HP dv9740us

You can test by using an external monitor. Look on you keyboard for the key that has a monitor icon. Then switch the display to external monitor. First press, it will switch to external display, second press it will switch to both displays, third press will bring back to LCD display only. The sequence may be different as I don't remember exactly which goes first.

If you have external display, the problem may be from inverter or LCD switch which will turn off the backlight when you close the LCD.

Other than that your motherboard may have a common problem of this particular model.

does it do it everytime or is it intermittant?

i dont think it is a inverter because windows does not detect a inveter so you wouldnt get the sound of a new device..

do you sometimes plug you computer into a external monitor or a TV. if you do i might still be detecting the monitor/TV and the video settings are on a single display and it is looking for the monitor/tv and not the monitor. this is still unlikly though.

Mike
Hellbringer

check to see if there is a BIOS update the may address this issue.

Has this always done this or just recently started?

What version of Windows?

http://www.wdklaw.com/main.cfm?actio...s=whatleydrake

NVIDIA Graphic Controller Chip Litigation
September 24, 2008

Olivos v. NVIDIA Corp., Dell Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Co.
Whatley, Drake & Kallas (WDK) has filed a class action complaint on behalf consumers who purchased Dell and Hewlett Packard computers containing a defective NVIDIA graphic controller chip. The complaint alleges that graphic controller chip has been shown to be defective and has caused numerous problems for consumers' notebook computers, including without limitation, corrupted images on consumers' computer displays, distorted images, lines, garbled characters, artifacts, as well as complete monitor/display failure. Despite the fact Defendants, NVIDIA Corp., Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), are aware that the NVIDIA graphic controller chip is defective, there has been a failure to implement a program to replace all defective NVIDIA graphic controller chips.

BIOS update is useless in this particular problem. The new BIOS temporarily fix is forcing the FAN run continuously at the expense of battery usage.

That is a horrible thing to say.

Updating the BIOS is not useless.

The new instruction for the fans are needed.

Do you update your anti-virus software or operating system ever? Why do you think updates are created?

I understand the battery life will be affected but having the system run cooler is more of an advantage then you are making out to be.

Actually the always ON fan doesn' help. I only address this issue as the failing GPU chip is still the problem regardless the continuos running fan. If you do a search, this problem is not only with HP, but Dell also.

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/22...suit-defective

The problem is in the thermal stress caused when the chip powers up and then powers down. The difference in temperature caused the solder attaching the chips to crack and fail.
NVidia released a patch to cause cooling fans to run more often, although this caused other problems such as reduced battery life on laptops and increasing fan noise.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/08/02...r-type-of-fix/
The thermal based problem reveals itself after going through so many heat cycles. The components literally aren’t standing up to the heat. HP and Dell have offered upgrades, but these are more designed to stall the problem. HP recommends to flash the BIOS, which in effect, just keeps the fan always running. In other words, it’s a band-aid, and from their perspective maybe the problem will stay away until your device is out of warranty.
You probably shouldn’t listen to them.
By “upgrading” to a constantly running fan, you are getting less that what you paid for. Power consumption goes up, battery life goes down. Wear and tear goes up, and the faulty GPU is still there anyway. Good for them, bad for you. In a rather revealing move, HP doesn’t even have previous BIOS versions available. Once you do it, it’s done. (Dell does have older versions on another page).

So you are saying that these components are not standing up to the heat, and that having the fan spin faster to help keep the system cooler, is a bad idea?

It is a problem for more then just HP and Dell. Ever since the industry has moved away from leaded solder spheres for the ball grid array chips, that is when more failure has begun.

Lead free solder's melting point is higher then leaded solder. I doubt it is a heat issue causing these spheres to fail.

Motherboards flex inside these systems. When you start flexing a board, the damage begins.

If you look at the hp dv4000 it is a prime example of a bad design. When pressure is applied to the Intel South Bridge BGA chip, it can stop failures that are common with that model.

When a board starts flexing, connections are ripped and traces can be damaged.