don't want to use QuickPlay at all. Can Blu-Ray be played with PowerDVD or something else in Windows 7.

Also, do you have ALL the quicklaunch buttons working (TV, QLaunch, Eject, etc.)?

Yes, I have them all working (QP, media buttons, WiFi, mute, Vol, Bass/Treb, Eject), including on-screen display for QuickTouch. The latter is very usable now under Windows 7.

My QP executables fix does indeed call PowerDVD to play Blu-Ray. You can still use QuickPlay for TV or create a dummy executable to call Windows Media Center for TV, if you wish (for when you press the blue TV button). You can also launch Windows Media Center by pressing the green Windows button on your remote control.

(The QuickPlay problem is in QP DVD/Blu-Ray module, but PowerDVD works perfectly as a replacement for Blu-Ray playback.)

[Dan_Aykroyd]

The new Intel Matrix Storage drivers (v8.8.0.1009 released 3/13/2009 by Intel: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filt...=150&submit=Go!) are a must with Windows 7 on the Dragon. They enable Disk Caching and fix WEI score for the hard drive.

The other driver worth ensuring you have (if not automatically installed by Windows 7--it's on Windows Update anyway) is the NVIDIA v181.71 WDDM 1.1 drivers for the 8800M GTS. (WDDM 1.1 = Windows 7-native; WDDM 1.0 is Vista's).

I don't use Driver Detective.

Nice tip then... I'd have to install it! I have the ATI card, so do you think I should update it too? Something else besides these?

Yes, I have them all working (QP, media buttons, WiFi, mute, Vol, Bass/Treb, Eject), including on-screen display for QuickTouch. The latter is very usable now under Windows 7.

My QP executables fix does indeed call PowerDVD to play Blu-Ray. You can still use QuickPlay for TV or create a dummy executable to call Windows Media Center for TV, if you wish (for when you press the blue TV button). You can also launch Windows Media Center by pressing the green Windows button on your remote control.

(The QuickPlay problem is in QP DVD/Blu-Ray module, but PowerDVD works perfectly as a replacement for Blu-Ray playback.)

Can you let me know which spxxxxx.exe you installed to make every QuickLaunch button work? And also, if you might, the sp for the audio (to have bass) and the sp for the QuickTouch.

You say that every button works OK... even the TV one? Because that was the only one I couldn't make to work (not even the "click" sound would play when touched).

And at last, in order for the eject button to work, did you have to instal QuickPlay? I don't like it but I think the button doesn't work without it.

Thanks man

EDIT: can you also post the link to your post about the QP fix? I found a message where you were talking about it, but I don't think that's the one you meant, because there were no attachments in it.

[kindheart]

Nice tip then... I'd have to install it! I have the ATI card, so do you think I should update it too? Something else besides these?



Can you let me know which spxxxxx.exe you installed to make every QuickLaunch button work? And also, if you might, the sp for the audio (to have bass) and the sp for the QuickTouch.

You say that every button works OK... even the TV one? Because that was the only one I couldn't make to work (not even the "click" sound would play when touched).

And at last, in order for the eject button to work, did you have to instal QuickPlay? I don't like it but I think the button doesn't work without it.

Thanks man

EDIT: can you also post the link to your post about the QP fix? I found a message where you were talking about it, but I don't think that's the one you meant, because there were no attachments in it.

I simply upgrade HP's factory-installed Vista Ultimate x64 image to the latest Windows 7 Build x64. This way it always takes and correctly registers all the foundation HP settings and drivers. All I then add/update are:
1. Intel Matrix Storage driver - Mar 2009 release to enable low-level Windows 7 disk caching
2. NVIDIA 181.71 WDDM 1.1 (not applicable in your case -- search if ATI has a WDDM 1.1 driver for your Dragon)
3. Optional: Upgrade IDT audio from 5607 to 5929 (on top of 5607, before Windows 7 upgrade). 5929 retains full bass/strong sub-woofer sounds on my machine exactly as 5607, but adds an insispensable native 'Playback Capture' Recording device, which I need in my work. 5607 doesn't have 'Playback Capture' enabled.
4. CyberLink PowerDVD for Blu-Ray playback
5. Uninstall Norton (before Win7 upgrade) and use Avast instead of it

Attachment QPDVD.zip (37.8 KB): http://forum.notebookreview.com/atta...8&d=1238520499
Description of above: I have created the attached exes to replace the ones with same name in QuickPlay folder so that the blue DVD button now launches PowerDVD instead (from C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD - make sure PowerDVD is installed in exactly this path), as I hate having a useless non-functional QuickLaunch DVD button.
N.B.: As of Windows 7 Build 7068 (RC 0.91), HP Quick Launch is flagged as incompatible (due to incompatible QuickPlay, so it would be useless to load Quick Lauch in memory). Workaround: When prompted on Windows startup, choose 'Run' after ticking 'Don't show me this message again' and use the QP replacement executables I posted several pages ago.

[kindheart]

(not even the "click" sound would play when touched)

[Dominick_7]

You should try it, as it seems GREAT besides the quirks I'm posting here! I've no problem in run through it and then post my results and what to do to make it work. So far, on my HDX 9288, after a fresh install of Windows 7, I get like 5 devices "Unknown". After some runs of the Windows Update, they get narrowed to three, easily installable: AverMedia TV Card, AuthenTec Fingerprint Device and an UNKNOWN that ends up being the ITE CIR drivers. After installing these three, they go away and get recognized. The only thing now is to try the audio, which I'll check at home and let you know, if it has the bass + treble thing. If it does, then I wouldn't even care about the treble / bass working in the panel!

Which are the ITE CIR drivers again? I could be wrong but I think it won't show the bass treble unless it has the proper latest High Def drivers..so I think that should let you know if the settings come up.

I'll try it too and let you know, since you seem interested and been really helpful answering my posts! Can you let me know which steps do you need to do to check if it supports firewire? I haven't really used WMC very much. Where would I see if it has support?

Thanks. You just go to the TV option I think then configure. It should then allow you to configure each TV Tuners..and under them should show S-Video, Coaxial I think..if Firewire is there it may say Firewire or IEEE or something like that I believe.

Will try this... hope they are there!

Thanks man. I hope its there too because if it did it would be close to the perfect medium to record stuff through. Firewire looks a lot better than S-Video.

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Well, I got home so I'm updating you with some tests:

- The IDT 5929 gives an error an exits when installing; even with the Vista compatibility mode enabled for it

- The HP QuickLaunch Buttons you pointed me kindheart (6.40 B - December 2007) also gives an error an exits

- Went and checked: without the Intel drivers installed, I got a 5.1 score in the disk item

- The audio device had a tab with an icon called "Tone Controls" that showed two bars; one for treble and the other for bass, but the tone control from the HDX panel didn't move them

So my questions now are:

- Should I install the Intel drivers anyway? Are you sure, sure that they are actually needed if I got a 5.1 score without them?

- Although changing the bass / treble from the screen sliders changed the sound, I'm not sure if the "Tone Controls" tab is like an "equalizer" for the main speakers sound, or if it actually manages the subwoofer. Can you please confirm me that you have the same tab and that I shouldn't worry, that my woofer is working?

PD: @Dominick; I'm going to try the firewire thing in WMC now and will let you know

[kindheart]

Well, I got home so I'm updating you with some tests:

- The IDT 5929 gives an error an exits when installing; even with the Vista compatibility mode enabled for it

- The HP QuickLaunch Buttons you pointed me kindheart (6.40 B - December 2007) also gives an error an exits

- Went and checked: without the Intel drivers installed, I got a 5.1 score in the disk item

- The audio device had a tab with an icon called "Tone Controls" that showed two bars; one for treble and the other for bass, but the tone control from the HDX panel didn't move them

So my questions now are:

- Should I install the Intel drivers anyway? Are you sure, sure that they are actually needed if I got a 5.1 score without them?

- Although changing the bass / treble from the screen sliders changed the sound, I'm not sure if the "Tone Controls" tab is like an "equalizer" for the main speakers sound, or if it actually manages the subwoofer. Can you please confirm me that you have the same tab and that I shouldn't worry, that my woofer is working?

PD: @Dominick; I'm going to try the firewire thing in WMC now and will let you know

My recipe is only for an Upgrade of HP's factory Vista image to Windows 7 (see my notes above about the things that need to be done before the upgrade).

Probably on a clean install like yours Windows 7 would install the the latest version of Intel Matrix Storage driver, so you don't need to update it. On an upgrade install it retains HP's old driver and you have to manually install the new driver version. My hard disk WEI is 5.2.

(On an upgrade install of Windows 7 on top of HP factory image: IAANTMON and IAANotif can be safely unticked in Autoruns; you can also untick HpqSRMon, HP Software Update, remove the Bluetooth icon in your Startup folder (Windows 7 has its own BT stack) and uninstall (or untick in Autoruns) HP Health Check. You can also uninstall Vongo/Vongo Tray if you don't use it.)