How to read BIOS updates, Version or Revision or something else.

[Biosphere]

Stupid simple question, but...

My HP Pavilion Laptop PC 15z-eh000 currently has BIOS Version: F.10 with a BIOS Revision: 15.10, HP’s website has Version:F.15 Rev.A available.

This site:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-pavilion-laptop-pc-15-eh0000/35719385/model/3571... 

Selecting Manually, Both Windows 10 options (2004, or 20H2) show there was a BIOS update on Aug 24, 2021

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-pavilion-laptop-pc-15-eh0000/35719385/... 

The above link is for an HP Pavilion Laptop PC 15z-eh000 CTO, the model number on the bottom of mine is 15z-eh000 and does NOT include CTO.

My HP Pavilion Laptop PC 15z-eh000 currently has BIOS Version: F.10 with a BIOS Revision: 15.10, HP’s website has Version:F.15 Rev.A available.

“Direct” logic would dictate comparing Versions to Versions, but placing the term “Revision”, or “Rev.” in the version name, even if abbreviated seems like perfunctory semantics, particularly coupled with the number 15 being in both the original Revision and update Version, and the number 10 being in both the original Version and original Revsion and

considering language translations.  Maybe it's just me.

Do I simply compare Versions to Versions?

If I simply compare Versions to Versions, it’ dead simple, but I’m not certain of the descriptions as the website seems to maybe have a 😒 "hybrid" Version/Revision update, that is Version:F.15 Rev.A.

I just want to be certain as I haven’t done this before.

My OS is actually linux.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you - stuck in my biosphere.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

The F.15 Rev. A BIOS would apply to your laptop and would be an upgrade.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-pavilion-laptop-pc-15-eh0000/35719385/...

However, the only noted "fix" for this BIOS is to enable Windows 11, which you are not using. 

This BIOS update is also a Windows executable. So it is not going to work in Linux and you do not want to try to run it with WINE or similar. I do see the F.12 update which preceded it fixes some issues with multiple displays, however and that updated Code would be included in this upgrade (they are cumulative). If you still have the UEFI partition on your laptop and full UEFI support there are ways to run this BIOS update from the UEFI preboot environment but most people who install Linux wipe the UEFI partition off in the course of installing Linux and will have a very stripped down UEFI preboot environment. 

[Biosphere]

First, thank you for getting back to me, I’ve been stumped on such a simple issue/question.

RE: “The F.15 Rev. A BIOS would apply to your laptop and would be an upgrade.”

Thank you for that direct answer.

For future reference, do I simply compare Versions to Versions, a` la apples to apples when checking for updates?

RE: “This BIOS update is also a Windows executable. So it is not going to work in Linux and you do not want to try to run it with WINE or similar.”

Yes, I saw that on this forum.

FYI for background. I did check for updates from within Windows 10 immediately before I removed Windows mid 2021 sometime.

EDIT: I forgot to reply to this:

RE: "However, the only noted "fix" for this BIOS is to enable Windows 11, which you are not using." 

Yes, I saw that, but then there is the F.12 update which preceded it fixes some issues with multiple displays.

I don't know if I could have potential issues with multiple displays, but I am having issues with linux Mint crashing, particularly upon the fist updates, so I don't know if either one of them would be of much help.  But it wouldn't hurt to update for the multiple display issue.  I suppose that this is a linux issue that I will have to resolve myself, which could render the rest of my reply moot, at least for my current situation.  But would you mind giving the rest of my questions a go for future reference? (Interjection, thinking about it, I very well may update the bios, not sure yet.) I'd appreciate it.

RE:” If you still have the UEFI partition on your laptop and full UEFI support there are ways to run this BIOS update from the UEFI preboot environment but most people who install Linux wipe the UEFI partition off in the course of installing Linux and will have a very stripped down UEFI preboot environment.”

Yes, I wiped everything on the drive and installed linux, I also installed a new SSD.

I wasn’t aware of that, that info helps tremendously. Barring some Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) https://fwupd.org/ compatible device, on another forum, I recently asked if keeping a small Windows OS on the laptop was advisable for this very reason, at least for the first few years on a new computer in order to update the bios.

From now on, would you suggest leaving the the UEFI (or ESP, whatever it’s named) partition intact prior to installing windows?

Also, do you think if I found the product key of my laptop with a linux app (I think that’s possible), that I could then download Windows 10 from MS’s website? And if so, I would think that it would install the aforementioned UEFI partition, correct me if I’m wrong. I’d assume you would suggest at this point that I just update the bios within Windows itself with the firmware detection software. Afterwards, I could either leave Windows installed or delete it, but leave the UEFI partition intact so that I could update the bios from the preboot enviroment as mentioned above.

If so, do you have any instructions or advice on how to do any of this (I’m sure I can search for most of this) but particularly “to run this BIOS update from the UEFI preboot environment” as you mentioned?

FYI – I have two identical laptops (one as gift), if by chance you’re aware of an easier way to update the bios on the second laptop once I update the first laptop.

Any suggestions, comments?

All of the help was indeed, very much appreciated.

Thank you Huffer.

Not as lost in the,

Biosphere.

[Huffer]

This is perhaps not as difficult as it seems. I will take easiest first. If the laptop shipped with Windows 10 there is a license Code embedded in the BIOS. All you need to do is download Windows 10 from the Microsoft Media Creation Tool site and install it. Even if you have replaced the hard drive Windows 10 will just install and activate. Yes I would suggest dual booting the laptop and keeping a small like 60-80 gig Windows install on the laptop. If you have working Windows you do not need the UEFI to install BIOS. You just download and run the BIOS updater from Windows. If you want to use UEFI hardware diagnostics there is an option to create a bootable USB stick which you can use even without having Windows on the hard drive. If you want to install UEFI on the hard drive you can just download and run the UEFI app from the driver page and It will create the necessary UEFI partition so that you will have full UEFI access by tapping esc at bootup. Only thing is, it tends to mess with GRUB or other Linux bootloader whether you install Linux before or after Windows so you need to have some ability to edit GRUB to keep the UEFI boot option available. I am sure you can find all kinds of tutorials online as to how to do that. If your other duplicate laptop still has Windows on it the BIOS upgrade is EZ-PZ....just download and run the BIOS update from the HP site. Its Linux that is making it complicated. Good luck. 

[Biosphere]

Huffer,

Thank you corresponding with me.

I knew some of what you said because I did have a few Windows dual boots, but I’d like to clarify.

You state: “If the laptop shipped with Windows 10 there is a license Code embedded in the BIOS.” and you make no mention of the Window’s product key, I thought that I would need the product key to be able to download from the Microsoft Media Creation Tool site and install it. Does the license Code embedded in the BIOS render the product key unnecessary? Obviously, if you have Windows installed, then the product key is either recognized or easily obtained.  I can search for this too, it’s just that you are a very good source of info, to be candid.

Sorry, because you’ve already answered this and for redundancy, but without mention of the product key - but for clarification.

I don’t need the product key because the license Code is embedded in the BIOS which renders the product key unnecessary. Was that changed recently, or am I mistaken? Just curious, not important obviously.

FYI – The other laptop does not have Windows installed either, but I do have the product key for one of these laptops.

FYI – it’s a SSD, and it is a new and different post-purchase SSD WD SN-550 – if relevant, doubt it.

Is the following what you call the full UEFI?

I ask because I can access the Startup Menu by tapping esc at bootup which opens as a small blue window and contains the following text with the F# options:

---------------------------

Startup Menu

F1 – System Information

F2 – System Diagnostic

F9 – Boot Menu

F10 – BIOS Setup

F11 – System Recovery

ENTER – Continue Startup

For more information, please visit:

http://www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup

--------------------------------------------------

FYI - I dual-booted with Windows enough to know that it’s usually best to have Windows installed first.

RE: "If you want to use UEFI hardware diagnostics there is an option to create a bootable USB stick which you can use even without having Windows on the hard drive. If you want to install UEFI on the hard drive you can just download and run the UEFI app from the driver page and It will create the necessary UEFI partition so that you will have full UEFI…."

I initially wanted to try the UEFI via USB – and unrelated, I may just go with another distro that I’m having issues with – but some cursory searches on this uncovered various suggestions with mixed results, mostly not real good. But some of the problems, and I suspect others because they weren’t specific, were because the linux distro was already installed as the OS, although some were just because it was linux. In my case, it’s new, I don’t really have an OS on it, so that wouldn’t be a problem, but I think that there were problems getting it to interact with linux correctly.

I recall your comment, “ So it is not going to work in Linux and you do not want to try to run it with WINE or similar.”
I encountered the WINE comments in my cursory search, but I’m still concerned with the working with linux.

RE: “ Its Linux that is making it complicated.”
Well, that’ an entirely different subject -😕-😀- particularly if we consider origins or history.😄

I appreciate you assistance, advice and time. I don’t expect any linux advice, I’ll deal with that either by direct approach or circumvention with another distro perhaps.

Thank you again,😊
Biosphere

[Huffer]

I’m actually a pretty fair Linux user but beyond the scope of

this Forum. Yes you need no key code to activate Windows since Windows 8. If you choose diagnostics and get a long list of hardware tests you have full UEFI. If you just get a couple it’s basic UEFI just what’s in the BIOS chip. Full UEFI is in a hard drive partition.

[Biosphere]

When choosing diagnostics, I get:

Version 2.2.0.0 – BIOS

Processor

Memory Test

Storage Test

Power Test

System Board Test

Language

Exit

But I installed a new SSD, so it has to be in the BIOS chip and can’t be Full UEFI.

Thank you for confirming that the product key is no longer needed in Windows.

And particularly, thank you for answering my original question regarding the updates as it appears that I can generally compare Versions to Versions, a` la apples to apples when checking for updates.

Your advice was much appreciated.

Thanks Huffer,