What is the most recent (STABLE!) BIOS / UEFI F/W release for my Pavillion G6-2361 NoteBook model?

[Nick_Ko1]

Hello Forum,

Currently the HP F.28 BIOS Release is running at my G6-2361eo Notebook in question.

However, I just noticed, a F.29 BIOS Release was shown for the actual G6 NoteBook on indeed the HP Drivers Support Page, although the referenced WEB Link was DEAD / not useable for that specific Download Page - unfortunately.

So which G6 (UEFI Compatible!) BIOS Release would you guys reccomend me to use on my Notebook for best / most stable operation ?

The G6 Notebook actually seems to work quite OK with the current F.28  BIOS Release by today

Any help would be much appreciated!

Hope somebody might be able to help on this issue !?

Thank you in advance!

.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

This is the latest BIOS update HP has for your notebook.

F.2A  HP release date of Sep 19, 2016

Driver - HP Pavilion g6-2361eo Notebook PC | HP® Customer Support

The problem for you is...the update was written to be run on W7 or W8 only.

What will happen if you run it on W10, that I do not know.

It may work fine, or it may permanently destroy your notebook.

If your notebook is running OK on the current BIOS, I would not risk it.

You know the old saying...'If it's not broke, don't fix it.'

[Nick_Ko1]

Hello Paul,

Thank's a lot for your answer on my G6-2361eo Notebook BIOS request!

Yes, that really makes GOOD sense to simply keep my  current F.28 rel. BIOS as it is by today on my PERFECT running Win10 G6-2361eo Notebook.

I'm pt. about to upgrade the PC with a new EVO-870 SSD, but I am struggling a little bit in changing indeed the Boot order via BIOS / UEFI  in this regard, since i've ONLY  got an EXTERNAL connected Display at the NB pt. - (The embedded LED Scenen in the NB is unfortunately BROKEN) - Thus, its a little tricky , to navigate around inside BIOS itself in such situation, (eg. changing the Boot order, and all that stuff, you know)

But perhaps my UEFI utility started directly from within Win10 can help a little bit here!? - Hope so!

Anyway, Thanks again Paul for your (AS ALWAYS!) very useful, kind and qualified help on also my issue here!

Best regards from

/Nick K

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

You may want to consider cloning the existing hard drive's contents to the SSD.

You can use cloning software and a SATA to USB cable to do that.

Samsung Magician & SSD Tools & Software Update | Samsung Semiconductor Global

BENFEI USB 3.0 auf SATA Adapter für 2,5 Zoll HDD/SSD, USB auf SATA III Festplatten-Adapter: Amazon.d...

Plug one end into the new SSD and the other end into your notebook's USB port.

Then you shouldn't have to worry about boot options, reinstalling W10 and whatnot.

Just swap out the drives after the cloning is completed and hopefully it should work.

Cheers,

Paul

[Nick_Ko1]

Thanks again for your SSD Cloning tips below Paul!

However, + After having considered my various SSD Inst. options - I've decided to simply make a FRESH / CLEAN Win10  Install on that quite (+10 yars) OLD and DIRTY Notebook, to simply get rid of all the old garbage, im not using anymore on the machine, you know.

However, I wonders I'f you know of some "SMART TRICK" in order to REDIRECT the VGA Video output from the Notebook onto my EXTERNAL (also HP) VGA Display, when running INSIDE indeed the NB UEFI / BIOS Utility (to change Boot order etc. - you know!) 

Thus Do you possibly know of some "Magic Trick" in this regard?

BTW:

Due to my understanding, the Notebook first start looking  for an  "Bootable Media" it finds when the PC is starting up, and then it BOOTS / Loads the actual OS from indeed that Media - Right!?

Thus, if I remove the current HDD in the NB,  and only inserts the EMPTY SSD Device in question + a Bootable USB Win10 Media Creation Tool - It'll Boot from indeed this USB media, simply because there aint NO OTHER BOOTable Media within the PC by this time!?

Then I could possibly continue the Win10 SSD Inst. at THIS STAGE within the whole process???

So Am I right on this possible option / scenario /  thesis???

What do you think Paul here???

Kind regards

/Nick K

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Nick.

Unfortunately, I do not,

That is because no drivers are loaded outside of Windows other than a standard VGA driver and in order to project the screen to an external monitor you can only do that in Windows with the graphics driver installed.

Your theory may be correct. 

You can only try it and hope it works.

In the old days that would have worked..the PC would have kept searching for a bootable device, but with the Windows boot manager/UEFI BIOS, the notebook may always want to boot from the empty SSD and not the USB flash drive with the W10 installation media.

Paul

[Nick_Ko2]

Hello Paul.

Thanks a lot for also your latest tips & tricks on my G6-2361 WIN10 => SSD install issue in question.

Well, that's just what I was fearing a little bit to hear, but I'm afraid you're absolutely right on your conclusion in this regard!

My problem is, that I think, that - ONCE AGAIN! - buying yet another 15,6" LED (Glossy) (EXTREEMLY physical SENSITIVE!) Display at > $ 100, to be used with a more than 10 Years Old HP Laptop - Isn't possibly the 100% right thing for me to do in my actual situation?

Currently I'm on my HP Notebook Screen # 3 - so I and not least my wallet are - over time - perhaps a little "tired" of changing HP Laptop Screens all the time, I'm sorry to say!

They just breaks much TO easily for me - even when trying just to clean them VERY VERY gently for e.g. to much "Paté" etc.etc. glued onto the Display surface itself. - I'm just SOO tired of this whole Circus - therefore now using my much more Rock-solid  EXTERNAL (HP) VGA Display Device in operation - which just WORKS perfect all the time!

Anyway I've just one more question to ask you for, if you possibly also could help me out a little on this - Say:

Are you aware of the (Win10 Based) accessable UEFI - Graphical user Interface / Utility, which I discovered, also can be accessed by pressing indeed <shift>+Restart (within the Win10 Power On/Off Menu)!?

This utility actually looks like some kind of a "reduced" Win10 Based UEFI User Interface, where you can do a couple of quite interesting PC Maintenance Tasks etc. like e.g. "Resetting the PC" - "Repairing Windows Starting Problems" etc. etc.

However, indeed two Main Menu Items on the mentioned UEFI Main Page caught my special interest - say:

1) "Use a Device": =>
1.1) Internal HDD or SDD
1.2) USB Drive (UEFI)
1.3) Internal CD/DVD (UEFI)

and:

2) "Troubleshoot": =>

2.1) Reset this PC

2.2) Advanced Settings: =>
2.2.1) Windows Start Repair
2.2.2) Start Settings
2.2.3) Command Prompt
2.2.4) Remove (various) Windows Updates
2.2.5) Edit Settings in the PC UEFI Firmware
2.2.6) Windows System Recovery

I tried a few (NOT Dangerous) Menu Selections above, (from within my Win10 OS) - which however Immediately kicked me directly into the non Graphical BIOS (Ch based) User Utility - making it real hard to get out of this again, for a totally "Blind User" like me in that situation!

However I wonders if Menu Selection # 1 above:

1) "Use a Device":

Could be useful within (temporary changing) also my current Boot Order (USB WMC Tool Stick) Case - in question?

So what do you think here Paul? - Am I possibly touching something useful here? - Or?

Any clue?

Kind regards from

/Nick K

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, NIck.

I agree with you.  I would not be putting a lot of money into your notebook.

If you are happy with using an external monitor, then why fix it?

Before you buy a Samsung 870 SSD which is rather expensive (if you have not already bought it), I think you should give that 1.2) USB Drive (UEFI) a try if you can boot from it that way with a W10 USB installation flash drive.

Give it a test run and then exit out of the installer if it works.

If it doesn't work, you may want to consider upgrading to a gently used notebook that would support the 2.5" SSD if you bought it already.

[Nick_Ko]

Hello Paul,

I just would like to thank you SO MUCH for all your very qualified and helpful info plus assistance on my Win10 / UEFI / SDD issue in question!

I'll follow your procedure below and then hope, it'll work out as desired!

(Haven't bought the planned (1TB) EVO-870 Device yet).

BTW - I found this article, on the matter, that possibly might be of interest for you:

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/bios-uefi-setup-guide-boot-from-cd-dvd-usb-drive-sd-card/

Thus if you study indeed the specific Chapter:

"Configuring UEFI on Windows 8 or Windows 10 Computers"

near the bottom of the page - it seems  to verify indeed you suggested UEFI Install Procedure in question from last week!

Best regards

/Nick K

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime, Nick.

Glad to have been of assistance and thanks for the article you posted.

Hopefully, you will be able to boot the USB installer without having an onboard notebook display.

Cheers,

Paul