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

[mIKEY2008]

I experienced the same thing on my DV4-1117nr.  I will try the below fix to see if I successfully recover use of my computer.  My thanks to all of you that post on this subject. I questioned the tech support and they were clueless that the BIOS were removed.

1. Go to this site: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2100&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3795301  and download the file :

2. Go to where you downloaded the file and using 7-Zip (or your tool of choice of course) unzip the contents to a folder of your choice. We'll get to this again later, so keep this folder open.

3. I used a 128MB USB Thumbdrive (the smallest I could find, since they said the smaller the better ) and reformatted as FAT (default) in Vista by right clicking the drive and clicking "format"

4. Now that my USB thumbdrive is ready, go back to the folder where you extracted the BIOS update file (The folder's still open right?)

5. If you have Integrated Intel Graphics like me, copy the 30F7F24U.FD to the USB drive and RENAME the file 30F7F24U.FD to 30F7.BIN

NOTE: file 30F7F24U.FD is for those with the integrated Intel 4500 video, while 30F7F24D.FD is for those with the discrete Nvida graphics.

          copy the appropriate file to the thumb drive then on the thumb drive rename it to 30F7.BIN

The next steps are 0.0's exact steps, which I've merely numbered: (Please follow the exact procedures here and 5 minutes from now, you'll be typing a reply to this post on your currently borked dv4 )

6. Disconnect the AC adapter from the notebook.

7. Remove the battery from the notebook.

8. Inserted the USB thumb drive into one of the USB ports on the notebook.
Didn't seem to matter which one.

9. Hold down the 'Windows' Key and the 'B' key.

10. Connected the AC adapter.

11. Pressed the 'Power' button on the notebook.

12. When the LEDs came on, let go of power button and the two keys held down earlier.

13. After about 10 seconds the notebook started reading the USB thumb drive. While searching for the file the notebook beeped once a second.
The number of beeps varied, depending on how big the thumb drive was and
the number of files on the thumb drive, from just one beep to many.
If the file was not found, the notebook would reset itself and try again.

14. If the file was found then it took about 12 seconds for the notebook to load it. No beeping sounds heard during the loading time.

15. When loaded the notebook started flashing, indicated by beeps every 2 seconds. This took about 32 seconds.

16. About 5 seconds after the beeping had stopped the notebook shutdown.
BIOS worked normally thereafter.

Mike

Message Edited by mIKEY2008 on 01-15-2009 01:54 AM

Message Edited by mIKEY2008 on 01-15-2009 01:54 AM

[wl0]

Hi, it will be great if you can send the file to [email removed for privacy reasons]

Thanks in advance!

[manmiracle]

Hi tdk, I tried to update the bios of my dv4-1435dx and now only get the startup screen with hp logo, could you help me please? mi tarjeta grafica es una Intel Integrated Graphics 4500. this link does not work ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp41501-42000/sp41969.exe.could send the file please mi email is <text removed for privacy>. Thanks

[Blurry_Future]

tdk, I thought this would work for my DV4-1220us (no, the first 2 is not a typo) since they are of a similar line, but I may have a more hopeless bricked BIOS than most people.

I know you pointed out that this procedure is for 1120us notebooks, but it seems that a lot of HP and Compaq notebooks have the same bios recovery feature, so I thought I'd ask around.

So I followed these steps, trying out all sorts of media (1.44MB USB floppy, 512MB thumbdrive formatted to FAT16, and 700MB CD-R) with differently named files ending with multiple potential extensions. I think I've tried everything, and the system doesn't seem to boot (or read) the floppy and USB drive when the recovery keys are pressed. WIn+B are definitely the keys for mine since that is the only combination that makes the laptop flash the power LED abruptly when the AC adapter is connected while those keys are pressed. The floppy drive doesn't flash at all, the thumbdrive flashes with the power LED, but doesn't read afterward, and the system doesn't seem to give the CD drive power long enough for the disc to be read (it tries to spin up, and reads a little, but then stops spinning).

Basically, all methods haven't caused anything to come up on the screen. It doesn't even light up and display black! After starting what's supposed to be recovery mode, all that happens is two lit power LEDS (one on the power button and one indicator light on the bottom) and no spinning, reading, or flickering lights. I tried to be as descriptive as possible, and hope that someone can help me. I love this laptop. =(

[anion]

Blurry_Future, seems like you should be using the 30FB BIOS, latest downloadable version seems to be F.4A  so you would need file 30FBF4A.FD. In that case rename it to something like JBL20.BIN, JBL20HW.BIN or 30FB.BIN. Try the thumbdrive.

Good luck. 🙂

[tdk]

Blurry, my instructions were for the DV4-1435DX NOT your DV4-1220us.

tdk

[tdk]

---

@manmiracle wrote:

Hi tdk, I tried to update the bios of my dv4-1435dx and now only get the startup screen with hp logo, could you help me please? mi tarjeta grafica es una Intel Integrated Graphics 4500. this link does not work ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp41501-42000/sp41969.exe.could send the file please mi email is <text removed for privacy>. Thanks

---

Manmiracle, as you can see the system has removed your email address for security reasons.

THESE INSTRUCTIOINS ARE FOR YOUR MODEL NOTEBOOK ONLY!,

YOUR MODEL IS THE DV4-1435DX with INTEGRATED Intel 4500HD graphics.

THIS PROCEDURE MAY OR MAY NOT WORK ON YOUR NOTEBOOK, THE RISK IS YOURS...

Since your notebook won't run you will have to do the first part of this on another computer.

Go to www.hp.com

select support and drivers, select download software and firmware, enter dv4-1435dx int eh box and click on go.

in the resulting list scroll down to BIOS and downlaod that file.

Since your notebook won't run you must run the bios file on another computer to extract it.

When the file loads it will allow you to pick a place for it to extract to

after the file extracts the program will display which actually flashes the BIOS.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW THIS FLASHING PROGRAM TO RUN ON THE OTHER COMPUTER YOU EXTRACTED THE BIOS ON. When the flashing screen comes up simply cancel out of it.

then go into the directory where it extracts the files and find thefile  named 30F7F55U.FD.

3. I used a 128MB USB Thumbdrive (the smallest I could find, since they said the smaller the better ) and reformatted as FAT (default) in Vista by right clicking the drive and clicking "format"

Personally I used a 2 GB USB thumbdrive and it worked fine for me....

4. Now that your USB thumbdrive is ready, go back to the folder where you extracted the BIOS update file (The folder's still open right?)

5. Copy the file 30F7F55U.FD to the USB drive and RENAME the file 30F7F55U.FD to 30F7.BIN

Now remove the USB thumb drive from the other computer and take it over to your Notebook and proceed as follows.

Good luck on this it may or may not work, Let us know

The next steps are 0.0's exact steps, which I've merely numbered: (Please follow the exact procedures here and 5 minutes from now, you'll be typing a reply to this post on your currently borked dv4 )

6. Disconnect the AC adapter from the notebook.

7. Remove the battery from the notebook.

8. Inserted the USB thumb drive into one of the USB ports on the notebook.
Didn't seem to matter which one.

9. Hold down the 'Windows' Key and the 'B' key.

10. Connected the AC adapter.

11. Pressed the 'Power' button on the notebook.

12. When the LEDs came on, let go of power button and the two keys held down earlier.

13. After about 10 seconds the notebook started reading the USB thumb drive. While searching for the file the notebook beeped once a second.
The number of beeps varied, depending on how big the thumb drive was and
the number of files on the thumb drive, from just one beep to many.
If the file was not found, the notebook would reset itself and try again.

14. If the file was found then it took about 12 seconds for the notebook to load it. No beeping sounds heard during the loading time.

15. When loaded the notebook started flashing, indicated by beeps every 2 seconds. This took about 32 seconds.

16. About 5 seconds after the beeping had stopped the notebook shutdown.
BIOS worked normally thereafter.

[Blurry_Future]

@tdk: sorry about that, I read the thread's titled "1120us" before I posted the question, since I had thought the two were similar.

Anion, I tried those file names, and they didn't work either...the problem is, nothing comes up on the screen, not even the HP logo. I think that means it can't load most of the DOS-based solutions around the web for this sort of problem. Maybe my BIOS is past the saveable state? =\

I've tried every medium that this laptop can take, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. The USB doesn't read any more than a single flicker after powering on with Win+7, the CD isn't given enough time to spin up (I don't think the laptop notices that it has the BIOS files on it either), and the floppy doesn't move at all when attached. I feel like I've tried everything..

Is JBL20 the board for all DV4's? I'm probably worse off than most people with bricked BIOSes, so I'll try a few more filenames and such before I ask HP as a last resort..

If anyone knows what I may be missing, point it out soon. Please and thank you!

[tdk]

DV4_1220US

Blurry, I went to www.hp.com  selected support and downloaded the lastest bios file for your notebook.

I then extracted the bios file (Its a self extracting EXE file) on another computer.

the file you need from the archive is 30FBF4A.FD.

Your notebook has an AMD processor, My 1140GO is an intel based machine.

I have no idea whether your notebook even supports the bios restore method that many of us have been successful with. 

If it does then getting 30FBF4A.FD onto a usb stick then renaming it to 30FB.BIN and following the procedure I listed

might restore your bios. 🙂

tdk

[anion]

Blurry_Future do not expect to see anything on your screen while recovering. It is not a 'DOS-based solution' but an inbuilt EFI crisis recovery. See the original recovery method, post 3.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=304332

It may be helpful to read through the thread although it is quite old now.

JBL20 is not the board for all DV4's. The CQ-401AX uses the same BIOS as your laptop and successfully recovered using one of those three file names I listed for you. 😉

It is possible for part of the BIOS crisis recovery to be corrupted in which case it will not work. Your options then are hopefully a free warranty repair. If out of warranty then HP seem to want to replace the whole motherboard so it will probably cost hundreds of dollars in that case. If you have a computer/electronics repair shop near you it may be possible to remove the BIOS chip, probably an eight pin SOIC, and re-flash externally with an SPI flasher or order a pre-flashed chip. Perhaps it may be possible to re-flash while still onboard by connecting directly to the chip, I don't know.

May be you could also try a different thumbdrive before giving up on the built in crisis recovery. Just a thought.