BIOS update U90 01.09.01 does not complete - Dragonfly G3

[WDitters]

I have an issue with U90 Bios 01.09.01 (see screenshot). The firmware update starts correctly and flawlessly updates items 1-7. At item 8 however, the Fingerprint Controller, the machine skips the update and completes the reboot cycle, leaving the Fingerprint Controller stuck at the older firmware.  I have downgraded to older FW revisions and back multiple times, but no luck ... Anyone any ideas what could be the issue?

   

[Jupitero]

Hello.

The firmware upgrade utility copies the firmware update files to the EFI partition on your SSD from where the BIOS then automatically finds and upgrades them. Try clearing BIOS and BIOSUPDATE folders from \efi\HP folder. You can mount the EFI drive in Windows with the mountvol command. If you remove the whole HP folder you will also remove the HP System Diagnostics - which can be reinstalled easily though. DO NOT remove the whole EFI folder or MICROSOFT or BOOT folders underneath it - otherwise Windows will not boot anymore.

The BIOS upgrade Softpaq should leave a log file in c:\swsetup\SPxxxxxx folder. Does it have any warnings or errors?

The Softpaq also has an option to create a bootable USB drive which will not rely on the EFI partition data. Have you tried it?

[WDitters]

Thx .. I did actually use this process to clear the EFI partition of obsolete (non-English) Windows language packs. So there currently is plenty available space for BIOS files. I did also try the online update mechanism through HP.com from within the EFI bios as well as the process via external USB media. All end with the same result. Items 1-7 flash fine whereas 8 (Fingerprint Controller) is skipped. No error messages can be found in the log unfortunately ... 

[Jupitero]

Hi again,

I really don't think I can help you anymore with this. You could open a case with HP and have them sort out why the firmware is not getting updated. Could be just a problem with the fw updater and a later BIOS package will sort this out. Perhaps your current fw version or device hw revision is something the updater isn't prepared for and cancels the update.

BIOS release notes state: "Fixes an issue where Power-On Authentication using the fingerprint does not function properly", which this fingerprint firmware likely is about. Now, if you are not using fingerprint during power-on, or it is working properly, I would let this problem lie dormant, keep the BIOS updated to the latest version otherwise and wait for the next BIOS release. In any case, opening a support case could alert HP for this problem, otherwise it may take more version releases before the HP BIOS coders pull their finger out. (When only one person complains it's a happenstance with 2 or more people a pattern starts to emerge.)

[WDitters]

Bios version 1.10.01 landed via Windows Update. Same issue. Every component flashes fine, except the fingerprint controller