DV4-1120us bricked by HP's own Bios update

[reimier]

Yes, I have two USB thumb drive, 1GB Buffalo and 2GB Kingston.

[anion]

1. Download and extract the files from the zip to your bootable DOS usb flash drive.  http://www.sendspace.com/file/zb8ql8

Note: this package is only intended for reimier to enable flashing BIOS F.55 back to F.12 on his CQ40-109TU laptop.

2. Make sure your battery is fully charged.

3. Boot from the usb flash drive.

4. Type the following followed by 'enter'     F12U

This will flash your BIOS back to F.12, wether it will fix your problems though, I do not know.

[reimier]

I reformat the USB flash drive as FAT. How to create a bootable USB flash drive? Will it be bootable if I will just extract the content of F12U.zip to it? Should I type only F12U followed by "Enter" without any parameters?

[anion]

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@reimier wrote:
Will it be bootable if I will just extract the content of F12U.zip to it?

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No.

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@reimier wrote:
Should I type only F12U followed by "Enter" without any parameters?

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Yes.

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@reimier wrote:
I reformat the USB flash drive as FAT. How to create a bootable USB flash drive?

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Okay, I've updated the package to try and make it easier. http://www.sendspace.com/file/f0ipi2

Note: this package is only intended for reimier to enable flashing BIOS F.55 back to F.12 on his CQ40-109TU laptop.

1. Download the new package and un-zip all the files to your FAT16 formatted USB flash drive.

2. Using Windows run MakeBoot that was extracted from 1.

3. Restart and enter the set-up utility by pressing F10

4. Check that booting from USB is enabled.

I tried to access the HP online media to see what you need to set in the BIOS but it seems no longer available to the general public 😞
Nevermind, I have the same 30F7 InsydeH2O EFI 3.5 BIOS model although a slightly different version to yours so some of the settings shown may not be available to you.

Select 'USB Configuration'.

Check 'USB Legacy' is enabled.

Check 'USB boot' is enabled.

Use F10 to save settings and re-boot.

Before the BIOS posts, press F9 to enter the boot menu.

Select the USB flash drive.

When FreeDOS posts, run F12U and wait for F12 BIOS flash to complete.

Check see if the disk and power are still problematic, it could be a hardware failure rather than BIOS. Good luck.

[anion]

How did you go reimier?

I'm not going to be around for the next month or two so wont be able to help you after today. If your still having trouble making a bootable flash drive from the above instructions, try downloading the FreeDOS binaries from http://www.fdos.org/bootdisks/autogen/kernel.zip and extract them to a folder, say 'FDBIN'. Download something like HP's USB Drive format tool http://h50178.www5.hp.com/local_drivers/17550/SP27608.exe. Select "File system FAT" and "Create a DOS startup disk using DOS system files located at FDBIN".

If re-flashing to the older BIOS version does not fix your problems you might find this post useful. http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Operating-systems-and-software/HP-DV4-won-t-charge/td-p/211493

[reimier]

Yes, there is a problem.


These are the steps I did in making a bootable USB thumb drive:

1. Format my 1GB Buffalo USB thumb drive as FAT in Windows XP
2. Download your updated package file F12Uv2.zip
3. Copy and paste the downloaded file to my USB thumb drive
4. Extract here the downloaded file using 7-Zip
5. Delete the downloaded file
6. Run the extracted file MakeBoot.EXE
7. Click Yes button
8. Click OK button


These are the steps I did in flashing the BIOS of my laptop:

1. Remove my laptop battery
2. Charge my laptop battery using my friend's laptop
3. Put back my fully charged laptop battery
4. Plug in my bootable USB thumb drive
5. Turn on the power button

The power icon lights on. The hard disk icon and the USB thumb drive blink. The display hung and was like this:

Spoiler

                                                          COMPAQ

Press the ESC key for Startup Menu

6. Turn off the power button
7. Turn on the power button
8. Press F10 key while booting

The power icon lights on. The hard disk icon and the USB thumb drive blink. The display hung and was like this:

Spoiler

                                                          COMPAQ

F10    Loading BIOS Setup...

9. Turn off the power button
10. Remove the main battery
11. Remove the hard disk drive
12. Put back the main battery
13. Turn on the power button
14. Press F10 key while booting

It successfully entered the BIOS Setup. I did not see any configuration regarding USB thumb drive, so I just loaded the default setup, save it and exit.

15. Press F10 key while booting

It let me choose where to boot first.

16. Choose the USB thumb drive

The display hung and was like this:

Spoiler

FreeDOS

17. Turn off the power button
18. Turn on the power button

The display hung and was like this:

Spoiler

FreeDOS

It boots up the USB thumb drive, but it does not let me type in the F12U.

Did I miss something?

[reimier]

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@anion wrote:

If your still having trouble making a bootable flash drive from the above instructions, try downloading the FreeDOS binaries from http://www.fdos.org/bootdisks/autogen/kernel.zip and extract them to a folder, say 'FDBIN'. Download something like HP's USB Drive format tool http://h50178.www5.hp.com/local_drivers/17550/SP27608.exe. Select "File system FAT" and "Create a DOS startup disk using DOS system files located at FDBIN".

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What are the next steps? I did not see any files in the thumb drive after doing that.

[koberulz909]

Hey guys, first of all thanks for all the information on this thread.  Well I just tried to fix my friends dv4 1120us.  Everything was perfect until i thought hey let me update the bios.  I used the utility on the hp website.  It flashed the computer turned off like it was supposed to, i thought great.  I turn it back on...stuck at the HP screen.  Awesome, nothing boots.  So then i tried the method shown by mikey with the usb drive, the usb drive was read and the system beeped.  Turned it on again...now only a black screen.  What gives?  Did i just brick the system?  The file i used was 30F765U.FD...changed it to 30F7.bin.  Formatted my flash drive.  Copied it, took the battery and ac cable out of the computer.  Put the flash drive in, turned it on while holding windows + B.  Everything seemed to be going well, the system beeped then finally turned off.  Turned it on...black screen.  Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[javiclaros]

I reset the Bios to DV4 1120US and excellent performance!!!

Los pasos correctos son:
1. Creas un USB booteable
2. Copiar el archivo 30F7F30U.FD al USB
3. Cambiar el nombre 30F7F30U.FD por 30F7.BIN en mayusculas
4. Quitar la Bateria del computador
5. Quitar la energia
6. Presionar al mismo tiempo la "tecla Windows" y la tecla "B"
7. Sin soltar las teclas "Windows" + "B" plug the power y enciende la notebook.
8. Despues de unos segundos suelta las teclas Windows y B. La notebook empezara la búsqueda de los puertos.
9. Inserta el Dispositivo USB
10. Espera hasta que la notebook se apague!

Nota. Segui los pasos de http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345 para crear un dispositivo USB booteable y luego lo format with fat 16 or default (win7)

[javiclaros]

The correct steps are:
1. You create a bootable USB
2. Copy the file to the USB 30F7F30U.FD
3. Change the name in capital letters 30F7F30U.FD by 30F7.BIN
4. Remove the battery from the computer
5. Remove the power
6. Simultaneously press the "Windows key" and key "B"
7. Without releasing the keys "Windows" + "B" plug the power and turn on the notebook.
8. After a few seconds release the Windows key and B. The notebook will begin the search for the ports.
9. Insert the USB device
10. Wait until the notebook is turned off!

Note. Http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345 follow the steps to create a bootable USB device and then format it with fat 16 or default (win7)