HP Image Assistant update

[SquidProQuo]

Hi Joel,

I did a bit more digging, and it appears that the HP Site, HPIA, and even Softpaq Download manager all believe that the latest driver installer is:26.20.100.6911

However, it appears that Windows 10 Update installed version  26.20.100.7262 before I ran MPIA.

MPIA says that HP's catalog (Reference Image) has an older version of the drivers. Both are DCH drivers apparently, but somthing is out of whack here. SDM considers the graphics drivers as Not Installed. but not critical. 

It is my understanding that, in order for a driver to be installed automatically by Windows Update, the OEM needs to have certified it for a given hardware ID or something to that effect. So, I am confused as to why HP would have given the green light to Windows Update for the 7262 package but do not have it on their own website as the latest for the Z2 G4 workstations. 

I am not exactly sure at which round of windows updates the newer 7262 drivers were installed, but I would have to say it was probably after the 1903 feature update, which started installing before I could even get past the OOBE setup and to the desktop to pause feature updates. 

This likely means that every machine I deploy now which comes from an 1809 build (all 26 of them)  is going to do the same thing.  On the next machine I start on, I am going to do the OOBE setup with the network cable disconnected and take a look around. And I will get the HP BIOS update in as HP support had suggested to me when I called for guidance on whether to use HPIA or SDM and what order to do Windows / HP updates.   I was told, get the bios update in, then run windows update, let it install any feature updates and don't bother installing HP driver softpaqs before then because Windows will probably remove them and replace them with drivers IT ithinks are better. Run HPIA after all the MS updates are in to put the right OEM drivef packages in.  This is what I have done.

I read that you cannot roll back the new Intel Graphics DCH drivers to the legacy packaged versions that include the Graphics Control Panel in the installer. As you can see from the dialog box below, I don't have the option to roll back. That means that I never got a chance to install the HP DCH driver package. 

What is also puzzling is:  I thought that all the DCH intel graphics driver packages use the Graphics Command Center and not the Graphics Control Panel, The Command Center has to be separately pulled down from Microsoft Store. So I am puzzled as to why the softpaq for 6911 DCH  says Intel Driver and Control Panel...

Anyway, I don't have a fully warm and fuzzy feeling about this, but I have to deploy the workstations to the end users anyway. hopefully I or we can make some sense of what is going on.

[HHH003]

How about adding the Z840 to the 1909 party,  I’ll give you a thumbs up then.  Us folks with slightly older hardware feel left out. 

[Joel_R]

Good question.  I have asked the HPIA team about your issue.  I will follow up this post with an answer as soon as I hear back from the team.

Joel

[Joel_R]

Try again.  The 1909 reference image should now be available.

Joel

[HHH003]

I just gave it a try.  Not supported for Windows 1909 on Z840 yet.  

[Joel_R]

🙄

This is why you should confirm something before posting.  I just let the Development Team that know that the reference image was still not available.

Stay tuned.....

Joel

[S1mon-MCC]

Hi Joel

We have a large fleet of EliteBook X360 1020 G2 devices which also cannot use the image assistant once they get upgraded to v1909. 

I can see in the supported platform list that this device got update on 01/05/2020 to support v1903. Will it eventually get support for 1909 like the G3 and G4 models that we also have?

[Joel_R]

I just check the Reference Image web site and see that the reference image was uploaded late in the evening of 1/6.  Try your image analysis again on the x360 1020 G2.  

Here is the link for the x360 1020 G2 reference files on the HP FTP site.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/imagepal/ref/827d/

The files are stored based on the SysID for each commercial platform.

Joel

[Joel_R]

The development team just informed me that the reference image for the z840 is scheduled to be uploaded on 1/10.  Keep in mind that the update might be late in the day (Houston time) and it will take time for the upload to sync globally across our FTP servers.

Joel

[SquidProQuo]

Hi Joel.

I am trying to figure out the right order to update our Z2 G4 workstations out of the box using  HPIA and Windows Update which all have a factory image of Windows 10 803 on it.

I have tried it the way HP support originally  suggested to me, which is to install just the BIOS update, then fully update all the way to 1903 and then run HPIA, when I do that, what I end up with is the situation where windows update supplies an Intel UHD 630 graphics driver which is newer than what HPIA reports as the reference image and the Intel Graphics Command center (a microsoft store appx app) 

I  also tried it by pausing the updates right after OOBE windows initial setup and running the HPIA for the BIOS, and any critical updates and the graphics driver, and then letting windows feature update all the way to 1903 and 1909 and I get the HPIA specified graphics driver (most of the time) and the intel display audio driver from windows update which is newer than what HIPA reports for the reference image

I am worried as to whether the drivers which are newer and come from windows update are actually generic intel drivers and if the ones supplied by HP are HP OEM specific for the HP product.

If you could enlighten me as to the correct steps for optimally updating our out of fhe box Z2 G4 Tower Workstations correctly, that would be great. 

Also, I have one HP Z240 workstation that is only supported by HPIA as far as the 1903 build of Windows 10. Any ETA on when the Z240 will have HPIA support for 1909?