HP OmniBook Ultra 14: BIOS issue losing USB-ports (including for charging)

[WalterBE1]

Hello,

I have a recent HP OmniBook Ultra 14-fd0101nb which has the following problem: 

For a yet unknown reason, it loses access to its USB ports meaning devices plugged into them do not register in the OS but what is worse, USB-C charging doesn't work either anymore (and the orange charging led does not light up).

In Windows 11 24H2 (all updates done and all latest drivers installed) , this manifests itself:

- in Device Manager as the ACPI UCM UCSI device going for a state "working" to "Windows has stopped this device (code 43)" about every 5 seconds.

- no USB devices being recognized anymore when plugging them in.

- the device always being on battery even when the power cable is plugged in (so not charging)

Yet, I believe this is not a Windows issue. When shutting down the machine and plugging in the power cable, the device doesn't charge either.

When I clear the BIOS (by holding the power button for 50 seconds in the off-state and rebooting), the machine works fine again. Charging (in off-state and in Windows) works again and plugged-in USB device work as well.

This clearly is a BIOS issue to me. Yes I am on the latest BIOS version (there is only 1 version 01.01.14 Rev.A of 6 dec. 2024)

When the issue occurs, there is no way to charge the laptop anymore until the BIOS is reset again.

I haven't yet discovered how I can trigger this phenomenon to occur. I got it to happen once when letting the machine automatically go to sleep mode with the power cable disconnected but it did not happen when trying this again.

Since the machine is only 2 months old, I am doubting whether to send it back to HP or not as I currently think there isn't any physically wrong with the device but it's a BIOS issue. Yet, I have looked online for similar cases and haven't found any exactly like this which would be unlikely if it is simply a BIOS instead of a hardware issue.

Can anyone help with this? Thanks

[WalterBE1]

I have additional info obtained from observation.

It is apparently enough to turn off the machine (shutdown, not standby) and wait a couple of hours for the issue to happen again. 

When afterwards plugging in the charger (without even rebooting the machine) it does not charge.

Only after clearing the bios, charging is again possible (and the USB ports work again in Windows).

Although I remain adamant the BIOS is involved, I can't imagine this is not a more profound hardware issue. I'm going to send the machine back to HP for service.

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

Hi @WalterBE1, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
Since you've already identified that resetting the BIOS temporarily fixes the issue, it does seem like a firmware or hardware-related problem rather than just a Windows issue. However, given that the problem reoccurs over time, it’s likely due to one of the following:

Possible Causes & Troubleshooting Steps

BIOS Firmware Bug

• Since you're already on the latest BIOS (01.01.14 Rev.A), check if HP has any beta firmware updates or rollback options to an earlier version.
• Try manually reflashing the BIOS with the same version in case it was a bad flash.

EC (Embedded Controller) Firmware Issue

• The Embedded Controller handles power management and USB functions. If it's not working correctly, it could cause these symptoms.
• A full power drain might help:
  1. Disconnect all power sources (charger and battery if removable).
  2. Hold the power button for 60 seconds.
  3. Leave the laptop without power for a few hours.
  4. Reconnect and test.

Battery or Power Management Failure

• The behavior where it stops charging after shutdown suggests a problem with how the laptop handles power states.
• Run HP’s Hardware Diagnostics from the BIOS (press F2 on startup) to check battery and power controller health.

USB Controller Chip Failure

• If the USB ports and charging stop working together, the USB-PD (Power Delivery) controller may be failing intermittently.
• This would be a hardware issue requiring motherboard replacement.

Windows Interference

• If the BIOS corruption is somehow linked to Windows, try running the laptop without an OS for a while (boot into the BIOS and leave it on, then see if it loses charging after a shutdown).

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[PatriceSanchez]

I've got the same issue with an eGpu card, a th3p4 dock, but never with a basic tb4 dock used for keyboard/mouse/audio/ethernet/hdmi...

The ATX PSU and the video card (gtx 4070) are ok.

Any advice ?

[darkmaniac0007]

Hi @PatriceSanchez,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand that you're experiencing a similar issue, though in a slightly different setup with your eGPU and docks. To better assist you, could you clarify:

• Does the issue occur consistently with the eGPU and Th3p4 dock, or is it intermittent?
• Have you noticed any specific triggers, such as sleep mode, unplugging/replugging devices, or BIOS settings changes?
• Does the issue persist even after a full power cycle or BIOS reset (like holding the power button for 50 seconds as mentioned in the previous discussion)?

This will help narrow down whether it's a BIOS-related issue, a compatibility problem, or something else. Let me know, and I'd be happy to assist further!

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

darkmaniac0007

HP Support

[PatriceSanchez]

Hi Darkmaniac,

Thx for your reply.

It occurs consistently with the three th3p4 docks I've got...
I tried with and without the power port (I've 2 with 65W and one with 85W).

The issue occurs whenI launch the game session, not when the game launche with the credits or options but when it's charging in memory...

When I reboot the computer, the dock is ok...

Nexxt week, I receive a adt ut3g...Finger' cross.

Best regards

[darkmaniac0007]

Thanks for getting back and sharing more details. It’s interesting that the issue consistently occurs with all three Th3p4 docks and only when the game session is loading into memory. Since the dock functions normally after a reboot, it seems like the system might be struggling with power distribution or high load during that phase.

Since you're already testing with a new ADT UT3G dock next week, that should help confirm whether the issue is specific to the Th3p4 docks or a broader compatibility problem. In the meantime, if you haven't already, you could try:

• Checking power settings in BIOS to see if any USB power-saving features are enabled.
• Running the latest firmware updates for the docks (if available).
• Testing with a lower-power game or adjusting in-game settings to see if the issue is linked to power draw.

Let us know how it goes with the new dock, and fingers crossed it resolves the issue!

Regards,

[PatriceSanchez]

Hi,

Thx for your really fast response.

- I don't find any usb power-saving in BIOS.

- Latest firmware ok.

- I tried different other things :

      - nvidia power consumption to max

      - disabling W11 kernel memory access control (beurk)

      - low-power game...

Sometimes, the eGpu crashes even with youtube...;(
No more hope unless the ADT UT3G next week....

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @PatriceSanchez,

You're very welcome! It sounds like you've done quite a bit of troubleshooting already. Given that your eGPU sometimes crashes even with something as light as YouTube, it could be an issue with stability, power delivery, or even driver conflicts.

Since you're waiting for the ADT UT3G, that could be a game-changer—hopefully, it provides a more stable connection. In the meantime, you might want to try:
 

1. Checking Event Viewer logs (Windows Logs > System/Application) to see if any errors pop up around the time of the crashes.
    
2. Testing different Thunderbolt/USB-C ports if applicable.
    
3. Rolling back to a previous stable NVIDIA driver (newer ones sometimes cause issues with eGPUs).

I hope the ADT UT3G does the trick for you! Let me know how it goes.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

VikramTheGreat

HP Support 

[PatriceSanchez]

Thx but nothing works...;( Even with the adt ut3g. It's working with 2 old intel laptop but no way with this laptop with Ryzen AI 9 365...I'm quite disapointed.