DV4-1120us bricked by HP's own Bios update

[Arvils]

I have HP DV7-7331 and after updating BIOS screen become black and boring.

I tried solutions posted from other people - no success.

But then I thought - HP is real HPintheass, so I connected original drive (I change it to SSD previously) with original image from factory and then started laptop holding windows + B key = it recovered.

So for any unlucky folks who bought HP and have crazy idea to upgrade it later - do not loose original HDD full image, or you will be forced to pay 200-450USD for service.

[Arvils]

Well I finally found a good way to deal with this problem.

First of all - cloning Windows (it specially with EFI) from HDD to SSD is pointless.

SSD work by different principles - and even if you manage make working clone - it will work only for a wild before crush.

So my suggestion is before you change your HDD to SSD - connect SSD via USB (USB 3.0 is fast) and using diskpart from Windows 8 format your SSD like this:

run CMD with administrator privileges

diskpart

list disk

select disk [SSD disk Number]

clean all

convert gpt

create primary partition size=400

create primary partition [this will take rest of SSD]

list partition

select partition [larger partition where you will put your windows, smaller let untouched]

format fs=ntfs quick

assign

exit [this will close diskpart]

then install Windows 8 [if you do not have EFi install - use the same way to format USB flash drive and simple copy files from your ISO]

after windows is instaled use this UEFI HP TOOLS link

and your HP laptop will work in case of emergency use windows + B key to restore BIOS

P.S. If you do not have Windows media - you can download any version from microsoft link

[thallesfelipe]

Hello Folks!

I got another Pavilion DV4 2112BR and when I press Power Button (AC is Connected) no led or lights turn on... 

When I plug in the AC, was to turn the LED near it but it makes no effect ... and also the battery is fully discharged I do not have anybody that has the same notebook. Once you have upgraded the BIOS to F.18 the first Restart Windows it happened.

Anyone have ideas on how I can fix this?

The chips are OK MOSFET and the source also think about rewriting the BIOS but the keyboard of the notebook is also defective ('m lucky too haha) USB keyboard work?

I appreciate the suggestions!

[Eddie27614]

Well here we are again....I know this is an old thread but I am at my wits end with this.

3 days ago hp pushed out another bios update. We came back home and the laptop had a message saying an update had been applied and we needed to restart our computer. so we did.

our dv4-2145dx came back up with a blank screen and will not post. the lights flash on it indicating that the cpu is not functioning. No **bleep**! I might also ad that this laptop was functioning flawlessly prior to this update.

so here we are again with yet another faile BIOS update.

I called HP an they wanted me to pay for out of warranty tech support. I told them not no but hell no, why should I pay for tech support for a poblem that YOUR update caused?

They assigned me to a case manager that called me and told me my options were to pay for tech support. after round and round arguing with him he said he would call me back in 24 hours.

After a FUP email to him he finally called me back and told me that support for this laptop ended June 1st 2013. REALLY??!!

19 DAYS past your support offering and you cant help me with something that YOUR software caused? I find that funny because their tech support guys certainly were willing to take my money...I can only guess at that point that they would come back and say "so sorry suport ended for your machine, but we will be glad to fleece you for your money'.

what did someone hit the flush toilet button in your knowledge base archives or something an you dont actually have the knowledge to solve the problem anymore? Puhlease.

at any rate, Ihave tried the bios flash thing...and it doesnt work for me. Dont even know if it will.

I followed the instructions to the T. The laptop powers up, the light on my usb key is lit. but doesnt appear that the laptop is reading it.

what am I doing wrong? reseated RAM, r&R'd the cmos battery, running on AC only, holding Windows +B, usb key lit...downloaded file to usb key renamed with first 4 characters only ith BIN as the extension...alo tried .FD no love.

anyone have any solutions to this or this just now an expensive paperweight?

As far as HP is concerned and I hope they read this:

I work for a VERY large IT group, we do a considerable amount of business with HP to the tune of about 20 million dollars a year or more. Guess what guys? I also have major input into what we recommend as a hardware platform for our customers. I have ben your champion for years. However, since you are unable or unwilling to help me solve this problem...you will NEVER EVER hear the words come out of my mouth that HP is a reputable company that stands by their customers. You have known about these defects for 4 years as indicated by the postings here and I know that you guys troll these forums regularly and yet you still continue to push out updates that briock peoples machines and offer little to no help in resolving these issues. Shame on you. As an American business I am ashamed of you. My case number is[Personal Information Removed] if you care.

[Arvils]

Dear Eddie27614

Please check your HDD, HP Bios updates are going through HDD (I do not know why - but it's true).

Your HDD must have HP Tool section on it and proper one depending what tipe of HDD you have (SSD or SATA/PATA).

For proper HP Tools and procedures look in to my previous posts.

Hepe it will help you.

P.S. No I do not work for HP.

[Eddie27614]

Thanks, but if I could get to my hard drive I would not be having the problem I am having. The problem is that the screen is black and system will not post after this bios update. I am an IT professional and am well versed on problem determination, troubleshooting, and resolution.

Im not sure from the wording of your response, but I dont think you understand the problem I am having.

[Arvils]

If you are IT professional then there will be no problems for you to get HDD out of your laptop and connect it to other PC with USB-SATA connector.

Also you must know for sure what BOOT type you use (Legacy or EFI).

In Legacy mode HP Tools are on disk C , but in EFI mode in a boot sector.

So I suggest you to read my previous posts.

And one more think, if you use EFI for boot (usually go with win8) your flash drive must be partitioned in GPT instead of FAT or NTFS.

[Eddie27614]

yeah ok, I understand what you are saying now. I didnt understand what you were saying before.

perhaps if you can point to one of your posts that would be helpful.

the machine is running Win7 hme premium, so it is hit or miss if it's running legacy or EFI Boot

so you are saying to format GPT instead of MBR ...hmmm....I'm guessing it;s probably EFi the way it is behaving.

Honestly, I work in the server world and not the desktop Laptop world...I am a VMware SME. I havent had to work on a desktop or laptop in close to two decades...I have always had someone else do it for me...lol.

I recieved a reply from HP customer relations since my first posting. I was thinking maybe they were going to help with this, but I havent heard back from them since.

[Arvils]

OK Win7 most likely is working on Legacy mode - so MBR with Fat32 for flash-drive will do. To be sure that flash-drive is correctly formated, use "diskpart" command from CMD. My previous posts (just look by My name in this section) is described needed commands.

Need to check if HP Tool is on HDD - if not - install them by specifying your Disk.

P.S. Some times HP Tools refuse to be installed on non HP machine, it depend of version. You can check your needed version in HP driver page for your laptop.

[Arvils]

run CMD with administrator privileges

diskpart

list disk

select disk [disk Number]

clean all

create primary partition

list partition

select partition

format fs=ntfs quick

assign

exit [this will close diskpart]