(A7) Me FW Downgrade - Request Me Spilock Failed

[Pixxel]

You should be able to get Windows to boot by pressing F2 (I think?) on boot - or maybe Escape (?)

That should take you into the HP Diagnostics screen - find 'BIOS" and then choose 'Re-apply BIOS'.

When it's finished you should get the same blank screen with the error (SpiLock) but after a few seconds it should start to boot.

At least that's what I was able to do - until I tried running the BIOS installer manually, then it bricked the BIOS totally..

As I said, I wouldn't run the BIOS installer *package* manually, but perhaps you'll get away with running the ME.bat file as per the suggestion above.

[PDinDetroit]

Update: running ME.BAT from the BIOS UPDATE DIRECTORY, using the secondary Windows 10 drive I built, fixed the issue for me. I was able to boot in Secure Boot/UEFI mode on the Original Drive with no error messages. Thanks to those who figured this out!

Before I had posted my original post, I had already contacted HPI Support and was working with them. I was at the Use Recovery Media Step on their checklist, which failed to boot in UEFI mode and failed to find the Original Hard Drive in Legacy mode. The next step would have been to send it in for repair. I am quite upset that the HPI Hardware Support Team would not listen to me that it was a BIOS related problem and would only go by their checklist that resulted in 4 troubleshooting calls and about 10 hours of my time.

I will call them back at some point just so someone else does not need to go through this problem in the manner that I had to. This was the first time I have ever had to call in for Computer Support and really feel badly for those who have had to more than once.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I work for HPE as an Enterprise Architect for 18 years now. I bought the computer from MicroCenter in October when HPI and HPE were still One HP.

[ash-f]

If so, HP should make recovery program ASAP since making secondary boot drive(especially if it's Windows 10) is hard for most people.

Or do you have an idea to make recovery tool with something like DOS based USB flash memory boot drive?

[vivasor]

If you find your system is like mine and will not wake from sleep then there is an easy fix.

Go to Device Manager -> System Devices -> Intel Management Engine Interface and under Power Management uncheck the box "Allow computer to turn off this device to save power".

In order to boot when the message "(A7) Me FW Downgrade" message occurs, I did post above how I managed to load Windows - I used a Windows 10 install disk which is freely available  and made using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. I already had one available because I had upgraded another system from Windows 8 to 10. 

This method of booting the faulty system works because when Windows does a restart, it does not completely shut down the computer but just restarts Windows. It  was, however, necessary to give the Windows install disk time to load up and so did not work if I became too impatient.

HP needs to improve its support:

  (1) there needs to be more communication between  their support people in different countries

(Just read messages on the French and German pages on this problem and all the various fixes suggested by HP support personnel. It was suggested to one customer in Germany that he alter a jumper setting on the motherboard!)

and

(2) there needs to be communication between the support people dealing with customers and the teams such as the one which actually writes the BIOS.  Just look at the amount of money they have wasted on having systems returned.

[ash-f]

Where do you mean BIOS UPDATE DIRECTORY?

Is it this? -> C:\SWSETUP\SP73868

[ash-f]

HP should provide the tool like this.

Not stupid automatic installer.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02693833

[gianluk]

Great!

This really worked fine for my Pavilion Desktop 550-113nl, and now it's ok.

I followed the steps explained by vivasor.

Thanks a lot!!!

P.s. : from Italy...

[Ilmo]

Hi

same problem here in Finland. Nice work HP.

[Ilmo]

Hi

how can you start your operating system with Win 10 startup disk. I just have two options clean install or use the current system which leads to same Spilock problem.

[Pixxel]

FWIW, HP seems to have now removed version A0.12 of the BIOS which caused the SpiLock problem (and also A0.11) from the downloads section - at least for the Pavilion 550-154na. Version A0.10 is now the latest that can be downloaded.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Pavilion-550-100-Desktop-PC-series/8499648/model/...

'Last update' date on the BIOS section is now 6th Jan (was 23rd December when A0.12 was available).