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‎02-09-2023 08:35 PM - edited ‎02-09-2023 10:16 PM

HP Recommended

Hi

 

Interesting thread.

 

Many users in the other Desktop Forums are experiencing the same issue on consumer MBs.

 

I suggested reprograming the BIOS using the .BIN file and a BIOS serial programmer https://www.amazon.com/SETCTOP-RT809F-programmer-Adapters-adapter/dp/B01HZO1YYY . This should work if the BIOS chip is compatible and soldered to the system board.

 

Didn't think about persistence in the EFI partition. I was wondering how HP was stopping BIOS rollbacks. I thought it may have been happening in the BIOS chip. So I was suggesting it may be necessary to replace and program the replacement BIOS chip.

 

Very good.

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‎02-10-2023 04:33 AM

HP Recommended

Hello again, I have tried EVERYTHING! I truly mean that! Tried many different bios tools, live usb's, command line utilities, hirens boot cd, efi file swaps, hp tools usb and even learned about and tried to modify my bios through hex and bios editors... I think I tried a few more things but I'm out of options and not only that but, now my F.57 bios is corrupt! Does any one have a F.57 bios backup they can send me? I need to try to reinstall it because now... I can't even reinstall windows cause it freezes on just a moment on first boot after install. Yup.... this issue is crazy unacceptable! I hope HP fixes this!

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‎02-10-2023 07:09 AM

HP Recommended

Hi Mike,

 

Thank you so much for the valuable info.

 

Which version of the AMI flash utility did you use? There are several versions on the AMI download site for different BIOS cores: AMIBIOS8, Aptio 4, and Aptio 5. I'm unable to determine the BIOS type of my 285 G3's motherboard but I assume it's Aptio V as the two others are ancient.

 

I don't have physical access to the box right now, so my plan is to do everything from inside Windows via remote control. Find a way to mount the EFI partition, delete the BIOS image files there, then run AFUWINx64.exe to overwrite the BIOS with revision F.55. This should work, right?

 

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‎02-10-2023 07:17 AM

HP Recommended

Hi Ian,

 

Thank you for taking the time to write these instructions.

 

Did you delete all the BIOS image (.bin) files on the EFI parition or just the one in the "New" directory?

 

Any thoughts on mounting the EFI partition from inside Windows instead of using a live CD/USB stick? Thankfully I did not re-install Windows, so I might be able to pull this off via remote control.

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‎02-10-2023 07:48 AM

HP Recommended

CROSS POST

I did contact support a few days ago. It was definitely a cold handoff to support because the team has no idea what is happening, or will not acknowledge it. Despite this clearly being an error caused by HP, they will not provide any support outside of paying for technical support. My PC is out of warranty, but I have trouble with this concept of paying for help on an issue that HP created. No components of the PC are broken or require repair/replacement due to use or age. It's simply been fed a faulty HP bios which is causing the PC to hard freeze multiple times a day. Is there another avenue for help? Otherwise I have a computer that I cannot use. I've always felt good about the HP brand and have had a long history with its products. Disappointing.

I replied to my DM from support with the following.

This seems to be a very widespread issue impacting enterprise, commercial, and personal users. This issue must be impacting hundreds if not thousands of customers' machines. At this point I would ask you to please escalate this issue that must be impacting hundreds if not thousands of customers' machines. There are already 6 threads that I could find in the community speaking to this exact issue. I'm sure that there are considerably more posts from less technical customers/users. Not to mention the customers in the wild that have no idea what is happening or think to check HP's community forum for help.

Here are the 6 so far:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Boot-and-Lockup/Computer-is-freezing-after-Bios-Update/m-p/860...

 
 
 
 
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‎02-10-2023 07:50 AM

HP Recommended

Hi RadAway

 

Yes it was the Aptio V.  Sounds like it should work if you can find a way to mount EFI partition. I didn't do it inside the PC Windows install because mine was randomly hang the PC and didn't want to risk that while flashing BIOS, also I've only done the ones so far where I'd already messed up the windows install by resetting it or trying to do a  clean windows install.

 

Regards

Mike

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‎02-10-2023 08:05 AM

HP Recommended

It's the F.57 causing the hang on the first boot on the installing of windows, at least it was for me. Your could put the SSD in another PC install windows then after first boot move it back. I tried that and it would then shutdown, but I was still getting random hangs.

I have a backup copy F.57 taken from a HP 285 G3 MT before I flashed it back, I'd assume it's only safe to use on another HP 285 G3 MT or one with the exact same motherboard. I used the AMI AFU utility (see my other posts) to take the backup so haven't got the sig file that the HP Utils seem to need.

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‎02-10-2023 08:28 AM

HP Recommended

CROSS POST ACROSS THREADS

I did contact support a few days ago. It was definitely a cold handoff to support because the team has no idea what is happening, or will not acknowledge it. Despite this clearly being an error caused by HP, they will not provide any support outside of paying for technical support. My PC is out of warranty, but I have trouble with this concept of paying for help on an issue that HP created. No components of the PC are broken or require repair/replacement due to use or age. It's simply been fed a faulty HP bios which is causing the PC to hard freeze multiple times a day. Is there another avenue for help? Otherwise I have a computer that I cannot use. I've always felt good about the HP brand and have had a long history with its products. Disappointing.

I replied to my DM from support with the following.

This seems to be a very widespread issue impacting enterprise, commercial, and personal users. This issue must be impacting hundreds if not thousands of customers' machines. At this point I would ask you to please escalate this issue. There are already 6 threads that I could find in the community speaking to this exact issue. I'm sure that there are considerably more posts from less tech savvy customers/users. Not to mention the customers in the wild that have no idea what is happening or think to check HP's community forum for help.

Here are the 6 so far:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Boot-and-Lockup/Computer-is-freezing-after-Bios-Update/m-p/860...

 
 
 
 
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‎02-10-2023 09:07 AM

HP Recommended

Hi RadAway

 

Since you have a working Windows 10 installation I've just found you can access the EFI partition in windows. by opening powershell as administrator and run command

mountvol p: /s

Then in the powershell prompt you can access the EFI by using drive p:

On mine I only had something in the "current" folder a .bin and .sig I deleted both. I flashed in Hiren suing AFU. So back on F.55,  without having to reinstall Windows, but had to do Bitlocker recovery at boot and now my intune is broke due to TPM error I probably just need to remove and re-add to intune.

 

 

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‎02-10-2023 10:18 AM - edited ‎02-10-2023 12:08 PM

HP Recommended

Mike,

 

That is exactly how I did it. I was unable to mount the EFI partition in a way that made it accessible in Windows Explorer, so I did everything in PowerShell (Admin). First I entered "mountvol p: /s" (without the quotes) then I deleted both the signature file and the .bin file in P:\efi\hp\BIOS\Current>. I left the directories "Previous" and "New" alone ("New" was already empty).

After that I ran the AMI flash utility within the same PowerShell window with the arguments you provided (/P /B /N /REBOOT). That did the trick and I now have BIOS F.55.

 

Thank you so much, Mike. You really saved my day.

 

PS. Just out of curiosity I opened HP Support Assistant to see if HP is still trying to push the F.57 BIOS update on my system, and yes, they indeed are. Unbelievable.Skjermbilde.PNG

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