HP OMEN 17-w102nl - CANNOT UPDATE BIOS

[Kleshar]

I've always updated my BIOS on my OMEN 17-w102nl without a single problem. I've updated with F.38 Rev.A on June 2017 and with F.42 Rev.A on November 2017.

My problems have started to come out when I've tried to update my BIOS with F.44 Rev.A, released on 29/12/17. 

The BIOS didn't update with  F.44 Rev.A and acted really strange. The problem is still there with the last BIOS update F.45 Rev.A (02/02/18) which includes some critical fixes for the system.

This is the problem : The system goes to the BIOS update screen and it SLOWLY (really SLOWLY) starts to update the BIOS. After one hour and half, upon reaching the 25% of completion, the BIOS gives me a critical error message and the computer reboots with my previous BIOS version (F42 Rev.A). I've tried to update the BIOS from the .exe file and with a USB pendrive. Nothing.

I just want to update my BIOS, Can i get a real solution? Is it a problem caused by a bad BIOS update creation process in HP's headquarters? Or is it a problem related to my computer?

[Huffer]

You want the F.45 BIOS here:

https://support.hp.com/id-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/omen-by-hp-17-w100-laptop-pc/12499486/mod...

If updating the BIOS from within Windows is not working I suggest you do it from the UEFI environment. 

This explains all the methods for updating BIOS:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00042629

Post back with any more questions and please accept as solution if this is the answer you needed. 

[Kleshar]

That Does not work.
I've opened this thread because my problem is completely related to the page you've linked: downloading the BIOS Update from the link you've provided gives me the problem i've described in my previous post. I've tried with UEFI update and .exe Update as I've already said before: nothing works.

[Huffer]

Ok well what happens when you try to download the BIOS file from the internet? Please be specific. I assure you other people with your laptop are able to do this. Perhaps your antivirus is blocking the file from downloading properly? Hard to say without knowing exactly how and where it goes wrong. 

The problem you describe above is from trying to install the BIOS with Windows. When you open the file it should give you the option to make a recovery disk or put the BIOS files into a folder on the hard drive. From there you can use the UEFI tool to get that downloaded file from where you have placed it and do the update, all from within the UEFI environment without Windows even loaded up. 

[Kleshar]

Hello again, Huffer. I'm using Comodo Internet Security, one of the most efficent and less invasive security software around. I've decades of experience with computers, I can totally say that Comodo is not blocking the BIOS update. Also, every kind of file downloaded from the web is always saved properly on my hard computer without any kind of error. Like I've said in the original post, I've been having this problem only since the last 2 BIOS updates (the one from december 2017 and the last one from Febuary 2018). Everything went perfectly with my previous three BIOS updates.

I've written here on the forum because i'm desperate, I've really no idea about what's going on. Is it something related to my system?

EDIT: about the UEFI update. I've also tried to update BIOS with a pendrive in the UEFI environment. I've followed all instructions written here on Chapter 3: Updating the BIOS when Windows does not start (Windows 10, 8, 7) 

I'm still getting the same problem.

[Huffer]

From your decades of experience you surely understand how hard it is for a remote troubleshooter to know what is going on without a description. I sense your desparation but if the BIOS was corrupt the computer would not boot. I sense you are booting to Windows just fine. 

I think you are telling me the BIOS .exe file downloads and you can select the option to place the actual BIOS image file on the hard drive. Now, we boot into UEFI (esc as you power up then F2 then firmware management I believe and BIOS update). What happens when you try to get the UEFI updater to browse for the BIOS file and update the level of your BIOS?  

[Kleshar]

As I've already said in my first post, I've tried to install F.44 Rev.A and F.45 Rev.A in both modes:

1) I've tried to update the BIOS through the "update" option from the .exe file officially provided by HP . I'm talking about the first option: the computer restarts, BIOS update is slow, after one hour and half it gives me critical error. Computer restarts with previous BIOS version.

2) I've tried to update the BIOS through the "Create Recovery USB Flash Drive" option from the .exe file officially provided by HP. I'm talking about the second option. I get into UEFI Environment with F2, I follow all steps (choosing the right system board ID, etc.) and start the BIOS update. BIOS update is slow like option number 1. After one hour and half it gives me critical error. Computer restarts with previous BIOS version.

Again, like I've said before, both options behave in the same way.


I totally understand the difficulty of trying to follow a remote software-sided problem from my long time experience as a computer geek 😉
But I've written here on the support forum exactly because I'm trying to find a solution.  By the way... you're giving me some answers.

I wanted to know if it was HP's fault but you're telling me that it is not. You're telling me that last two BIOS updates have been coded properly from HP.

I wanted to know if other persons were having my same problem with my machine and you're telling me that they're not having problems updating BIOS. Are you sure that other people with - w102nl - are not having troubles?

Any other idea?

[Huffer]

You are actually bringing me around to your hypothesis. No if others were having problems with the actual process of flashing the BIOS we would hear about it. I am suspecting there is a some kind of a problem with the actual BIOS ROM chip. 

You have convinced me that the regular methods for updating BIOS ain't gonna work. At this point I might run a full hardware diagnostic in UEFI to see if something turns up. 

Otherwise this is gonna be outside my swim lane and you are going to have to get support from actual HP employees. 

[Kleshar]

I'm going to run a full hardware diagnostic in UEFI. I'll let you know.

[Kleshar]

Made a full hardware diagnostic: everything is Okay. I'm going to call HP via telephone.