BIOS Firmware Issues

[Vikash236]

Unified Bug Report: Video Playback Crash & Firmware Issues

HP Victus 16-s0xxx | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Insyde BIOS F.31

Report Date: May 13, 2026
Reporter Location: India
Severity: Critical — Complete video playback failure & BIOS firmware defects

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System Identification

Field Value

Product	Victus by HP Gaming Laptop 16-s0xxx
SKU / Part Number	8R1E6PA#ACJ
Serial Number	CND3291N48
BaseBoard ID	8BD5
Product Family	103C_5335M7 HP VICTUS
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS w/ Radeon 780M Graphics
iGPU	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (Phoenix, PCI VEN_1002&DEV_15BF&SUBSYS_8BD5103C&REV_C2)
dGPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
RAM	16 GB DDR5-5600 (Samsung)
Storage	Kioxia KXG80ZNV512G NVMe 512GB (FW: HP01AP40)
Display	1920×1080 @ 144Hz, eDP internal panel, 32-bit
OS	Windows 11 Home (Build 26200)
BIOS	Insyde F.31 (November 20, 2025)
EC Version	79.57
AMD Driver	Adrenalin 32.0.31007.1017 (May 4, 2026)
Faulting DLL	amdxx64.dll v9.17.11.0088
DLL SHA256	9CDFF1D153BDE757869960A135EF9A53576F62569AD29981D84421C0168479C2

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Part A — For AMD: Driver Crash in amdxx64.dll

Problem Description

Any application using D3D11VA hardware video decoding crashes with an ACCESS_VIOLATION in amdxx64.dll. The crash is deterministic — same fault offset every time, 100% reproducible.

Crash Signature

Faulting module: amdxx64.dll (version 32.0.31007.1017)

File description: AMD DX10/DX11 UMD

Exception code: 0xc0000005 (ACCESS_VIOLATION)

Fault offset: 0x00000000000a2fd4

Reproducibility: 7/7 attempts (100%)

Symptoms

1. Open any 1080p MP4 video file (H.264) in any player
2. Video plays briefly (or not at all) — then screen goes black
3. Application crashes entirely — AMD Bug Report Tool shows "driver timeout"
4. Audio continues playing (CPU-decoded, unaffected by GPU crash)
5. Happens in: Windows Media Player, VLC (with HW decode), Chrome (YouTube)
6. Does NOT happen in: VLC with avcodec-hw=none (CPU decode)

Evidence: 7 Identical Crashes

# Time Application PID Offset Exception

1	00:00:55	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x36E0	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
2	00:05:39	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x2970	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
3	00:23:37	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x54C8	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
4	00:23:37	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x54C8	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
5	00:26:49	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x3D70	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
6	00:29:26	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x579C	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005
7	00:38:44	Microsoft.Media.Player.exe	0x1B7C	0x000a2fd4	0xc0000005

Full Crash Event Log Entry

Faulting application name: Microsoft.Media.Player.exe, version: 11.2603.12.0

Faulting module name: amdxx64.dll, version: 32.0.31007.1017, timestamp: 0x69d55fa8

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x00000000000a2fd4

Faulting module path: C:\windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\

u0200434.inf_amd64_03ee5a22b45fd656\B025997\amdxx64.dll

VCN 4.0 Firmware Files in Driver Package

ativvaxy_vcn4.dat — 395,408 bytes

ativvaxy_vcn4_0_a.dat — 395,408 bytes

ativvaxy_vcn4_0_a_1.dat — 395,408 bytes

What Was Tested & Ruled Out

Test Result Conclusion

VLC CPU decode (avcodec-hw=none)	✅Works perfectly	GPU hardware is functional
NVIDIA GPU on same system	0 crashes in 30 days	Microsoft D3D/DXGI is clean
SFC system file check	0 corrupt files	Windows system files intact
Thermal test	Peak 63°C	Not thermal
Disk I/O	1711 MB/s NVMe	Not storage
RAM	6 GB free, DDR5-5600	Not memory
Disabled PSR, ULPS, ABM, MPO, GfxOff	Crash still occurs	Not a power-state-only issue

Requested Action from AMD

1. Analyze crash dump at amdxx64.dll + 0x000a2fd4 — identify the null/invalid pointer dereference
2. Check DMCUB firmware interaction with VCN 4.0 during D3D11VA decode on Phoenix APUs
3. Release a driver update with the fix
4. Crash dumps available: %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\Microsoft.Media.Player.exe.*.dmp

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Part B — For HP: BIOS Firmware Issues

Problem 1: ACPI Time and Alarm Device Failure

Source: Microsoft-Windows-HAL (Events 20 & 21)

Status: 0xC00000BB (STATUS_NOT_SUPPORTED)

Count: 14 events — occurs EVERY boot

Description: The BIOS firmware incorrectly implements the ACPI Time and Alarm Device (_TAD) method. Windows calls the ACPI method to query/set the hardware real-time clock, and the BIOS returns STATUS_NOT_SUPPORTED. This occurs on every single boot.

Impact: Hardware RTC cannot be managed via ACPI. May also indicate other ACPI table defects affecting GPU power management methods.

Event Log Evidence

05/12/2026 18:12:04 — The hardware real-time clock was not set because

evaluation of the ACPI Time and Alarm Device method failed. Status: 0xC00000BB

05/12/2026 18:12:04 — The hardware real-time clock was not queried because

evaluation of the ACPI Time and Alarm Device method failed. Status: 0xC00000BB

(repeats 14 times across multiple boots)

Problem 2: Secure Boot SBAT Update Failure

Source: Microsoft-Windows-TPM-WMI (Event 1796)

Error: 0x800700c1

Count: 5 failures

Description: The BIOS does not support the latest SBAT (Secure Boot Advanced Targeting) revocation format required by Windows 11 Build 26200 security updates. The Secure Boot policy cannot be updated.

Problem 3: Potential AGESA Update Needed

The current BIOS (F.31, Nov 2025) contains an AGESA firmware version that may not include fixes for AMD Phoenix APU iGPU stability. AMD frequently releases AGESA updates that fix iGPU initialization, VCN, and DMCUB firmware loading issues.

Problem 4: Unexpected Shutdowns

4 unexpected shutdowns (Kernel-Power Event 41) recorded in recent weeks, potentially related to GPU driver crashes causing system instability.

Uninstalled BIOS Package Found

C:\SWSetup\sp168337\InsydeFlash.exe (v4.57, dated Dec 18, 2025)

This package was downloaded but never installed. It may contain a BIOS update newer than F.31.

Requested Action from HP

1. Release a BIOS update for HP Victus 16-s0xxx (8BD5) that includes:
   • Fixed ACPI Time and Alarm Device (_TAD) method
   • Updated Secure Boot SBAT support
   • Newer AMD AGESA firmware for Phoenix APU iGPU stability
2. Clarify the contents of SP168337 — does it contain a BIOS newer than F.31?
3. Update Embedded Controller firmware (v79.57) if a newer version exists

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Part C — For Insyde: BIOS ACPI Table Defects

About This Report

This report is filed because the BIOS firmware on this HP product is manufactured by Insyde Software. The ACPI table defects described below are in the Insyde UEFI BIOS implementation.

BIOS Identification

BIOS Vendor: Insyde

BIOS Version: F.31

BIOS Date: November 20, 2025

SMBIOS Version: 3.4

Platform: HP Victus 16-s0xxx (BaseBoard 8BD5)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS (Phoenix APU)

Defect: ACPI Time and Alarm Device Method

The ACPI _TAD (Time and Alarm Device) method in the DSDT/SSDT returns STATUS_NOT_SUPPORTED (0xC00000BB) when Windows HAL evaluates it. This occurs on every boot and produces 14+ error events per session.

Expected behavior: The _TAD method should either:

1. Correctly implement the Time and Alarm Device interface, OR
2. Not be present in the ACPI namespace if the hardware doesn't support it

Actual behavior: The method exists in the ACPI namespace but returns an unsupported status, causing Windows HAL to log errors.

Defect: Secure Boot SBAT Compatibility

The Secure Boot implementation does not support SBAT revocation updates from Windows 11 Build 26200, causing Event 1796 errors.

Requested Action from Insyde

1. Fix the _TAD ACPI method in the DSDT for the HP 8BD5 platform
2. Update Secure Boot SBAT handling to support latest Windows 11 requirements
3. Coordinate with HP for a BIOS release

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[Deep_World]

Hi @Vikash236,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

Thank you for sharing such a detailed and well-documented report  I can see the amount of effort you’ve put into this and I completely understand how  it must be to face  crashes and firmware errors.

We appreciate your patience and the clarity of your findings.

In the meantime, here are a few steps you can try:

1. Switch to Microsoft video decoder: In apps like VLC or Chrome, temporarily disable hardware acceleration to avoid the amdxx64.dll crash until a fixed driver is released.
2. Check Windows updates: Ensure all optional updates (especially firmware and microcode updates) are installed.
3. Run HP Support Assistant: This tool can detect pending BIOS or Chipset firmware updates specific to your system.
4. Test with NVIDIA GPU: Force video playback on the RTX 3050 to confirm stability while AMD works on a patch.
   
   Upon checking the BIOS idetification in the report shows older version, There was a newer BIOS package released on December 16, 2025 for Windows 11 version 24H2 (64‑bit)  : F.31 Rev.A Dec 16, 2025 - Click here .
   And regarding the BIOS update: the latest BIOS for your model will always be published on the official HP support website. At this time, F.31 December 16, 2025  is the most recent release, and we recommend waiting for the next update rollout, which will include other fixes as well.

I hope this helps.

[Vikash236]

Hi Deep_World,

Thank you for the response and for confirming that F.31 Rev.A (December 2025) is currently the latest version on HP's end. I have already tested the workarounds (disabling hardware acceleration in VLC/Chrome), which successfully bypassed the crash, isolating the fault to the AMD hardware decoding path and firmware interaction.

However, I have some critical updated information. Because of this crash, I contacted the security and engineering team at Insyde Software (the manufacturer of the BIOS).

Insyde's engineering team replied to my bug report today and stated: "It appears this is a known issue. Have you checked the HP website for an update. We believe the fix is available in version F.32. Let us know if you have any questions although HP actually should know more than we do."

Since Insyde has already developed BIOS F.32 to fix these known issues, but HP's servers are still only distributing F.31, can you please escalate this to the HP Firmware/Engineering team to expedite the public rollout of F.32 for the Victus 16-s0xxx (BaseBoard 8BD5)?

The current AMD driver + F.31 firmware interaction causes a hard crash (amdxx64.dll Access Violation, and occasional 0x3B Blue Screens) during basic D3D11VA video playback, so getting F.32 released is critical.

Thank you!

[Deep_World]

Hi @Vikash236,
 

Thanks for your response and Thank you for sharing the detailed findings and the update from Insyde Software. I completely understand the urgency given the concern you have elaborated. 

At this time, HP can only provide BIOS updates once they have been fully validated and officially published on the HP Support website for your specific product line. Even though Insyde has indicated that version F.32 exists, HP’s engineering and quality assurance teams must complete their own testing and release process before it becomes available for download. Until that happens, F.31 Rev.A remains the latest supported version for this unit . 

I recommend continuing to monitor the HP Support page for your device, as any new BIOS release will be posted there first. Once F.32 is published, you’ll be able to update directly from that source.

I hope this helps.

[Vikash236]

Hi Deep_World,

Thank you for following up. The issue is NOT resolved — I did not mark it as "Accepted Solution" because the core problem still exists.

Here is the current status:

1. Workarounds are in place (temporary fix only): I have disabled hardware acceleration in Chrome, Edge, and VLC as you suggested. Video playback works via CPU software decoding, but this is a workaround, not a fix. Windows Media Player still crashes because it has no option to disable hardware acceleration.
2. Critical update — Insyde Software confirmed F.32 BIOS fixes this: After filing this report, I directly contacted Insyde Software (the company that manufactures the BIOS firmware for this HP laptop). Their engineer Kevin Davis ([email protected]) replied to me and stated:

"It appears this is a known issue. We believe the fix is available in version F.32."

This confirms that Insyde has already developed and delivered BIOS F.32 to HP. However, HP's servers are still only distributing F.31 (Rev.A, December 2025). Additionally, the official HP driver download page for my specific model (8R1E6PA) is currently returning a 404 error and is completely inaccessible.

1. AMD has also opened a case: AMD Global Customer Care has an active investigation under Service Request #00845726. They are aware of the amdxx64.dll crash at offset 0x000a2fd4 during D3D11VA video decoding.
2. What I need from HP:

Please escalate to the HP Firmware Engineering team to release BIOS F.32 for the Victus 16-s0xxx (BaseBoard 8BD5, SKU 8R1E6PA#ACJ)

Please fix the broken 404 driver download page for my model

Please coordinate with AMD and Insyde to resolve the firmware + driver interaction causing the crash

This case should NOT be archived until the F.32 BIOS is publicly available. Thank you for your continued support.

Vikash

[Deep_World]

Hi @Vikash236,
 

Thanks for your response and thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed update  I truly appreciate the effort you’ve put into documenting the current status and the steps you’ve already taken.

At this time, HP can only provide BIOS updates once they have been fully validated and officially published on the HP Support website for your specific product line. Even though Insyde has indicated that version F.32 exists, HP’s engineering and quality assurance teams must complete their own internal testing and release process before it becomes available for download. Until that happens, F.31 Windows 11 version 24H2 (64 bit) Rev.A Dec 16, 2025   remains the latest supported version for your unit.

I recommend continuing to monitor the HP Support page for your device, as any new BIOS release will be posted there first. Once F.32 is published, you’ll be able to update directly from that source.

Regards

Deep_World