Windows 7 on HDX18

[Pipper]

are you able to get the 7201 build? i'm hearing VERY good words, and will be trying out shortly.

if you are talking about updating your 64 bit version of the 7100 build, then i would say it's not the updates per say, but rather a particular driver that's slowing you up. mine did not slow up gratuitously with the 64 bit updates. my first guess would be your IDT driver.

Yep, it's the updates in Windows Update that's causing me problems. I finally realized that I hadn't set it to NOT automatically install the updates. After the updates installed, I got the slow boot and shut downs, and I always had to force quit Windows 7 on shut down because it was waiting for explorer.exe to do something.

[petermichaelw]

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE UPDATED IDT AUDIO INFORMATION FOR THE 64 BIT VERSION

[gizak]

Hi there,
I just got an hdx18 with a 130m graphics card and since nobody else posted, I wanted to say that it's running well with Windows 7 64 bit, dual-booted with the latest Nvidia drivers. The only PC game I've ran so far is WoW (for the Horde!), and it's been playing fairly well, even with dual monitor setup -extended to my 24inch Dell.

Issues:

Fingerprint Scanner - I had the same issues mentioned in this thread about the fingerprint scanner working, but eventually got it to work - somehow. I found it confusing trying to figure out which files to install in what order... First having to figure out which files were driver files and which were software files, then figuring out the correct order in which to install them to make it play nice.

Audio - I had installed one of the original drivers posted and had horrible static/cracking sound when any audio played. Windows 7 even began hanging when trying to shutdown, stating something about the explorer hanging (which turned out to be the shutdown.wav file hanging). I uninstalled the drivers and am using the default Windows drivers for now, but I see that there is another workaround just posted so will give that a try soon (I want the good sound! ...and the touch volume controls all functioning).

In any case, I want to say thanks so far to petermichaelw and everyone else who has contributed to making this an easier process. I shall go back to tinkering with my new toy now =)

[szege]

Audio
IDT Driver from the HP driver page - 09-2008

NOTE
There is an offending process, called stacsv64.exe. This is a driver exe file that comes with the IDT driver packs, and is having real problems behaving itself with W7 64bit. Goto the services window, withing computer management, and double click on "audio service". Stop this service, and then disable it. The driver is not yet properly written for W7 (if you look at the properties of the IDT speakers/headphones in the playback devices window, you will see a single jack listed, or a digital jack listed, depending on what driver you are using - this explains why the driver for the jacks is going bonkers) This will be fixed soon, i'm sure, but in the mean time, just disable this (jack monitor), and then try playing something demanding like a blu-ray movie. Please chime in if this isn't working for you, like I say I tested it on 3 drivers within W7 64, including the XP64 driver within W7 64. All succeeded to perform flawlessly without that stacsv64.exe running.

Dear petermichaelw!

Impressive post! Thank you!

The new audio driver solve the problem:
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp43501-44000/sp43746.exe

(Using: W7 x64)


One day later
Sorry, I have to revise myself: the new driver works perfectly only for a day, now I have got the same problem!

[jadan2000]

hey guys. i have just made a windows 7 VM, and am testing it out as we speak. i was just wondering if briefly you guys could tell me how much of a performance boost i will see using windows 7 64 over vista 64.

[petermichaelw]

Much less hanging/ "not responding" delays.
Smoother, and snappier operation overall.
I can't reference any benchmark personally, except certain audio programs with their own CPU monitor built in (ableton live), running identical file, show much less CPU usage with Win7 than with Vista. Not even close.

[jadan2000]

guys, how do u get the 7201 build? when i downloaded from microsoft yeserday, it gave me 7100

[petermichaelw]

The 7201 through 7300+ builds are only officially available to the approved MS testers, but I wouldn't get hung up on these newer "editions". The update process should get you there. Microsoft would be very foolish to push out 7100, and then not allow it to be updated properly.

These newer editions are just refinements, from what I'm reading and seeing myself, and I'm much more concerned with proper IDT drivers than testing out a new edition of W7 every week.

[chux101]

Fingerprint reader:
These are the steps I took to make it work:
Install DigitalPersona
Uninstall any current driver for the Biometric device (use Device Manager)
Install the Validity drivers from the HP website. Driver version is 2.0.0.1
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...s=2100&lang=en
(latest did not work for me for some reason) - Note: I have an HDX 16.

Also, running HP MediaSmart Menu in Compatability Mode works (keyboard button works as well)

[dannyres]

New Win7 IDT audio drivers available on Windows Update Catalog (search IDT and sort by date) or on laptopvideo2go.com.