Modem issues on HP laptops

meh, so my company is having me deploy around a thousand HP Compaq 8510p laptops and everything was going good until I received an email yesterday telling me to take an additional step. I need to make sure the built-in modems are working for dialup.
I just enable the modem in the BIOS and then install the drivers. Simple, yeah?

When the laptops are booted for the first time, the modem works fine and I can install the drivers perfectly. The BIOSs start with version 1.31, though the modem seems to already be enabled on many of them. In fact, the option to enable them doesn't even show up 90% of the time...weird. The option appears at random.

I'm required to update the BIOS to F.0F or F.11(1.37, latest) for video on all the computers, but this seems to disable or turn off the modem. It stops working completely after the BIOS update is applied.

No idea how to get around this. The BIOS update is required, but it stops me from getting the modems working. I've tried the HP support site for latest drivers and nothing is working. I don't see anything disabled in the 1.37 BIOS.

[edit]
I go into control panel and check the modems to see what's installed. I see a modem, but it says the modem is "not present," and is unable to find any modems attached. I know there's a modem in the system.

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Comments

hetty

And its definitely not in an advanced option menu in the bios?

dynamik

Is it listed in device manager?

pryde7

To me the Bios of hp and compaq is like and automatic car. Very little to modify.
Try to uninstall the drivers and restart the computer. Check from the device manager for any unknown device. It should show up in the device manager. From there you can install the driver.

KGhaleon

I've thoroughly checked the BIOS and there are no further options. The modem is only listed in device manager when the device is working...before the BIOS update. After the BIOS update...it disappears from device manager and I can't diagnose or access it from control panel/Modems.

I've tried the different BIOS and chipset drivers, but I'm not sure what to do. I am being forced to perform the BIOS update since it corrects a video driver problem.

I uninstalled the modem and restarted, but it doesn't pickup or see the modem at all. Likely because it is still disabled. I only uninstalled the software/driver, basically.

I'm meeting with someone in twenty minutes to discuss the problem. He is going to help me try and resolve it. Not sure how we'll handle this though. Seems like an HP issue if the BIOS is the cause.

sthomas

It sounds like an HP issue with the BIOS update to me. I would contact HP as soon as possible and tell them to help you resolve this issue.

Talic

Maybe the Bios is hiding the settings? I've had that happen to me once before but with ram, not modems. Looks around for something like "hit F1 for advanced settings" or something.

Thinkpad > HP Business :P

jetdynamics

We got almost the same issue with our HP 6910P laptop maybe you can try this:

Log into Bios
Choose restore to default settings then choose save changes and exit
Then try to power it off then Power it on again then Press F10 for the Bios Settings then Go to System Configuration-->Built-In Device Options and verify that Internal Modem shows up as an option and is enabled.
Save changes and exit after that Upon logging on to Computer OS(XP) verify that is shows up on Device Manager.
Try this maybe it will work for you we did this after Bios Update also for 6910P laptop

KGhaleon

We got it working with a little help from HP. What we had to do was:

1. Install the BIOS update and run a small executable which makes the modem show up in the BIOS.
2. Reboot and enable modem in BIOS.
3. Install latest BIOS update(new months newer than the one we had, but still wouldn't fix the modem issue). Reboot.
4. Install modem drivers, then reboot immediately for changes to take place. If anything else is installed...for some reason the modem will remain deactivated.

If the modem doesn't work, a few reboots usually helps. Most of the time it shows up instantly. Crazy.

leefdaddy

what a pain in the ass that sounds like.

Kasor

1) Why do you want to update the BIOS when you know that will disable the modem?

2) Mostly BIOS update is optional

3) You need to talk to your boss and justify what is most important - BIOS/Modem?

4) If it is HP laptop, then you need to call them 24/7 until they provide you a solution because obviously the BIOS update is not working and causing modem to disable.

Modem is a plain and simple. Either it is work or not. You can do a loop test.

Again, CALL HP and HAVE THEM FIX THE PROBLEM. It is out of your hand.

KGhaleon

The BIOS update is important, as it corrects a serious video issue with the model. We already have a solution now and it has been working for us, so I see little point in researching it further. HP already looked into the problem and issued a fix for us to use. I just need to do another 100-200 laptops and the project will be nearly finished.