No BIOS Updates

[HLange]

I support a private school with a couple dozen "HP Compaq 8000 Elite CMT PC with BIOS 786G7 v01.07 systems, each running Windows 10 64 bit" . I am NOT having any issues, but I believe maintaining the latest firmware patches along with the latest software patches is a good security practice. I tried this when I first got them, and it failed then. Recent vulnerability announcements has caused me to revisit this again. Does anyone have any idea where I can at least check to see if I have the latest BIOS installed?  If it is not the latest version, does anyone have a link to a reliable source for the latest BIOS update?  HP does not appear to support this hardware any more.

I have installed the HP Support Assistant and it tells me there are NO software updates for the system.  The HP website cannot even tell me if I even have the latest BIOS version installed. It responds that it cannot find the model number listed in the HP Support Assistant software.

I installed the HP Support Solutions Framework and it could not detect by product.

When I conduct a search in the HP Forums for 786G7, I see comments from 2013 and 2015 about the BIOS updates for the SFF version of the above desktop but nothing for the desktop I have. 

I have an Dell E5400 laptop (Several years older than this HP) running the SAME OS. The laptop is no longer actively supported by Dell, but I could still get the last BIOS update and install it with no issues, and all I had to do was type in the service tag and download the install package for the BIOS update.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

None of the software update tools work because you are running W10 on the PC's and they are only supported up to W7 by HP.

I happen to have an 8000 Elite CMT also running W10 just fine and have the latest BIOS update installed, which is v1.14 (Nov 27, 2015).

You can find that update under the W7 driver section.  Last download listed under the BIOS section.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-compaq-8000-elite-convertible-minitower-pc/40658...

Because you are running W10, I do not recommend you use the Windows based flash, which was not written for anything newer than W7.

There is a very easy and safe way to update the BIOS within the BIOS menu.

Here is a summary of what to do...

Download and run sp73578.

An information page will open...I have copied and pasted the section you should read.

F10 Setup BIOS Flashing

The HP Business Desktop system supported by this softpaq provides a BIOS upgrade option through F10 setup using the "Flash System ROM" feature.  Reboot the PC and press F10 to enter setup.  In the File menu, select the "Flash System ROM" item.  This flash utility will present the user with the option to select the media containing the BIOS image file (XXX_MMmm.bin).  The binary image file is contained in the DOS Flash directory and is named XXX_MMmm.bin where "XXX" is the abbreviated BIOS family, "MM" is the major version number, and "mm" is the minor version number.  F10 ROM based flash can accept the binary file from the root directory of any removable media such as USB or legacy floppy diskette.  The user is prompted when the process is completed.  The new BIOS code will not take effect until the PC is rebooted.

View Contents of DOS Flash Folder

So...here is what I do to update the BIOS' of all my HP desktop PC's...

Get a USB flash drive.  Format it with the FAT 32 file system.

On your BIOS update information page, under the section that I posted above, click on the View Contents of DOS Flash Folder.

Copy the file contents of the DOS Flash folder to your USB flash drive.  Just the file contents, not the folder.

Restart the PC.  Tap the F10 key to get access to the BIOS.

Select the File tab>Flash system ROM command.

Select the USB flash drive and the PC should 'see' the BIOS files.

Follow the on screen instructions to update the BIOS.

Restart the PC and you're done.

[MikaRazafy]

Paul_Tikkanen! thanks. Mine is stuck at 0% For more than 2hours while Flashing the BIOS! Would you please help? Thanks again Man!