Need to unlock the MPM on an HP Z4 G4

[BobZ4G4]

I installed a new motherboard, and now the MPM appears to be locked.  I need to obtain an "SMC Blob" and instructions for how to use it to unlock the MPM.  I need also to find a document:  SMC_Creation_9_2015.pdf.  Please advise.

[Matt429]

Hello Bob,

As far as I'm aware, there is no way to unlock the MPM outside of an HP factory anymore. The document you're referencing seems to be from 2015, and stuff has changed since then. My thought is that you should contact the regular HP support instead of this forum. They may be able to help you.

I'm curious as to why you're trying to unlock your MPM? There isn't anything I can think of that you'd need the MPM unlocked to do with a Z4, and any other Z4 you get from a factory should already have it locked, same as your new motherboard.

[BobZ4G4]

Hello Matt,

I installed a new motherboard and when I boot a white screen with this messages appears:

"Product information not valid. The following product information programmed into the system board is missing or invalid.

System Board (00A) - Feature Byte

System Board (00A) - Build ID

System Board (00A) - Serial Number

Press space bar to continue boor or "Y" to enter missing information."

When I press "Y" I see fields of information, but they are not editable.  From reading the HP DMI documentation, sounds like the motherboard is in "Panic" mode and I need to unlock the MPM to enter the info it wants.  I do not know how to unlock it.  And according to the documentation there are a finite number of boots before it stops booting in this condition.

I asked the question here because the HP Z4 G4 is out of warranty.

[Matt429]

Well, that information isn't meant to be editable outside of a factory, so if your system isn't letting you put values in there, then you may be out of luck. If you do figure out how to get it to let you edit those values, they should be printed somewhere on your chassis or motherboard. I believe that the Feature Byte and Build ID are usually on the bottom of the chassis and the serial number should be on a sticker on the motherboard.

If it doesn't ever let you enter those values, there isn't really a way to unlock your system outside of a factory these days, so I'm afraid your system may be stuck inside this state. On the bright side, it shouldn't actually hurt anything: your system just won't have any of those values encoded into the BIOS and it'll display the scary-looking message every time you boot.

It's very strange that you got a motherboard without those values already entered though. You're not supposed to be able to lock the MPM in the first place without entering them. If you trust whoever you got your new motherboard from, it probably shouldn't be a problem... but to be safe, I'd personally recommend you try to return this particular motherboard and find a new seller. Might be worth the hassle for the peace of mind.

[joselso]

The following text may be of use to you.

It is included in a short flyer that usually accompanies new or refurbished HP motherboards of various HP PC models.

I am copying it now from the following URL:
https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c02980611

Updating SMBIOS Information:
When replacing the system board, you must reprogram the SMBIOS information on the affected computer. Failure to reprogram the board will result in eventual failure, such as an activation failure (need to reactivate the system) or a system recovery failure.

To update SMBIOS information in Computer Setup:

Turn on or restart the computer.
Press Esc while the “Press the ESC key for Startup Menu” message is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

note: If you do not press Esc at the appropriate time, you must restart the computer and again press Esc when the monitor light turns green to access the utility.

Press F10 to enter Computer Setup.

Go to Security > System ID’s.
If necessary, press Ctrl+A to initiate edit mode.

Edit the fields listed. If the feature byte has data or is not editable, then it was not cleared and cannot be edited.

System ID Setup Page:

 
Setup Field Name             Comment                                                                                                                              Label
Product Name                   Enter the Model name/number or marketing name.                                                Flexbuild
Serial Number                   Enter the Serial Number of Unit.                                                                                    Support
SKU Number                      Enter the SKU or Product Number including Localization Code.                           Support
Feature Byte                      Enter the Feature Byte string. The feature byte string is case dependent.        Flexbuild

The label includes spaces after every four characters. You can enter or ignore these spaces – their only purpose is to help with data entry. There is a character limitation of 40 bytes per line. When you reach this limit, go to the next line to continue data entry. BIOS ignores the spaces and lines.

If you make an error during data entry, the data will not validate, and the computer asks you to correct your data input.

Build ID                              The Build ID of the unit.                                                                                                        Flexbuild

Flexbuild Support Label:
Use the labels as illustrated in the a/m website URL to locate the Build ID, Feature Byte, and Product Name.

Support Label:
Use the labels as illustrated in the a/m website URL to locate the Serial Number and Product Number.