Hi Ken,
First of all, regarding SimplePass and Power Manager, try the following.
If either of these softwares is currently installed, uninstall them from the relevant entry under Programs and Features and when done, restart the notebook.
Download and install the version of HP Software Framework on the following link.
http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp53501-54000/sp53546.exe
When done, download and reinstall the Validity Sensor driver on the link below.
http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55501-56000/sp55636.exe
Restart the notebook.
When windows has reloaded, download and install the following.
When done, restart the notebook again and check if SimplePass and Power Manager now work.
Regarding HP MediaSmart, which of these softwares isn't working correctly?
Regards,
DP-K