HP Spectre X2 BIOS Update Failure

[LeeTVR]

Hi,

Another update.

I just downloaded and tried to install a new firmware update for my Spectre X2 12 from the HP site 

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp88501-89000/sp88868.exe

This is version F.31A and is meant to fix the Intel firmware issues discussed at length in this thread.

I was looking forward to this working, but like every other update for this issue it failed to install.

Not wanting to give up I attempted to do a USB bios recovery using this firmware (windows key, B) 

and got the folowing error report....

Product Information not valid

The following product information programmed into the system board is missing or invalid.

System Board (00A) System Board CT Number.

This seems in line with the original Intel updates damaging the chipset to the point where it may not be possible to fix it?

HP when are will we get to the hub of this and come up with a proper solution?

[LeeTVR]

Hi, 

Following up from my previos post, I located my CT number in the Bios settings (F1) and I can provide this to HP support if they are interested via PM?

[Flower_Bud]

@LeeTVR @SpaceGhostTN

Thank you for posting on HP Forums,

Flower_Bud is at your service.

I understand you are in need of support,

And to help you out, I'm sending out a Private message,

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[Whizkid2310]

Its been a few months since I started this thread, but I’m “pleased” to say my x2 developed a fault resulting in it losing power intermittently. I returned to the retailer where I had an extended warranty and it was dutifully returned to their repair agent.

I got a call Friday advising they are unable to repair it and they offered me a full refund. I’ve taken it!

I’ve ordered a new PC today but unfortunately for HP, after this debacle it’s not one of theirs.

Good luck to all remaining x2 owners. I’ve loved the device but its reliability was always a bit hit and miss.

[12326]

It shows that "this BIOS upadate is not compatible with this device" how i can upadate this BIOS

[earlystock]

I have given up. I have bitten the bullet and prurchased 10 Lenova yoga 920's for my business, I can not believe how poor HP customer support is on this. Either HP know what they have done and are ignoring it, in the hope that the X2 owners will give up( which in my opinion is dishonest) or they simply do not have the capability to fix it.

Either way not a company that I want to do business with

  I am also scrapping all our HP printers and  servers when they are financially written off (I have spent in excess of $25k replacing the HP kit so far, though to be fair I would have been spending this money anyway).

Sad really, 

[Zig81]

I pulled my laptop out at a client's and found that it was dead. Again. Either I hit the power button while transporting it or forgot to hold it down for nine seconds to turn it off. So I went through this forum again looking for updates. When I saw this post, I opened up the HP Support utility on my tablet. It took some hunting but there was the bios update waiting for me in my product page. 

And after running it, just like you did, I had the same failures, just like you did, and I tried all the alternative installs, just like you did. And again, this is an update for the Spectre X2. That was designed to work with the Spectre X2 hardware. And listed by the manufacturer on that product's support page.

It looks like F29 is here to stay.

[SpaceGhostTN]

I've been following this for a while.  I was able to get  F.31 Rev.A to flash from recovery.  It was either that I drained the batter or held down left and right arrow while holding power until the power light cycled.  Maybe both.  Regardless, after I did that, I could flash from recovery (Windows + B during cold boot).

Good new is that F.31 Rev.A flashed succesfully and is is verified.

Good news is that it also flashed the TPM fix.

Bad news is that the device still does not shut down withouth holding the power button for 3-5 seconds after Windows shutdown.

Bad news is that IMEI will not flash in spite of having the most current BIOS.  I still receive the error "The System ME firmware update not initiated due tointegrity failure or invalid FW image ."        

HP Support: Would this meant that the failure to shutdown completely is a function of MEI?

[LeeTVR]

In response to SpaceGhostTN post, I still haven't managed to get a response from HP UK in regards to the effects of the Intel update on the MEI? My suspicion is that the Intel chipset (microcode) has been broken by the Intel updates to the point where the machine no longer recognises its own MEI code, so it can't be reflashed. Whether this can be done through a BIOS update I am not sure, but it looks from what is happening that this may be a red herring?

Why oh why can't HP put us out of our misery and either say they are still working on this (something useful in the release notes might help) or that they have broken our machines and can't fix them. Releasing periodic updates which do nothing is just a tease we can do without and if a true fix is not on the agenda, it would only be common decency to let us know.

I can't believe with this backlog of cases that they haven't traced this issue yet?

I suppose some might say that the power off fault can be worked around, but I often forget and the machine is dead the next time I go to use it in anger. It also can't be doing the battery any good being run to flat on a regular basis?

Because of this I have a £1000 PC sat  being unused while I am using an old Samsing Core Duo T610 as a portable.

[LeeTVR]

I have a follow up...

Just found an interesting thread from a site that seems to specialise in fixing ME and BIOS issues.

There's a post here that describes exactly our problem and gives a solution. It is very convoluted and potentially dangerous, but reading the articles it does describe what probably has gone wrong.

It appears that part of the BIOS is corrupt hence why the ME doesn't work, but the regular BIOS can no long overwrite it because the area has been locked. If there is a way of unlocking the flash descriptor, this area of the BIOS can be updated and fixed.

This is probably why the BIOS updates fail too as perhaps they are trying to overwrite a locked area?

https://www.win-raid.com/t3955f39-Unable-to-update-Intel-ME-on-HP-Spectre-X-after-previous-BIOS-upda...