BOIS Drives update

[Rae2022]

Hello,

I have a HP All-in-one  desktop Model 24-g020.  I tried updating the BOIS drives.  My computer loss power in the middle of the process, which you know it has a message to not cut power or unplug.  However, now I have a black screen and nothing works!  I took it to Best Buy and they completed a diagnostic and could not get it to reboot.  I called HP and they had me do something to recover windows, which wad no help all.  I did a process I received from the virtual agent, pressing Windows icon and B at the same time while holding power on button for three seconds and nothing.  Has anyone ever had this happen?  If so, what was the end result?

[BeemerBiker]

This does not sound good.  I assume you have tried all of the following

https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/ish_3932413-2337994-16

I have no experience with recent HP bios recovery procedures so cannot walk you through the above documentation.  The last times I replaced a bios they were all socketed and the chip pops in and out easily.  The recent HP I have seen are soldered and those $15 programming kits on ebay require the bios chip to be removed.

If you cannot recover the bios with keystrokes you are limited to the following

Replace motherboard :  there 3 "bali-u" motherboards at ebay right now all under $200 USD they all look the same but have different part numbers as I suspect the CPUs  and versions may be different.  You will have to look at your motherboard and get the # but I suspect they will all work.

Contact HP service center and get a bios repair estimate https://support.hp.com/us-en/service-center

do the same for a motherboard replacement and have them give you the part number you need.

There is a video here that shows how to replace a bios chip. I have a similar de-soldering station and there is a huge learning curve to using those.

[WAWood]

@Rae2022 

Sorry, but the current situation is even worse. HP no longer does any BIOS "repairs" -- so it is unlikely you will be able to get an estimate for this work.  HP NOW requires replacement of the entire motherboard and this costs a fortune, often more than simply replacing the PC.

And there is more ...

Many folks posting here seem to think that replacing a motherboard is a simple matter like replacing a memory stick or a disk drive.

It is NOT!!!

Before you spend any money to attempt to replace the HP motherboard, you need to be aware of the issues involved with doing that.

First, HP does not sell motherboards except for rare exceptions.

Second, any motherboard you buy elsewhere will be USED, having been taken from another PC. Those often do not work, or have internal problems that the seller does not disclose. So, you need to buy it from a seller that will refund your money if the motherboard does not work properly -- many of them will NOT do this because the item is USED.

Third, the licensed Windows version that came preloaded on your PC is an HP OEM Version -- and that license is tied to the original motherboard, not to the PC owner. When you toss away that motherboard, you toss away the license -- and HP will not provide you a second license. Since the versions of Windows you can buy will not activate with the embedded HP OEM license, you will have to buy a Retail version of Windows, and a license to go with it. You will then have to replace the installed Windows version on your laptop with the version you bought and license it. We are not able to assist in any of that work.

The bottom line is the process is a lot more difficult than simply swapping one part for another.

[BeemerBiker]

To expand on what @WAWood  wrote, when you buy a used computer such as your exact model, 24-g020, it comes with a  license and normally has a warrantee and a return period which is enforced by ebay (for example).   Normally the seller has reset the system using the Microsoft "Remove Everything" that allows the fresh install.  One has to be careful the system is in good working order and, for example, is not asking for a bios password when first turned on.  If it came with windows 10 or 11 then it is already registered and if you have a Microsoft account it will be added to the account in a day or two.

The same applies to replacement motherboards.  They need to be bought from a seller with a good record and offering a  return guarantee.  If the replacement is the exact same model and you have a Microsoft account it will be activated shortly after powering up.  If a different model such as faster CPU, better graphics,  then you MAY need to activate with a phone call.  Some HP models can be ordered with AMD or Intel CPU motherboards.  You cannot replaced AMD with Intel and expect it to activate without a phone call. 

My suggestion is to buy a used system the same or improved over the you have have.  You can try repairing your old system,  learn something and get some experience with hardware for a possible career or just a hobby. In the meantime your old system is good for spare parts and at a minimum can be sold out piece by piece on eBay.

I have been running cryptocurrency systems for some time and have replaced at least a dozen different motherboards and never had a problem activating a replacement.