Turned-off dv6013 cries in the night.

I bought a Pavilion dv6013ea for my wife last September that worked fine until, after just a few months, it started to alarm when turned off, both with the power brick connected and without. A series of beeps would constantly continue and the only way to stop it was to remove the battery. The alarm activation seems to be random but, naturally, at the most inconvenient times and usually at night.

An Internet search revealed a similar HP notebook problem where the poster was advised that the BIOS was faulty - no follow-up was posted.

During my absence from home my wife, driven to desperation one night dropped the battery while removing to shut the thing up and bent a corner, but she replaced it and subsequently continued to work with it for a few days before returning it to the dealer for repair, prepared to pay for a new battery but expecting the alarm problem to be cleared under guarantee. The computer was passed to Hewlet Packard (Switzerland) for repair.

We were shocked yesterday by a call from the dealer to say that we would have to pay CHF 1090 for the repair (new cost last Sept. was CHF 1400) and if not to pay CHF 180 for the estimate. The explanation for the high cost was that the bent battery had damaged the memory card .....

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts about the alarm problem, which I shall have to find myself? Because no way will we pay such an exorbitant charge, I would sooner buy a new Dell Inspiron for CHF 800, currently being offered.

Thanks, B.

Thanks for your response. Yes, clearly the damaged battery has no influence on the original problem and not even HP Service is claiming that, only that when the notebook was opened they found that the battery had damaged components and that is why they have quoted the crazy repair price. I don't even know if they have included for the alarm cure because we only had a phone call from the dealer from whom we originally bought and who sent it to HP and relayed back their cost - which we have refused.

So now it is underway back without being fixed and I shall decide what to do when I see just what the condition is - this battery business happened during my absence. I shall certainly try to update the bios, shouldn't do any harm and if the memory card is genuinely broken I should be able to change that. However, as my wife used it without problem after inserting the damaged battery I am very curious to see the estimate in detail and the machine itself when back with the dealer.

Thanks again for your input.

Best, B.

Thanks elvmal, I am sure you are correct that a low battery status is being detected, but erroneously. That is why, on another forum, a HP Pavilion sufferer of the same problem was advised to make an upgrade, as it was a known earlier bios problem.

I collected the notebook today from the dealer who had just received it back unrepaired from HP Service. Not only was it unrepaired but the wireless connection to the router no longer works - I suspect the connection to the screen frame antenna has been broken in their poking around.

I got it up and running by installing a US Robotics USB adapter and downloaded the latest bios, which was version F.28 against the original of F.11 in the notebook purchased only last September. We'll see if the unwanted Pavilion alarm clock still wakes us up at random times in the night.

If there's one thing I've learned from this experience it is the kindness of the respondents on this forum and never to buy another HP product.

Best, B.

I have nothing against HP products per se but my dissatisfaction is directed at the support here in Switzerland, demonstrated both by the dealer who sold me the product and HP Service who have demanded a ludicrous price for repair of a product still under guarantee.

If you have read the details above you will see that the notebook was taken back to clear the false alarm problem, present since almost new. In one of the many instances of removing the battery to stop the alarm my wife dropped the battery then replaced it before she took it for service but had continued to work with it without problem before doing so.

So when I received a call from the dealer who relayed HP's estimate of a repair price close to the cost of the new notebook itself I reluctantly accepted their explanation that replacing the damaged battery had caused extensive damage to many components because I had not seen the condition when returned to the dealer. New parts needed were quoted to be a new system board, an internal cable kit and a new battery.

Now that I have had a chance to examine the notebook and battery I am convinced that if there is truly damaged components then the product had been delivered new to me with them last September. There is no way my wife could have caused such damage by replacing the battery, which has only the flange at one corner slightly bent outwards and which in no way makes contact with any internal part. In every way the section of battery that fits into the body of the notebook is undamaged and correctly fitting. There is no evidence of any marks or damage to the internal parts of the battery compartment.

However, there is no way that I can refute the claim of HP that the product was damaged by mishandling, especially as the dealer does not do anything to support me, merely saying that they are just the go-between customer and supplier and their service department.

I repeat, never again Hewlett Packard.

Almost everyone, including computer-savvy friends, expressed skepticism and even disbelief that a computer that was correctly turned off could activate any alarm. However, we had always invoked the normal XP shut down procedure, which had exhibited the usual actions and terminated by complete quiescence with no lights showing other than the blue indicator where the power plug entered.

It is now a month since updating with a new BIOS downloaded from the HP site, replacing version F11 with F28, and have never had a repeat of the alarm problem.

This simple action to clear a known problem, seemed beyond the HP service personnel, who claimed other factors needed outrageously costly attention and ignored the reason that the product, still under guarantee, was sent to them. In addition, they returned the unit with a damaged wifi antenna that now requires an external USB adapter to enable the functionality. For this they charged an exorbitant estimate fee.

Such a shame that otherwise excellent products are supported by an incompetent and/or irresponsible service department. The moral is: always try to cure a problem yourself or find an independent repair facility - not HP.

I'm glad you found the solution and I hope this cautionary tale will inform others.