HP System BIOS Update Utility (Where to locate)?

[popgreen]

Hi, would you please be able to provide a working link so that I can obtain a copy of the HP System BIOS Update Utility? It's very difficult for me to locate.

-Happy New Year😀

[Bill_To]

Greetings @popgreen 

Welcome back to the Forum.

To the best of my knowledge HP do not offer a consumer BIOS Update Utility.

Windows executable BIOS updates are offered at the perspective PC's download site.

Unfortunately, HP is not offering any Windows BIOS updates for your PC, Check this Site to see what (Windows 8 only) downloads are available.

You could have a tough nut to crack if you need to flash the BIOS.

HP factory service might be able to do this. I am sure it will be expensive and possibly not cost effective.

Regards

[Bill_To]

Greetings @popgreen 

I only checked W8.1 in my first response which shows no BIOS update.

However, just checked W8.

There is a 2013 W8 BIOS update available Here.

You may need a local PC Tech who can flash the BIOS outside of the operating system if your PC can't run Windows.

Regards

[popgreen]

It seems that HP has hidden the external bios update tool. The tool is called the HP BIOS update utility and can be used to reflash the BIOS if the machine is unbootable.

[Bill_To]

Greetings @popgreen 

An AMI Firmware Update Utility exists that can be added to Hiren's WinPE boot media. Check this HP Forum thread for details. This utility only works if the PC has video, CD/DVD, and/or USB function at the POST.

Newer HP BIOS updates can create a HP USB BIOS recovery drive which can flash the BIOS outside of the operating system when the BIOS is corrupted.

This HP BIOS update tool also only works if video and USB functions are intact.

I don't think the 2013 BIOS update for your PC can be used to create a USB BIOS recovery drive.

An unbootable MB (no video or USB functions) due to a corrupted BIOS chip would require a Serial ISP programmer to fix the problem unless the MB is totally cooked. A cooked: BIOS chip or MB would require replacing the BIOS chip or the MB.

A local tech might be able to flash your MB's BIOS using: the 2013 HP BIOS update and a Serial ISP Programmer.

Regards

[popgreen]

Hi, Bill_To thank you for the additional information in your latest message.

I have purchased a CH341A 24 25 Series EEPROM Flash BIOS USB Programmer from Amazon :< https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D453S429?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I have tried to make contact with a local computer repair facility and they have not responded as of yet. Do you have anymore insight about the bios programmer solution to this issue?

I am thinking that this Github guide appears good :<  https://github.com/YTEC-info/CH341A-Softwares

Also is hp able to provide this service anywhere in the area I reside?

 

[Bill_To]

Greetings @popgreen 

My pleasure.

I haven't used the CH341A programmer. I have recovered some HP systems using the AMI firmware update utility.

Check this YouTube video on using the CH341A programmer.

The HP Bios update is a packed Windows .exe. Using 7zip I could never find the specific HP BIOS .rom file. Maybe you will have better luck.

But the AMI firmware update utility found the BIOS .rom file when using the extracted HP update file found in the C; SWSetup folder created after running the downloaded HP BIOS update file on a second PC.

I copied the extracted HP file from C: SWSetup to the same folder where the AMI utility was located on the Hiren's rescue drive.

I don't know if the CH341A programmer will find the HP BIOS.rom file within the extracted HP executable..

Again. a knowledgeable local PC Tech should be able to get the job done.

Regards

[popgreen · Accepted solution]

Hi, I have had success today with the BIOS flashing. I was able to use an external programmer and successfully flash BIOS revision 8.17 onto the machine. Using openSUSE on host laptop  with programmer attached, I installed the flashrom package '# zypper in flashrom'. This page helped quite alot :< CH341A/B — flashrom documentation
I did not have to solder or rework the programmer that I bought. The commands it came down to for this are: # flashrom -p ch341a_spi -v then # flashrom -p ch341a_spi -c W25Q64JV-.Q -w JOS_817.ROM

flashrom v1.5.1 on Linux 6.13.0-1-default (x86_64)
flashrom is free software, get the source code at https://flashrom.org
Found Winbond flash chip "W25Q64JV-.Q" (8192 kB, SPI) on ch341a_spi.
===
This flash part has status UNTESTED for operations: WP
The test status of this chip may have been updated in the latest development
version of flashrom. If you are running the latest development version,
please email a report to flashrom@flashrom.org if any of the above operations
work correctly for you with this flash chip. Please include the flashrom log
file for all operations you tested (see the man page for details), and mention
which mainboard or programmer you tested in the subject line.
You can also try to follow the instructions here:
https://www.flashrom.org/contrib_howtos/how_to_mark_chip_tested.html

Thanks for your help!

Failed to unlock flash status reg with wp support.
Reading old flash chip contents... done.
Updating flash chip contents... Erase/write done from 0 to 7fffff
Verifying flash... VERIFIED.

I did not have to remove the mainboard (programmer and cable reached laptop usb) but I did remove the onboard battery during the process.Success updating to Revision 8.17

[Bill_To]

Greetings @popgreen 

Very nice. Most folks would not be able to get this done, Kudos!

Good to see the PC is back in business.

Regards