Ok folks, I rarely log in to ask questions so forgive me if I'm in the wrong category. Ok, the pc is a laptop (HP Elitebook 8460p, i5-2520m CPU 2.50GHz, 4GB RAM, Crucial 240GB SSD) running Win 7 Pro 64.
Now I've scoured the net and can't find a single post with my unique problem. My laptop seems to work great in every way untill I start using it on battery power. The bat charges fine and holds a good charge. It'll runn for hours on that charge too so I don't see that as a sourse of the isue. What happens is, while using it (not plugged in), I will go to move the curser and that triggers the screen to go crazy fuzzy looking. This is "not" the blury display that so many are having with Win 8.1. I want to say more of a static like fuzzy, fine zigzag fuzzy, though I can't call it pixelating either because it doesn't break up into squares in a blender. It still seems to be functional in that I can still move the curser and close out, however it's too rough to actualy be useable. For example I try to close any extra windows to see it helps limit the occurance and it takes at least 3 or 4 clicks to find and hit the "X" to close a window.
I say "limit the occurance" because it doesn't do it every time I touch the mousepad and the display snaps out of it after I leave it alone for a few seconds. I've had it happen just every few minutes, then on other occasions it was fine for a short while then once it starts, it will do it nearly every time I attempt to move the curser. This renders it pretty useless if not plugged in. I wondered if it was getting hot so I openned and blew it out but the only dust was a tiny bit collected on the fan blades themselves.
Just a quick history on the machine: Bought it used from one of these on-line busineses that get them turned in from wherever. They check that they basicly work, pull the HDD and sell it like that. I bought SSD, charger, loaded OS, drivers from HP and walah! $210 for a great laptop, fast and all the features I need. Except this one little/big problem. Can anyone help me? I don't what else to try.
Hey Fuze,
I've experienced a different issue with a microsoft windows os which was occuring when it wasnt being charged. Just to confirm that it is from the os and not anything else, is it possible for you to run live usb of ubuntu and check whether the problem appears in there?
I've never used anything other than windows, which is not a yes or no answer to your question, just saying I'm not familiar with it and wouldn'd know where to begin without guidance. Of course I've heard of it quite often but that's about it.
You may be looking for an exact symptom match. That may be too narrow a search. Here I know that laptop OS, driver and helper app install are wiping out folk that don't do OS installs a lot. Even I can't offer an exact step by step. I have a generic process that involves the OS install, then motherboard drivers, audio, video and such but then we're looking for the maker's HELPER APPS that turn on/off WiFi, battery features and such.
Those drivers and apps in your case should be on the web page for your laptop at hp.com. I've watched folk burn for months looking other than the maker's pages.
It's also why I usually install the OS from the maker via restore media. If it's mine I can do the clean install but for clients the time spent racks up a big bill.
I actualy have another unit that is basicly a brother of this one that came from the same place also. I bought it a month ago. It was working fine once I installed a SSD and operating system. Then while I was still trying to find all the correct missing drivers I noticed it stopped charging. All was good in the battery/charging dept., then next thing I know, it's giving me the ol' "plugged in, not charging" routine. I tried every fix I could find on the internet to no avail. It's an "HP Elitebook 2540p i7 2.31GHz". I gave up and ordered a cheap aftermarket battery that hasn't arived yet. Batteries don't normally stop working suddenly when they where working propperly. Anyway I also discovered about 5 keys that don't work so they sent me the 8460p as a replacement. I'll replace the keyboard on the first unit if I resolve the charging isue. Now however, I have the display isue on the 8460p I not only can't resolve but I can't even find anyone else this has happened to.
(rproffitt) I'm no tech by any means but do work on pc's quite a bit. Do a lot of wipes and OS installs, build my own desktops, etc., so one helpful thing I learned some time ago was to install the same OS that came with a computer whenever possible. That's why I chose to go with Win 7 Pro on these units, that's what they originaly had so I used a 7 Pro OS again to avoid creating headaches due to changing up. Just thought it worth mentioning.
Plugged in and not charging has happened to thousands. But again if narrow your search to only an "HP Elitebook 2540p i7 2.31GHz" then you may come to the conclusion it's rare.
I didn't find where you used restore media from HP. I understand. Folk seem to loathe doing that but it beats learning the ropes (or hanging by them.)
I think I missed your meaning, slightly. I haven't heard of restore media from HP. I though you talking "restore point" in general. I'll look into that but I should mention that on the (2540p) unit with "plugged in, not charging" isue, I wiped and did a fresh install of windows which was no help, so does "restore media from HP" do something more extensine than that?
BTW I started searching HP Elitebook specific for both these unit isues and then expanded to less brand specific searching. I'm definitely not guilty for lack of search effort, the hours are turning into days. I'm now resorting to asking for help as the solution seems above my paygrade.
Can I post a pic of the fuzzy screen here or is it pointless?
It should screen cap fine. And if you want, sure but my bet is on hardware if using the laptop maker's issued OS from the maker's restore media fails.
-> One last thing. Be sure the resolution is at the LCD NATIVE RESOLUTION. I found a few folk that run it at less or not native and complaining.
PS. "restore media from HP" do something more extensine than that?
Why yes it does. It installs the factory set of drivers and apps that makes the laptop do all the tricks. I'm still running into techs that know "drivers" but blow up over the helper apps. It's something you ran into years ago so unless you install Windows a lot, you are better off using the restore media. I can't write a step by step for the thousands of models out there and after doing so for years have had to move to using restore media because it felt like a tar pit. Never ending details and restore media works best.
Unless there are hardware issues but then you know what to do about that.
As I said, I'm no tech, not by any means. I'm a construction man. Everything I know, I learn by trial and error and this is the first I've heard of "HP Restore Media". I took your advice and went to HP Suport and searched for it but came up empty. Apparrently I'm missing the concept of what your telling me and what it is I need to be doing. I completely understand you can't go through every step with people, time on this planet is brief. I appreciate the time you spent. Don't feel as though I wasted it. I'll use the info best I can. Thanks.
An example.
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-and-Software/Creating-HP-Restore-Media/td-p/1298017
That's right from HP. For your restore media, look at the web page at HP for your model and somewhere there is an order page. If not, try the chat at hp.com.
If this only happens when using under battery power, it could be a bug in the video driver, the video chip, or a bug in the OS. You may consider opening a case with HP, although there may be a fee involved. You can download the latest Intel video driver from the Intel website. However, if you open a case with HP, they will most likely insist that you download the latest driver from the HP website, which may or may not actually be the latest driver, but rather the last driver that they've tested on that model of computer. As a work-around, you can try changing some of the power settings. See http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/power-management . I don't have access to a computer right now, but look for any settings for video--can't remember, at the moment, if there are any. Can also try changing the processor minimum (on battery) to a higher number. Start with 100% and see if the issue still occurs.
It only turns to mud when I move the curser and clears up anywhere from a few seconds to15 or 20 seconds after I've stopped moving it. I tried playing a DVD on battery power which I figured would use more power and the entire movie played fine.
same problem here!
i just got an off lease elitebook 8460p and i noticed that rarely, the screen will turn into a fuzzy mess. when i sleep the computer instantly, it wakes up fine. what's causing the issue? my laptop is identical to OP's except my ssd is 128 gb
my bet is due to the laptop running off battery power, since i had screen flicker issues when not charging on my previous laptop (crappy acer). even so, this is an annoying problem that shouldnt be encountered, especially from a manufacturer that's supposed to have checked all the parts
I installed the new battery I ordered and that resolved the charging issue. Apparently, for whatever reason, the battery was bad all of a sudden. Anyway, this had no effect on the fuzzy. I wiped the drive and started over, again staying with Win7 64-bit as that's the OS it had originaly and still the issue remains. I ordered a cheaper HDD for it because I've decided this thing has beat me and I'll just have to sell it cheap to someone else who feels content with keeping it plugged in. I just can't handle the anoyance and can't find the answer. By the way, I copied the SSD directly to the HDD and no change from that either.
to top it off, there are these subtle flashing lines that occur whenever colors change too fast on the screen (like when playing videos on youtube). And they ONLY occur on the upper quarter of the screen, so when i move a video down the page or something, the subtle flashing lines disappear.
really strange. i think i might exchange it for another one in stock at my place. it's a fast laptop, no doubt, but the weird hijinks just don't cut it.
can i see a pic of your fuzzy screen?
im surprised we have an identical problem though, on the exact same model
Yes. I have a video of it on my phone but no still shots at the moment. I'll take some later today or in the morning so I can post a couple.
One more here with just the desktop background up. What it seems to like to do alot now is to freak out like this for 10 or more seconds when it first boots up, then piriodicaly as usual.
I got it to do it a couple times while using it this morning to take the pics, then it hasn't done it again for about 2 hours. That's just 2 hours of letting it run, reaching over to fiddle with it occationaly so it can't fall asleep (pulling up a web page here and there, starting a program, etc.). In other words, the battery being down to 25% now doesn't seem to be affecting the freaquency of the issue.
I know this is an old discussion, but I've had the same Problem on a HP 8460p in battery mode. I solved it by disabling the Energy Saving Options in the Intel HD Graphics Driver.
Go to Control Panel -> Intel graphics(...) -> Advanced Mode -> Power -> Battery Mode -> now uncheck both "Display Refreshrate Switch" and "Display Powersaving Technology".
I hope this will save somebody from Hours of headache :-)
I finally resolved the issue by installing a different driver. Unfortunately, I spent so much time on drivers and saved so many, researched, made notations, trail and error, etc., gave up, came back, that when I finaly fixed it I wasn't convinced. After I was sure it was resolved, I somehow lost the exact driver among the rest without having a notation with it. Long story short, I don't know the exact driver that cured it or where I found it.
It really tics me off too but what I ended doing as a safe guard is I cloned my SSD with Paragon Migrate onto an extra hard drive. So if anything happens in the future, I can simply swap drives and I'm back to a fresh, like new computor all over again.
I supose if someone else has the same Identical laptop and problem, I could make a list of all my related drivers for them, though I'm not familiar with how to do that. I'd need some instruction. Bottom line, if you started from scratch like me, loading your own OS and finding drivers yourself, then (Yes, it is a driver issue).
I think you have a dieing graphic issue.Time to replace.I am afraid.
Same laptop (HP 8460P) and same issues for over 18 months. It goes fuzzy when on battery but only about 25% of the time. Ive given up looking for a solution and kinda have learned to live with it. I have found that squishing the hinges bottom right side fixes it instantly at times. If it doesnt fix it I sleep the laptop and wake up and its fixed. Until the next time
We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.