How to access HP PC Hardware Diagnostic UEFI if "Esc" Key followed by "F2" Key at Boot Up Menu?

[RAD4U]

Hi, I have an OMEN by HP Obelisk Desktop 875-0020rz CTO and noticed in the last week that it has started to freeze up requiring me to do a hard reboot by pressing and holding in the power button.

I've gone through the sequence to access the BIOS (Shutting down the PC, Power On and press "Esc" Key followed by "F2" key at the Boot Up Menu) and it just keeps bypassing and going to my sign-in screen for Windows.  If I press just the "Esc" key, then it will take me to a black screen that talks about how to access the BIOS (by pressing F2) but when I press the F2 key, nothing happens.  I'm forced to hit the Enter key to continue with the PC's boot-up sequence.

How can I get in to the BIOS if this recommended option does not work and if HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI version 9.0.0.0 tells me "Your system does not allow to launch UEFI diagnostics from windows."???

Has anyone else had these issues and if so, how did you fix them?  Please help!

Issue #1: My PC keeps randomly freezing up forcing me to do a hard reboot.

Issue #2: I cannot access my BIOS to run the recommended test and make the recommended changes.

Thank you,

Robert

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Robert:

The only suggestion I can offer since the F2 diagnostics menu isn't working, would be to make a bootable USB diagnostics key from the link below and test your PC's hardware components that way.

HP PC Hardware Diagnostics 4-in-1 USB Key v6.2.0.0

The HP PC Hardware Diagnostics 4-in-1 USB Key is a diagnostic tool that supports a wide range of HP Desktop and Notebook PCs. This Key includes HP PC Hardware Diagnostics Windows, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI, HP PC Docks and Displays Diagnostics Windows, and files supporting recovery of a corrupted BIOS on supported systems.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp145001-145500/sp145099.exe 

[RAD4U]

Hi Paul,

Thank you for the fast reply.  So far I've formatted my USB drive and downloaded the required files showing here...

To run any Bios Recovery on your PC ensure that you download the additional 4 required files for this 4 in 1 key located here:

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp105501-106000/sp105878.exe

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp105501-106000/sp105879.exe

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp112001-112500/sp112026.exe

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp139501-140000/sp139758.exe

QUESTION: Am I to save these executable files on my PC or onto the USB drive or both?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Robert.

Those files are optional if you have a PC that has a corrupted BIOS, which yours does not.

But if you want to add those files to the USB diagnostics key, you would download them to your PC, have the diagnostics key plugged in, run each file and I would imagine they will add the file components to the flash drive like the main file I posted did.

When I made the key, it formatted the flash drive but then I was notified that I had to install Net Framework 3.5 and the feature window was automatically opened.

When that was completed, I had to re-run the sp145099 file and re-start the diagnostics key creation.

BTW the URL's HP gave you to use are no longer valid. 

You have to add an 's' to the http, or they won't work correctly.  You get a security error, which you can skip or you can just click on the corrected URLs I posted below.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp105501-106000/sp105878.exe 
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp105501-106000/sp105879.exe 
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp112001-112500/sp112026.exe 
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp139501-140000/sp139758.exe 

[RAD4U]

Thank you for the updated file URLs!  So in my case, my PC just randomly (suddenly) locks up and freezes.  Forcing me to have to use the power button to turn it off and turn it back on again.  Will this fix that type of problem?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome,  Robert. 

The diagnostics tool won't fix anything, but it will test various hardware components and report any problems. 

[RAD4U]

Thank you once again for your prompt reply Paul!  You are awesome for taking time on Sunday to help with this!

So in basic terms, please allow me to rephrase the steps that need to be taken to go through this process:

1. Find a USB drive with enough storage capacity to accept at least 2 Gig of data.

2. Click on the link you shared to initiate the download and save to USB Drive process?

3. Once file is saved to USB Drive, keep drive in PC and do a hard reboot to allow USB to initiate scanning of BIOS?

4. Follow prompts of results?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Robert.

The first thing to do is to enable Net Framework 3.5, so you don't run into the interruption that I did.

To enable Net Framework 3.5, go to the Windows control panel>Programs>Turn Windows features on or off>a window will open.

Check the box to install Net Framework 3.5.

After that software has been installed, get a USB flash drive that will support the diagnostics tool file size.

I used an 8 GB flash drive and that was plenty.

Plug it in your PC's USB port.

Download and run sp145099.

It takes a bit of time for that file to actually run (at least it did for me).

The first thing it will ask is for you to provide the drive letter of the USB flash drive you want to install the software on.

Then it will ask you to confirm your selection.

It will format the drive and install the diagnostics software.

When that is finished, you can exit out of the program.

Restart the PC, boot from the diagnostics tool.

Usually, immediately pressing the ESC key after you restart the PC will initiate the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu and from that, select the USB Diagnostics flash drive and press the Enter key.

You should get a menu of diagnostics tests to run.

The tool will scan more than the BIOS.

You can run tests on the hard drive, memory, network components, etc.

This link may be of additional help.

HP PCs - Testing for hardware failures | HP® Customer Support