I recently purchased a Compal HEL80 notebook. I have found only one problem with the unit and it is rather bothersome. I have set the "When I close the lid of my portable computer" option in the Power Options Properties -> Advanced menu to the "Do nothing" option. When I close the lid for more than a few seconds and reopen the lid the lcd does not always return back on. I can move the mouse, type on the keyboard, and/or do just about anything else and it still does not turn on. However, if I close the lid all the way again and then open it again it will sometimes come on and if I do it several times it always comes back on eventually. I am using all of the stock drivers and I have flashed the bios to the latest 112B. I am just not sure where to go from here and it is quite irritating.

i have the same problem... i dont think it has anything to do with the screen rather then the keyboard not coming out of sleep mode... I wasn't aware that closing it and opening again would eventually bring it back on but i do know it happens at least twice a day to me.

I just bought a HEL80 as well and have the same problems! I removed the power management features completely when the notebook is plugged in so that I don't encounter the screen problem. BTW, I just ran the laptop in a battery setting all day with the power settings Monitor Turnoff:1 min, HDD turnoff: 3 min, system standby: 2 min. The HEL80 worked great. I do have the problem that when powering on when plugged in, the notebook goes into standby mode just upon arriving at the windows login dialog - this is frustrating. I have to hit the power button to bring the HEL80 out of standby so that I can log in.

On a lighter note, is anyone annoyed with the power button? Pressing the power button actually shuts down the notebook! I'm used to Dell, Compaq, etc., where briefly pressing the button hibernates the computer; holding down the button shuts the computer off.

I think you have to set that somewhere..... i remember seeing the option but dont remember where.

If you go to the control panel in windows. Click on the power options icon. From here select the advanced tab. Here you will find options for all your power schemes. The second one down has the option for your notebooks main power button. You can have it prompt you, shut down, standby or hibernate for some systems.

Charles@PCTorque - Thanks! Wow, so that's fixed. I appreciate a nice power button.

The problem you guys are experiancing with the screen not waking up....
I have seent his problem in several older laptops. It is usually caused by the momentary switch which is usually around the right hinge of a laptop. Your LCD has a small peg or pin on the frint of it, that touched this switch when you close the lid, much like a Fridge door.

These switches tend to go bad. However I have not seen it on a NEW laptop, but it is not unbelieveable that Compal would get a bad batch of these switches. I would call Compal, and ask them to send you a new switch.