Searching for the correct BIOS for my laptop (HP - 17-an012dx)

[scbeacham]

Hi,

About 4 years ago I was gifted this laptop from a friend. I have been using it ever since.

About a year ago (maybe more), I downloaded League of Legends' Vanguard which totally "jacked my system: (as it is known to do). However, this is not the point of my message today, it just explains why I took the action below:

When working to solve the issues Vanguard created, I reflashed my BIOS using the currently recommended F.24 BIOS firmware on HP's website. Unfortunately, This "downgraded" my BIOS, and I began getting a bunch of downgrade errors. However, it did NOT solve the issues created by Vanguard.

Only after rebuilding my startup files in windows did my laptop function properly again. However, it still has those same persistent errors from downgrading the BIOS firmware almost a year ago, and now I am getting some "Memory_Management" stopcodes for my memory sticks, which I believe could be related.

I have replaced the existing RAM with 2 new 16GB Corsair RAM sticks which operate excellently. However, they have not fully resolved my Memory_Mangement issue. It is intermittent, and occurs "randomly" on either RAM slot with either RAM stick.

I believe there is some level of hardware failure. However, I cannot effectively rule that in or out until I have resolved my BIOS issues. If I know that the hardware and firmware aren't talking to eachother, how can i say the hardware is truly faulty? xD

I need to know where to find that actual BIOS firmware for my laptop, not the F.24 crap that just screwed things up more last year.

Here are the specific boot errors I am getting:

1. error code 0xc0000225 (memory_management). - Appears 50/50 and initiates restart to attempt boot again.

2. Error sending End Of Post message to ME: HECI disabled, proceeding with boot! - Appears on every boot.

3. (A7) Me FW Downgrade - Request MeSpiLock Failed. - Appears on every boot.

Thank you in advance for your help with these issues.

[Garp_senchau]

@scbeacham, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

It sounds like you've been dealing with a number of issues, particularly related to BIOS downgrading, RAM, and the system’s ability to boot up cleanly. Based on your detailed description, there are a few troubleshooting steps we can follow to isolate and hopefully resolve these issues. Let’s break it down:

Address BIOS Issues

It seems like the BIOS downgrade might have caused more issues than it solved. The error codes you’re seeing (particularly the "Me FW Downgrade" error) suggest there’s a conflict between the BIOS and the firmware (Management Engine - ME) on your system.

Check if your BIOS is up-to-date:

Go to OMEN by HP - 17-an012dx Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support

Look for BIOS updates under the "Drivers & Software" section.

Download the latest BIOS version (F.24 it’s the latest available) for your laptop.

Reset BIOS Settings:

You can attempt to reset the BIOS to default settings, which could resolve issues if the settings were messed up

Turn off your laptop.

Power it on and immediately start pressing F10 or Esc.

In BIOS, navigate to Restore Defaults.

Save changes and exit.

Resolve "Memory_Management" Stop Code

The Memory_Management (0xc0000225) stop code could be caused by a number of issues, including corrupted files, bad drivers, or hardware problems.

Test RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic:

Before assuming hardware failure, let’s make sure the system isn’t just dealing with a software issue or a bad driver:

Press Win + R and type mdsched.exe, then press Enter.

Choose Restart now and check for problems.

Your laptop will reboot and check for memory issues.

If errors are found, consider reseating the RAM sticks or trying the old ones again to check if the issue persists. Even new RAM can sometimes be faulty or incompatible.

Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

Run the following commands: 

• sfc /scannow - This will scan and repair corrupted system files. If that doesn’t resolve the issue:
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth - This command will repair the system image and should fix any file corruption.

Check for Driver Issues:

Go to Device Manager.

Look for any devices with a yellow warning triangle.

Ensure all drivers, especially chipset and memory drivers, are up to date.

Download the latest chipset drivers from HP website.

Addressing Management Engine (ME) Firmware Issues

Reflash BIOS Properly:

Since the downgrade process initially caused issues, a proper BIOS recovery might be necessary:

Check HP’s documentation on BIOS recovery.

Reference: HP Notebook PCs - Recovering the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) | HP® Support

Hardware Test

Run a hardware test on the memory outside Windows and confirm that the memory is good:

Hold the power button for at least five seconds to turn off the computer.

Turn on the computer and immediately press the F2 key repeatedly, about once every second.

The HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) main menu is displayed.

• Select Component tests.

Memory - There are three different memory tests available. If you think there is a problem with the memory, first try the Fast Test (3 minutes or more depending on the amount of system memory). If the Fast Test does not find a problem, run the Quick Test (about 15 minutes).

If the Quick Test does not find a problem, run the Memory Extensive Test. It can be run once or looped until an error occurs.

To run the memory tests, follow the steps in Memory Test.

Let me know how it goes.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,