Windows 11 Upgrade Bricked my TP01-0155t Desktop

[PointsYak]

I ran the Windows 11 upgrade overnight. The next morning I can't turn on the desktop, it's completely bricked. Light on power button goes on for about half a second and turns back off.  I can hear the fan running when the plug is connected so there is power. I tried all the power discharge recommendations disconnected all peripherals with no progress.

Assuming it's a BIOS issue, I tried to download the BIOS update (from here: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-pavilion-desktop-pc-tp01-0000i/model/31046789) to install on a USB drive but the EXE freezes my Acer laptop before the files even get unpacked. I have to cold boot the laptop to bring it back to life.

At this point, I'm stuck. Thoughts?

[NonSequitur777]

@PointsYak,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

What you are describing is rather unusual, but based on the symptoms, it's very likely a BIOS-level issue rather than Windows 11 itself -because the specs of your TP01-0155t suggests it is fitted with an i7-9700 and is therefore fully Windows 11 compatible.

Here's what you can do:

 

1. Attempt a USB BIOS Recovery:

HP desktops support a "crisis BIOS recovery" feature that can restore a corrupted BIOS.

Steps:

1. Prepare a USB drive:

   • Format it to FAT32.

2. Download the BIOS:

   • Get the correct BIOS version for your TP01-0155t from here: HP Pavilion Desktop - TP01-0155t Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support. You likely got the Rother motherboard with SSID: 8653 -please verify.

3. Extract the BIOS files:

   • If the HP BIOS EXE freezes your laptop, use 7-Zip to extract the files manually.

   • Look for files ending in .bin or .fd. Copy these to the USB drive.

4. Trigger BIOS recovery:

   • With the PC powered off, insert the USB drive.

   • Hold Win + B (or Win + V on some HP models), then press the power button.

   • Keep holding the keys until the system attempts to read the BIOS from USB (the LED or fan may blink). Note: This process can take several minutes. If nothing happens, try the same steps with a different USB drive or port.

 

2. Additional Checks:

• Disconnect all peripherals.

• Reseat RAM and GPU if installed.

• Ensure the PSU is delivering stable power.

 

3. If Recovery Fails:

• Unfortunately, there is a possibility that your issue could require an HP service center to flash the BIOS at the motherboard level. Since HP is exceedingly unlikely to accommodate this, we're talking motherboard replacement, unfortunately.

• Sometimes another compatible motherboard/CPU can be used to flash a recovery, but that's more advanced.

Bottom line: This is not a "Windows 11 bricking your PC" -it's likely a corrupted BIOS triggered during the upgrade. USB BIOS recovery usually fixes it.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[PointsYak]

Thanks. I tried the 7-zip suggestion already. All there is is another exe file. Running that also hangs my laptop. Any other thoughts on how to get the files I need to reset the BIOS using a USB drive?

ETA: I also tried WinRAR to unpack the file with the same result as 7-zip. Lastly, I confirmed the motherboard is a Rother. I'm not sure how to check the SSID. It has SP# L56019-601 WIN on the product label.

Ultimately, I can't get to Step 4 in your reply.

[NonSequitur777]

@PointsYak,

Well, it sounds like you've done some impressive troubleshooting already. Since the BIOS package itself hangs even on another system, the HP BIOS installer may be failing due to the way HP packages their firmware updates -they use a self-extracting executable that won't unpack properly without HP's internal tools.

Having researched this a bit more, here are a few alternative ways to get the BIOS recovery files:

1. Use HP BIOS Update SoftPaq Extraction (without running the EXE):

• Download the correct BIOS EXE for your TP01-0155t (Rother board).

• Rename it to something simple, like bios.exe.

• Open a Command Prompt in the folder where it's located and run this command:

  bios.exe /x

  This will prompt you for a location to extract the files without launching the installer itself. Inside that folder, look for files like 0843F.bin or 0843F.fd -those are the BIOS recovery images.

2. Use HP BIOS Recovery from another HP PC (if available):

If you have access to any HP desktop, run the same BIOS EXE there. It will unpack correctly to:

C:\SWSetup\SPxxxxx\

From that folder, copy the .bin and .sig files to your FAT32 USB drive for the recovery attempt.

3. If the file still won’t extract anywhere:

• Try downloading the BIOS again from HP Support -sometimes the EXE becomes corrupted mid-download.

• Make sure the EXE version matches your board’s SSID (8653 for Rother boards).

• If extraction still fails, I would suggest to try contacting HP Support and request the BIOS recovery image directly -they are known, on a 'good' day that is (I'll keep my fingers crossed for you), to occasionally provide the .bin file separately on request!

4. Final fallback:

If you can't obtain the BIOS image at all, and recovery shortcuts (Win+B or Win+V) produce no activity, then unfortunately the BIOS chip may need to be reprogrammed externally using a CH341A SPI flasher -which would require either HP service or a skilled local technician. In my anecdotal experience, that means considering replacing your motherboard, I'm afraid.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

@PointsYak,

And lest I forgot to mention it, yes, you got a Rother motherboard as per the part number (L56019-601 "Mother board - Rother, Intel CFL H370, WIN") you mentioned.

Reason why I asked for it, is because you need to download/install the correct BIOS version from here, namely version F.37 Rev.A.

You can verify the Rothers SSID number by typing in System Information in your lower Windows search bar, clicking on System Information, and looking to the right of "BaseBoard Product", which should say 8653 -assuming your PC were to actually be accessible, of course.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[PointsYak]

I tried the SoftPaq extraction to no avail. It was also hanging my laptop. I should mention that bios.exe /x threw an error as an invalid parameter. The only valid ones were (as best I can recall) /s /e and /f.

I did get my hands on another laptop and was able to successfully create a BIOS Recovery USB.  Unfortunately, plugging in that USB and powering on using the Win+V and Win+B keyboard combos resulted in the same immediate shutdown. Once or twice, the power light stayed on for about 2 seconds, instead of its usual 0.5 to 1 second, giving me false hope.

I tried every USB port with both keyboard combinations with only the monitor (HDMI) and keyboard (USB) attached--no other peripherals.

I appreciate all your responses and have marked them all has helpful. Unfortunately, it would appear that the issue might be more serious than a corrupted BIOS. If you can think of anything else you'd like me to try, I'm all ears.

Thanks again!

[NonSequitur777]

@PointsYak,

Yea, the variable "x" stood for s, e or f -my bad.

Anyways, I would agree with your assessment that the issue might be more serious than just a wayward BIOS.

To be honest -just based on my own experiences with issues like yours, I would consider replacing your Rother motherboard.

One of the best Rother motherboard purchase options I know of is via this eBay Seller: L56019-001 HP Envy TP01 TE01 Intel Chipset H370 Motherboard L56019-601 | eBay.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[PointsYak]

Thanks for you help. TBH at this point, I need a new laptop anyway. I think I'll just pay up for a better one and set up a docking station where the desktop is now. Thankfully between backups and cloud storage, transitioning should be pretty seamless. Of course, I'll save the desktop SSD just in case.

[NonSequitur777]

@PointsYak,

You're welcome and wishing you well!

Smooth Sailing,

NonSequitur777