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- Trying to find the last BIOS download for my Z600
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06-20-2020 12:45 AM
Hello guys,
I'm trying to get an older Z600 up and running and I am having trouble finding anywhere to download the bios update files. The HP site appears to not have it available anymore, so the links in the older discussions are no help. I want to update the bios before trying to install the OS, since the current bios can not boot from usb which leaves me installing from a dvd; IF I can burn one from my mac! Since it was a used machine it had no HDD, there is no recovery partition or OS etc. It will still be quite a useful machine, if I can get it up and running! Is there an archive somewhere that has these available? Is it because I'm searching from a mac that the site doesn't come up with them?
06-20-2020 02:06 AM
Hello
I think you should try an installation with what is possible!
Although it is sometimes possible to use another way to update the bios, in many cases, it is a file that installs from windows precisely!
There we do not really know the state of the computer, try an update may crash it completely, and nothing says that the maj will be the solution to boot from a usb key!
to check, if it is not a simple configuration problem by the way, it may be that the pc can finally boot from a usb key, as finally not having this option even after updating the bios
that said, it will be necessary to check the model of the computer, to identify with its product number:
HP Desktop PCs - How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number? | HP® Customer Support
I found this page, in order to see the download options, you sometimes have to change the bone (Detected operating system: Windows 7 (64-bit) Choose a different OS)
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-z600-workstation/3718663
to check the SSID of the motherboard also!
The Computer Setup (F10) Utility
https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-z600-workstation/3718663/manuals
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06-20-2020 07:11 AM
not too hard to locate
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-z600-workstation/3718663
then click on "Choose my OS" and select windows, then windows 7 (64bit in this case)
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-z600-workstation/3718663
click the " + " next to the BIOS text
click on HP Z600 Windows Workstation System BIOS link (3.61) SP84160
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp84001-84500/sp84160.exe
previous versions can be found by clicking on the "previous versions" blue triangle
note, updating the bios when using windows 10 should only be done using the "DOS" method or the update bios function found within the z600's current bios IE- enter bios, then select update bios
both of these methods require a USB key formatted as fat 32 with the bios image (from the sp's dos folder) placed in the root of the usb key
extract the SP using winzip/winRAR or by running the sp file cancelling it at the actual windows based install prompt
then go to C:\sp84160\dos folder
06-20-2020 08:14 AM
They're still there. There is a link: HERE Choose to manually find, and go to W7 64 bit.
Path: Google "z600 drivers", choose the top result, you'll get the can't find message, choose to manually.....
Now you need to learn how to update BIOS from within BIOS as the safest way to update. HP has built into your current BIOS a way to use the BIOS as an operating system to do this, plus a fat32 thumb drive. I've posted about that here over the years. People have bricked their motherboards not doing that, especially if they try to do the upgrade from within W10.
06-20-2020 11:07 AM
@Prométhée wrote:Hello
I think you should try an installation with what is possible!
Although it is sometimes possible to use another way to update the bios, in many cases, it is a file that installs from windows precisely!
There we do not really know the state of the computer, try an update may crash it completely, and nothing says that the maj will be the solution to boot from a usb key!
to check, if it is not a simple configuration problem by the way, it may be that the pc can finally boot from a usb key, as finally not having this option even after updating the bios
that said, it will be necessary to check the model of the computer, to identify with its product number:HP Desktop PCs - How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number? | HP® Customer Support
I found this page, in order to see the download options, you sometimes have to change the bone (Detected operating system: Windows 7 (64-bit) Choose a different OS)
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-z600-workstation/3718663
to check the SSID of the motherboard also!The Computer Setup (F10) Utility
https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-z600-workstation/3718663/manuals
Sorry but why not answer unanswered subjects.
While here everything has already been said ...
what good is it to repeat, or direct the user, to something, which may not be what it takes, without warning!
Updating a bios is not to be taken lightly !!
Many users are waiting for help:
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/forums/unansweredtopicspage/node-id/community:1
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06-20-2020 12:42 PM - edited 06-20-2020 12:55 PM
Yes... you are right. And, I wish my French was better...
To get the BIOS update ".bin" file you download the HP installer, run it, cancel out of it towards the end. It will have put a folder on the root level of your C drive named SWSetup. In there you will find a folder named the same as the HP SoftPaq you downloaded (SP84160), but there will be added folders inside. One is the "DOS_Flash" folder. In there will be the BIOS updater .bin file (7G4_0361.bin). If you have your File/View settings in Control Panel set to "show extensions of known file type" you will be able to see ".bin" at the end of the bin file.
Copy that onto the top level of a freshly fat32 formatted relatively small thumb drive, with nothing else on it. Fully shut down the computer, insert the thumb drive into only a USB2 port (front or back). Start the computer and go into BIOS. At the first tab down the list you'll see something like "Update system ROM". Click on that. The BIOS that is running is programmed to look for a thumb drive or a floppy disc with that .bin file sitting there ready to go. Select the thumb drive, and proceed. I always walk away and don't touch the workstation for at least 5 minutes. Some BIOS updates take longer than other and you don't want to disturb it in any way. Sometimes the update may restart the workstation and then keep going... so just give it time.
Our friend DGroves method is to go up one level in the operating system.... to using DOS as the operating system. My way is more primative, using BIOS as the operating system. I think it is safer, personally, but only by a little bit. The very risky way is to use Windows 10 as the OS to upgrade BIOS from.
Good luck on your project, and you are wise to be cautious.
06-21-2020 08:22 AM
The challenge I have is that I'm rebuilding this machine from a shell. It had no drives, no memory and slow processors. I have replaced the processors with the highest supported ones, and added a good amount of ram. I have no OS installed, and I know from others that this will support Win 10 when I get to that point. To find downloads I have to select an OS on the HP site, so I pick the one that the license sticker indicates. I may have to simply wait until I have a reliable drive and can afford a copy of Win 10. I did find a site that will sell me the "recovery" disks for this machine, which is much less cost, but if I will need to pay full price to upgrade later then I will just wait. The warnings in the bios screen let me know that it will not boot from usb, and the version number isn't even available to download at HP so it is certainly out of date. I do have a working SSD in another machine, but when I install it it is not seen. My other household working machine is a mac, so unless I can find a source for the uncompressed image to put on the stick, I'll need to wait until I have something up and running on the Z600 in order to update it.
06-21-2020 01:09 PM
HP and Microsoft have a tight relationship. If you have any official W7Pro64 install running on the computer you can still upgrade to W10Pro64 for free.
Do you have an official W7Pro64 HP sticker on the case? That has a COA installer serial number on it you can use. If the recovery discs you speak of are copies of the HP ones and your workstation is truly licensed for W7Pro64 you can use those CDs and get an official HP build on it. I do have a source for those too if you don't.
Your W7Pro64 install also does not need to be a HP one.... for example there was an installer disc sold by Microsoft that was called a "system builder" license. Once you upgrade W7Pro64 to W10Pro64 your motherboard will be listed on the Microsoft W10 licensing servers forever and you don't need any codes for another clean W10 install.
06-21-2020 01:32 PM - edited 06-21-2020 09:50 PM
Oh.... and I've become a big believer in setting your BIOS preferences to Factory Defaults and saving those on the way out of BIOS. I've been able to overcome some difficult install issues after I did that.
I personally use a Windows workstation of any type to first do a DBAN low level format of the boot medium (that will be a SSD for you). Then I do a MBR partition of the resulting post-DBAN drive. Then I do a NTFS long-type format of that partitioned drive using the built in Microsoft Disk Management utility. That way when you proceed to install Windows the OS will have a clean formatted SSD to work from rather than a "RAW" drive.