15-d017 Updated BIOS black screen on boot, Win+B keys don't help... how to unbrick???

[mscir]

I am trying to get my 15-d017cl to boot after upgrading the bios, here's what happened:

- installed SSD to replace failing hdd, computer worked great but disk had bad sectors (verified failing hdd w/2nd computer)

- enabled Legacy support in BIOS so I could install w7 Pro 64bit

- installed w7 Pro 64bit, no problems, booted into Windows, everything working as expected

- installed Audio driver from HP site for this 15-d017cl

- upgraded BIOS from HP site for 15-d017cl, program said BIOS flash 100% then hung

- after about 10 minutes I repowered the machine, black screen

- booting while pressing F10 key brings up standard white text on screen "F10...BIOS Setup Options, but it hangs there

- booting while holding down the Win+B keys with or without a USB (which has a different BIOS update) just hangs

How do I unbrick my machine?

I tried to download the 1.5 GB tool for a USB that will roll back the BIOS update but the download stops after 130-160MB, I tried 6 times. Is HP capping downloads from their FTP server???

Help! Any ideas will be appreciated.

Does my model support Win+B keys to roll back the BIOS update?

Is there another site where I can d/l the USB tool to roll back the BIOS update?

HELP!

[mscir]

Computer won't boot after bios upgrade.

Quick history
- computer was working but was dropped, damaging hdd

- verified hdd damage by removing it and connecting it to another computer

- verified computer hardware still good by booting and using it from ubuntu live cd

- purchased SSD

- changed Bios HDD support to Legacy mode so I could install w7

- installed w7 64 bit professional

- install went great, computer booted in windows, no lan or wifi yet : missing drivers

- downloaded drivers and bios update from HP site for my exact machine to USB stick using different machine

- installed audio driver

- installed bios update, did not tamper with machine at all during BIOS update followed instructions exactly

- after bios update  s/w said bios flash was 100% complete computer just hung for 15 min's

- repowered machine: only get black screen

- holding down F10 while powering up gets white "F10...BIOS Setup Options" text in lower left corner of screen, nothing else happens,

I tried holding the windows and B key before powering then for a minute after powering several times, nothing happened. http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02693833
I repeated that procedure half a dozen times with and without a USB with the BIOS update software on it in a USB slot, no difference. 

Does my model support this key combination to load deffault BIOS settings?

Do I have any other options to unbrick my machine? Any advice is appreciated.


Mike

[ichi730 · Accepted solution]

Hi mscir,

Your doing  the W+B the wrong way!

First thing is you need to load the BIOS DEFAULTS

Turn you computer off (If its currently turned off)

Turn it back on then tap away ESC in order for you to access the START MENU

Press F10 then press F9 then Press F10 again to save the changes then Press Enter if prompted.

If the above fix did not resolve your issue then perform the emergency Bios flush

Many HP notebook computers have an emergency BIOS recovery feature that allows you to recover and install the last known good version of the BIOS from the hard drive, as long as the hard drive remains functional. This emergency recovery feature is separate from the BIOS and is designed to work in the event of a catastrophic BIOS failure.

NOTE: If the hard disk partition is deleted or inaccessible, follow the steps in the HP support document: Recovering the notebook BIOS using an external storage device

Follow these steps to recover an earlier version of the BIOS on your notebook:

1.            Turn off the computer.

2.            Plug the notebook into a power source using the power adapter.

3.            Press and hold the Windows key and the B key at the same time while the computer is off.

4.            Still pressing the Windows and B keys, press and hold down the Power button on the notebook for 1 second, and then release the Power button and the keys.

The Power LED light remains on, and the screen remains blank for 30 to 60 seconds. You might hear beeping sounds. Eventually, an HP BIOS Update screen displays and the BIOS updates automatically.

If the HP BIOS Update screen displays, continue to step 5.

If the HP BIOS Update screen does not display, find your condition from the following options and then follow the steps for that condition:

•              Computer boots into Windows

If your computer is able to boot into Windows, update the BIOS to the latest version using the standard BIOS update procedure as per the HP support document: Updating the BIOS (Notebooks)

•              Power LED light turns off

The computer turns off if you press and hold the power button too long. Repeat steps 1 through 4 above, this time press and hold the power button down for between one to three seconds in step 4.

•              After repeated attempts, the HP BIOS Update screen does not open

Your computer does not support this function or it has a hardware problem that is preventing the tool from opening. Contact HP Support for further assistance.

Figure : HP BIOS Update screen

5.            After the BIOS is recovered, a Continue Startup button displays and a timer counts down. Click the Continue Startup button to restart the computer immediately. The computer restarts automatically when the timer reaches zero.

Figure : HP BIOS Update screen

6.            When the computer restarts, a message similar to the following displays: A system BIOS Recovery has occurred. BIOS Recovery (500) Enter – Continue.

Press the Enter key to continue immediately or to allow the computer to reboot automatically.

NOTE: After restoring the BIOS, if the computer repeatedly displays a message that the BIOS has been recovered, perform the steps in the HP support document: HP BIOS Application Selected Is Corrupt or Missing.

7.            After restarting, Windows might display a message stating that the computer was improperly shut down or that a boot problem was detected. Read and respond to the screens to continue

Regards.

[mscir]

Thank you for the quick and detailed reply.

"Turn you computer off (If its currently turned off)

Turn it back on then tap away ESC in order for you to access the START MENU"

When I do that I see a black screen with no graphics, just white ascii text characters at the bottom left of the screen,

"ESC...Pause Startup"

"1.            Turn off the computer.

2.            Plug the notebook into a power source using the power adapter.

3.            Press and hold the Windows key and the B key at the same time while the computer is off.

4.            Still pressing the Windows and B keys, press and hold down the Power button on the notebook for 1 second, and then release the Power button and the keys."

When I do that nothing happens, whether I have no usb or cd in the computer, or if I have a CD and/or USB with the BIOS update utility (with a different version of hte BIOS update from the HP site, there are 2). Nothing happens.

I also tried to download the 1.5GB USB key tech tool but the download stopped after 130-170 MB each tinme after 8 tries! Does HP cap their FTP downloads now?

I just got off of a 40 min. tech support call with HP, we ran through all of the above again, they want $249 to service it to fix their bios u/g bug. I can buy a refurb model of this computer for $200 on ebay. Thanks HP!

[mscir]

For the sake of thoroughness I booted tapping the ESC-F12 keys to see what happened. In all cases I either got a black screen or I got the white text listed below in the bottom left corner of the screen with no graphics or background color or typical gui, just a black screen with white ascii characters.

ESC...Pause Startup
F1...System Information
F2...Startup Check
(f3) black screen
(f4) black screen
(f5) black scren
(f6) black screen
(f7) black screen
(f8) black screen
F9...Change Boot Device Order
F10...BIOS Setup Options
F11...System Recovery
(f12) black screen

[ichi730]

---

@mscir wrote:

ESC...Pause Startup
F1...System Information
F2...Startup Check
(f3) black screen
(f4) black screen
(f5) black scren
(f6) black screen
(f7) black screen
(f8) black screen
F9...Change Boot Device Order
F10...BIOS Setup Options
F11...System Recovery
(f12) black screen

---

Theres still hope for your computer. You can still boot to Bios Set up Options and System Recovery.

Try performing Bios default. Earlier I mentioned to run bios defaults using ESC but you mentioned that you cant access it. So kindly access it again using the F10 button. After accessing the F10 button press F9 then press F10 again then save changes. Observe if that will fix the issue.

[mscir]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. Please allow me to explain again...

"access it again using the F10 button. After accessing the F10 button press F9 then press F10 again then save changes. Observe if that will fix the issue."

I turned off the machine, powered on, then immediately started tapping the F10 key 2x/sec.

Next I see a black screen with white text at the bottom left edge of the screen , "F10...BIOS Setup Options".

Next I click F9, F10, ESC, each of the F1-12 keys, all of the keys on the keyboard, FN+ all of the keays on the keyboard, nothing changes the white text on the screen, the computer does not react.

=========================================================

Maybe you can help me with this.

I repeatedly tried downloading this tool on this page (below) to try to restore the BIOS with it. but the downloads always stop at about about 10% of the file, it's 1.5GB. I tried downloading it from other countries' HP sites but the same thing happened. 

Would anyone be willing to u/l this file to a file sharing acc't like Dropbox where I could download it from them????

Thx,

Mike

* http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/hpsupportassistant/pc-diags.html?jumpid=va_r602_us/en/any/pps/pl_...

HP PC Hardware Diagnostics 3-in-1 USB Key

For HP authorized service partners and IT professionals who need to support a mixed environment of older and newer HP/Compaq PCs, the HP PC Diagnostics 3-in-1 USB Key is a diagnostic tool that supports a wide range of HP Desktop and Notebook PCs.

The HP PC Hardware Diagnostics 3-in-1 USB Key includes the latest UEFI based diagnostics as well as the older HP Vision Diagnostics. In addition to diagnostics, it now supports the recovery of a corrupted BIOS on supported systems.

• This tool is intended for use by HP Authorized Service Personnel and Self Maintainers only. All other customers should please download either HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) or legacy HP Vision Diagnostics via the links above.
• With the release of version 3.0.0.0, a feature has been added that can be used to recover many systems that have failed due to a corrupted BIOS.
• A blank USB key of 4GB capacity or larger is required.
• Updated HP PC Diagnostics will be released at various times throughout the year, and technicians should ensure they are using the latest version available.

Get the latest version of the 3-in-1 Diagnostics USB key:

 Download (3-in-1 USB Key v.3.4.0.0)

[mscir]

I guess I hadn't tried the Win+B key combination at startup enougn times, I just tried it for the probably 15th time and the machine restored the default BIOS, then it booted with a Bios 500 error, then it booted and said it couldn't find the Hard Disk. I ran both hdd checks and they passed, so I looked at teh config. and found that my previously enabled Legacy support for the w7 installation was disabled, enabling that let the machine boot normally.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for telling me how to do the Win+B combination the right way (not holding them down for 40 - 60 sec's).

You unbricked my machine, you rock!

[ichi730]

Your welcome! Glad to help you out! 🙂

[Joszef_Yong]

Hi ich730,

I am having similar issues and I have done all the steps. Currently, I am retrying the win + b and it has been stuck on 30 - 60 sec delay which is now almost 1hr.

Is it became am using a different model HP 255?

Help out pls.

Thanks

Joszef