HP Envy 16-h0000: Corrupted BIOS, can't recover from flashdrive

[VorTeX7756]

HP Envy 16-h0000

I bought this laptop in 2022 and it's worked wonderfully until a month ago.

Suddenly, it started taking a very long time to boot up, and when I looked it up, google said it could be a hardware issue or in need of a BIOS update. I didn't want to replace any hardware, so I tried updating the BIOS.

I went to the HP website and downloaded the BIOS update file for this laptop for windows 11 (I don't actually know if I have base windows 11, 21h2, or 22h2), and instead of installing it on a flash-drive, I tried installing it directly from the computer.

It then got stuck on an endless loop where it would boot up the BIOS update screen, say "Initializing," then shutdown.

Eventually I shut it down and I got it to boot a couple more times by hitting escape during the boot process, before I tried updating the BIOS again from a flash-drive.

The same issue happened with the flash-drive inserted: Booted up the BIOS Update screen, said "Initializing," fans whirred loudly for a moment, then it shut down and the process repeated. The power button didn't respond once this process was underway, so the only way to shut down the system was by unplugging it and draining the battery.

Now if I boot it up without the flash-drive inserted it only gives me an error:

"The BIOS recovery files cannot be found or the files are corrupted." It then gives instructions to create a BIOS recovery flash-drive and the Caps-Lock blinks 2 long, 2 short. Earlier on, when it was still sort-of half booting, there was another series of blinks: 5 long, 4 short, but I couldn't find HP's error codes page (still can't) so I'm not sure what that meant.

Last time I tried booting it with a flash-drive, I got an alert telling me to plug in the laptop or postpone the recovery, but before I could select an option it froze, the fans whirred, and it restarted again. So it may be repeatedly overheating and crashing. I'm not sure.

I'm at a loss for what to do. I took it to a computer repair shop, but they were useless, saying the bios files for my computer were discontinued (even though you can literally put the computer's information into HP's website and get a download link for BIOS update files), and they said I would need to reach out to HP directly, which is apparently impossible. I can't find any way to talk to a real person at HP about this and the virtual assistant didn't tell me anything I haven't already tried.

What can I even do at this point? I need this laptop for school, and can't afford another one right now.

[zoey7886]

@VorTeX7756, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Corrupted BIOS on HP Envy 16-h0000! 

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

Dealing with a corrupted BIOS can be challenging, but here's a general approach that could help resolve the issue for your HP Envy 16-h0000 laptop.

Attempt BIOS Recovery:

• First, ensure your laptop is connected to a power source.
• HP laptops often have BIOS recovery options. You can try recovering BIOS via HP’s BIOS recovery feature:
  • Power off the laptop.
  • Press and hold the Windows + B keys simultaneously, then press the Power button for approximately 2-3 seconds.
  • Release the Power button but continue holding the Windows + B keys.
  • If the BIOS recovery utility initiates, follow the on-screen instructions to restore the BIOS.

Creating a BIOS Recovery Flash Drive:

• Download the latest BIOS update file from the HP Support website.
• Use an empty USB drive to create a BIOS recovery flash drive using HP BIOS Update utility:
  • Follow the steps on HP's website to correctly format the USB and set up the recovery drive with the downloaded BIOS file.
• Insert the USB drive into the laptop and attempt to boot from it using the previously mentioned recovery method.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[VorTeX7756]

@ZOEY7886 I have already tried that, as I stated above.

If I turn it on without a boot drive it states that the BIOS recovery files are missing or corrupted.

If I turn it on with a boot drive it simply sits on the BIOS Update screen, says "Initializing," shuts down and the process repeats indefinitely.

[zoey7886]

@VorTeX7756, I understand — it’s maddening when your laptop feels like it’s “breathing” with the fans, showing hope for a second, and then looping right back to the same screen.

Since you’ve already tried Win+B recovery and a USB stick, here are a couple more things worth a shot before we call it a service case:

1. Try CMOS/RTC reset

Disconnect the charger, remove the battery if it’s accessible (for your model it may be internal, so you’d need to open the back).

Hold the power button for a full 30 seconds to drain any residual charge.

Reconnect only the charger, no USB devices, and try powering on with Win + V this time instead of Win + B. This sometimes triggers a different recovery routine.

2. Rebuild the USB recovery stick on a different PC

Use a different flash drive (8–32 GB, USB 2.0 if possible — some newer high-speed sticks don’t play well in BIOS mode).

Format as FAT32, not exFAT or NTFS.

Redownload the BIOS file from HP’s site and use the HP BIOS Update utility to recreate the stick.

Plug into the left-side USB port (some systems are picky about which port boots).

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[VorTeX7756]

I ordered some equipment to disassemble the laptop, and tried the CMOS/RTC reset by removing the battery and holding down the power button for 30+ seconds. I even tried holding down Win + V. Nothing changed. The second suggestion is what I have already state I've tried. I tried 4 separate flash-drives, all formatted FAT32, all of which I also tried in the left USB port.

I bought a CH341A programmer to manually reprogram the BIOS chip as a last resort, but in order to do so I need the appropriate .bin file for the BIOS update. The executable from the HP site for the HP ENVY 16 inch Laptop PC 16-h0000: sp158356.exe contains four .bin files: 08a2c.bin, 08A2CME0.bin, 08A2CPD0.bin, & 08A2CRT0.bin. This seems to be an anomaly, as other laptop BIOS updates I downloaded for comparison have only one.

Reading the BIOS chip on my motherboard through neoprogrammer yields a .bin file of 16.384 MB, matching the size of 08a2c.bin, however, neoprogrammer cannot open 08a2c.bin, stating it risks corruption if I do so. Considering that my BIOS became corrupted AFTER I tried updating it through this official HP executable, it seems the update file itself contains a corrupted BIOS file.

Please provide me with an alternative BIOS update file (or previous version) that will be compatible with my system.

[zoey7886]

@VorTeX7756, Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

We're here to help you tackle that HP Envy 16-h0000! Don't worry, we've got your back! 

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name.  

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Regards,