hp pavilion mini desktop 300 235na - Driver pnp watchdog error boot loop

[gw9238]

Hello, My pc installed the latest windows 10 update and has ended up in a boot loop on the hp boot screen with the little circle of dots continually cycling round (left it over night and it was still cycling round the next morning). I have read all the previous posts on this board covering “driver pnp watchdog” error, which I get after trying the hard reset method where it goes into “preparing automatic repair” and after a minute or so the “driver pnp watchdog” error appears. I’ve also created a Microsoft usb recovery drive in the hope of reinstalling/repairing windows, but that won’t boot either, opening the bios it does see the hard drive and the usb drive, just won’t boot to either of them. I have tried a lot of the suggestions on this board, but like a few others I don’t get anywhere. I suspected the bios might be corrupt (it’s currently on version A0.05), unfortunately the hp support page for this product no longer provides any software links. Can someone on here provide me with a link to get either a copy of this bios A0.05, or even the latest/last bios produced, so I can try to update my bios and see if this resolves this issue.

Regards

Gordon

[edited image]

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @gw9238,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Driver PNP Watchdog Error!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Boot into Safe Mode:

• Restart your computer and repeatedly press the F8 key (or Shift + F8) before Windows starts. This should take you to the Advanced Boot Options menu.
• Select "Safe Mode" and press Enter. If you can boot into Safe Mode, it indicates that a driver issue is preventing normal booting.

Perform a System Restore:

• While in Safe Mode, search for "System Restore" using the search function.
• Choose a restore point prior to the Windows 10 update that caused the boot loop, and perform the restoration process.

Uninstall Recent Updates:

• In Safe Mode, navigate to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Windows Update" > "View update history."
• Identify and uninstall recent updates that might have triggered the boot issue.

Update or Roll Back Drivers:

• Access "Device Manager" while in Safe Mode.
• Check for any devices with an exclamation mark (indicating issues) and try to update or roll back the driver for that device.

Repair Windows using Installation Media:

• Create a Windows 10 installation USB (using the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website on another computer).
• Boot from the USB and select "Repair your computer" to access advanced recovery options.
• Use the advanced options to perform a startup repair.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[gw9238]

Hello Kurdish,

Firstly thank you for trying to help me. Unfortunately it won’t boot into safe mode, I’ve already tried it. I’ve tried everything I can think off and read to try, I.e. hard reset (that’s supposed to start safe mode) turn off/on three times, it comes up with the message “starting automatic repair” but after about 2minutes the blue screen pops up with the “driver pnp watchdog” error message, it resets and goes back to the ho logo and rotating circles. I thought this would be an easy fix, but never had a problem like this. I’ve tried hp’s own media restore disks (I created a set of 3 when I first got the pc), doesn’t work, I’ve created a Microsoft installation media usb stick, again doesn’t work (one thing I did note was that when it tries to boot from this the logo changes from the hp logo to the windows logo, however it still sticks on the spinning circle of dots - forever), yesterday I created a Microsoft installation dual layer dvd disk from the Microsoft iso file, but again no luck, it appears to initially work, I.e. a message appears “press any key to boot from cd/dvd drive” but again after a few seconds the drive stops spinning and the circle of spinning dots appears.

I think I have corrupted the bios (never had this before & restored many pc’s using a windows media creation usb drive). Tried disabling secure boot & fast boot, also enabling legacy devices, and changing the boot order appropriately, but nothing works.

I would like to re flash the bios, I can access the hp firmware management software from the bios menu, my current bios version is A0.05 Rev. A, but I do not have a copy of this file to try and re flash it. If you are an HP employee, could you please post a copy of this bios file (I’ve read online that the sp*****.exe file will allow you to create a bios usb drive that this bios firmware management software can then use to re flash the current bios.

I’ve read online that there are three other bios files for this pc, I believe these are the sp*.exe file names, but they’re not currently listed on the hp support page for my pc as it’s an old machine, probably archived now:-

A0.08 Rev. A (file sp73976.exe)

A0.10 Rev. A (file sp76701.exe)

A0.11 Rev. A (file sp77905.exe)

if you could post any of these bios files on here for me to download and try to flash I would be grateful

Thanks

Regards

Gordon

[Kuroi_Kenshi · Accepted solution]

Hi @gw9238,

Thank you so much for your detailed follow-up. You’ve clearly done all the right troubleshooting steps already, so I understand how frustrating this must be for you.

Unfortunately, since your Pavilion Mini Desktop 300-235na is now an older model, the official BIOS update files have indeed been retired from the active HP Support page and aren’t directly available for download from HP’s current public servers.

Here’s what you can do next:

Use the HP Cloud Recovery Tool
For some older consumer PCs, the HP Cloud Recovery Tool can still rebuild a recovery image including the BIOS firmware.

You’ll need access to another Windows PC and a blank USB drive (at least 16GB).

Download the HP Cloud Recovery Tool and follow the steps to create a recovery USB.

Boot your Pavilion Mini with the recovery USB plugged in, this may help reflash both Windows and restore the firmware to factory defaults.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[gw9238]

Hello again Kuroi,

I appreciate your help, I’ll try your suggestion with regards to the HP cloud recovery tool, I’ve never used that before, so if it can rebuild the bios, it’s worth a shot. Unfortunately I’m going to have to wait a few month, I’ve just went down to my elderly parents house to help them out a bit (they’re in their 80’s, I’m 52 bye the way), but I won’t be back at my own address for the next few months to try your solution, so I’ll just click on the “accepted solution” button to close this thread at the moment.

one last point of information I will give you on why I think I’ve corrupted the bios - on the windows update screen, I clicked on the “restart now” button (to start the update - I’m sure you know it) about a second after clicking on this button and before the pc shutdown to begin its update - I noticed I had left my generic data usb pen drive plugged in (I usually use the software eject button on usb flash drives to safely eject them), but on this occasion I just pulled the usb flash drive out of its socket. So I’m thinking this might have corrupted the bios and put the pc into its current boot loop. I’ve never had anything like this happen before, had have reinstalled windows multiple times on multiple computers simply using the windows creation usb or even an iso dvd, but for a pc not to boot from these is a first for me.

P.S. If in a few months when I try the HP cloud recovery tool - if 5his does not work - is there any way I can get a copy of any of the original bios files to try a re flash? Or will HP not give me them, it would be a shame to have to bin this pc, because up to this point it’s been a great machine, I put the maximum amount of ram in it (16Mb), and installed an M.2 SATA SSD which had the windows 10 OS, with the original HDD now just a data storage drive, and it was perfectly fast enough for the web surfing, occasional document & spreadsheet that I used it for. It would be a real pity if I can’t get it working again.

all the best & thanks for trying to help me.

Regards

Gordon

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @gw9238,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all these details, I truly appreciate how thoroughly you’ve tried to resolve this on your own. I completely understand how frustrating this situation must be, especially given how well you’ve maintained and upgraded your Pavilion Mini.

Since the system is unable to boot even from multiple external recovery sources and the BIOS may be corrupted, at this point further troubleshooting remotely is quite limited. To safely resolve this, I strongly recommend getting in touch with an authorized HP Service Center.

At the service center, certified HP technicians have access to specialized tools to safely reflash the BIOS chip, inspect the motherboard for any deeper issues, and ensure your system is restored properly without risk of permanent damage.

We understand how important it is to have your device functioning properly, and we're here to assist you.​

To ensure your device receives the appropriate care, we recommend visiting an authorized HP service center. Our certified technicians can provide a thorough diagnosis and offer the best solutions to address the issue.​

You can locate the nearest HP service center using our Service Center Locator:​

🔗 HP Service Center Locator

If you need further assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.​

Best Regards,