Updating Bios via SSM + HpSoftPaQ

[sauvesean]

@AlexB3

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I use the latest version of SSM (3.2.7.1, SP81118 ) from http://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/HP_SSM.html

[AlexB3]

Thank you for the help @sauvesean.  I am still trying to figure it out how to run it under System  .

Did you encounter the following error  : Silent Install is empty, does not include HPQFlash  ?

[sauvesean]

Running it under system wouldn't give it access to network resources would it?  I've honestly never tried.

As far as your 'silent install is empty' problem, what version of SSM are you running?

[AlexB3]

I am using  :

Tue Jan 23 16:25:32 2018: SSM Version: 3.2.7.1 (3,2,7,1)
Tue Jan 23 16:25:32 2018: User Name:SYSTEM

Tue Jan 23 16:25:40 2018: SP84287.CVA: Start installing in "C:\ssm\EXTRACT"
Tue Jan 23 16:25:40 2018: Processing SilentInstall: SilentInstall from CVA:[]
Tue Jan 23 16:25:40 2018: Processing SilentInstall: Error processing SilentInstall:Command is empty[]

I am certain that its a problem from the running environment (User : System)  . 

[srochford]

Thanks for this - I've been trying to get this working for the past 2 weeks.

I don't understand how HP can produce such appallingly bad software. It probably makes sense to change the way passwords are encrypted from time to time to make sure that it stays safe but their software should know about this and be able to cope with it!

There's a new version of SSM at http://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/HP_SSM.html (interestingly it has a release date of 29 Jan even though it's visible today [26 Jan]) - it doesn't fix the problem.

What I found was that everything works well with the 800 G2 machines but not with 800 G1 or older (not yet tried the 800 G3 because I can't find a new BIOS)

Steve

[sauvesean]

AlexB3,

Did you ever fix this problem of "SilentInstall:Command is empty"?  I'm trying to install the updated Spectre fixes (SP85211) and I too am getting this error.  Nothing has changed for me in regards to the script or user-level that I use.

I'll keep looking deeper and post here what I find out.

HP SSM is truly a nightmare....

[stevepo]

Ran into the same issue as sauvesean with HPQPswd.exe when working with the 800 G1 machines.  Using a .bin file generated with the HPQPswd.exe that came with the BIOS update I was able to silently install BIOS ver. 2.74 (SP85211) via SSM.

Can't comment on running under the SYSTEM account or using a Powershell script to launch SSM but my desktop management software uses the following command running under an admin account to execute SSM:

\\servername\sharename\ssm.exe \\servername\sharename /a /rb /cpwdfile:"\\server\share\biospw.bin" /title:"System Update in progress..."

Intel ME firmware update was also installed silently along with the 2.74 BIOS.  One thing I notice is that no progress bar is shown for either update, the system just sits (seemingly idle) and then reboots when updates are completed.  When using SSM to update to BIOS ver. 2.72 a progress bar was displayed while the update took place.

[stevepo]

I noticed a new version of SSM is available (although its dated for 4/20/2018 which is tomorrow...), version 3.2.11.1.  Notes say it resolves an issue when updating BIOS on BitLocker enabled systems.  Not sure if this affects or helps anyone who has been running into the issues but thought I'd mention it here.

[Ale998601]

I have same/similar issues with our fleet of ProBook 640 G1 model machines, G2 and newer just "work" however the G1 does not.

I extracted the bios update and generated a password file with the utility in said SP, as suggested. However when I now try to push the update it fails with the error below.

• Problem encountered when launching the install command. Command line was (cmd.exe /c ""hpqrun.exe" -p"C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\SSM971F.tmp\PWD7E91.tmp"") which returned (Assuming Failure (Return code = 0xC0000374))

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? That error code doesn't tell me much and I cannot find a reference to it anywhere.

On second boot I get:

• HP Notebook System BIOS Update (SP87503.CVA): Problem encountered when launching the install command. Command line was (cmd.exe /c ""hpqrun.exe" -p"C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\SSM6031.tmp\PWDA7B9.tmp"") which returned (Flash did not update because BIOS Update Policy is disable (Return code=0x103))

That's the exact same error I got on the first try. We're running the latest SSM version.

[sauvesean]

The BitLocker reference on their update page indicates that SSM can now run BIOS updates on BitLocker-enabled systems.  The old behavior was that if SSM was processing a BIOS update, and the system was BitLocker-enabled, SSM would return an error.  The new behavior is that in these cases SSM will pro-actively suspend BitLocker in order for the BIOS update to complete without the system then asking for the BitLocker key on next restart.  Note that suspended BitLocker drives are automatically unsuspended upon reboot.

A new SSM version has been released on 9/14/2018, and now I am getting the 0x103 error on newer hardware (HP ProBook 650 G3).  When this forum post was created, the problem was on older systems (HP EliteDesk 800 G1).  My solution at the time was to use the HpqPswd from an older systems' BIOS update softpaq (file date from 2008) for older systems, and the HpqPswd from SSM for newer systems.  This worked fairly well until the new SSM version released on 9/14/2018.  The release notes for this version indicate: 

      VERSION 3.2.13.1

• Provides the updated BIOS installation process (The 'HPBIOSUPDREC.EXE' file has been removed from the package).

However, the BIOS update that is failing (SP91358, released 8/17/2018) contains the exact same HpqPswd that SSM uses.  It also contains the file HPBIOSUPDREC.EXE.  The error that I'm getting is:

         HP Notebook System BIOS Update (P77) (SP91358.CVA): Problem encountered when launching the install command. Command line was (cmd.exe /c ""HPBIOSUPDREC.exe" -s -r -b -p"C:\ssm\PWDA70F.tmp"") which returned (Returned due to internal failure (Return code=0x103))

This is plain silly.  I will be calling HP to complain that they have once again borked their own software