No BIOS or Firmware Management option in HP Hardware diagnosics

[Felice_Rosso]

Hi,

I don't have an option to manage BIOS/Firmware in HP Hardware Diagnosics. I want to rollback my BIOS version. I downloaded an old BIOS version and put in my USB. But I can't rollback the BIOS, because the USB is plugged in, but I don't see an option to manage BIOS/Firmware in HP Hardware Diagnosics.

What to do?

Thanks.

 

[erico]

Older versions of the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI utility had that ability.

Recent BIOS updates do state in their information that rolling back to an earlier version is not supported.

A newer BIOS will prevent rollback to previous versions.

I feel your pain. 

I liked that old feature, but it is gone.

You can try the Windows key + B keystroke when powering on. It may or may not work. See the document at the hyperlink below.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_3932413-2337994-16

[Scover]

I updated my BIOS and now i'm having issues in the form of random freezes.

I would like to rollback to the original version. I downloaded the BIOS appropriate image from the HP Self Service but after many unsuccessful attempts at installing it, I stumbled upon this post.

(more details about my issue on my thread).

Why did HP disallow BIOS downgrading? Didn't they realize it would cause people to get stuck with a version that's causing them issues?

Is there an older version of the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI Utility available that still has the FIrmware Management feature?

[erico]

@Scover 

HP never explained in detail to us why they did that, but coincidentally, it happened near the time when the change from MBR to EFI BIOS occurred.

I can ask that question of the HP Subject Matter Experts. They have access to the Engineers who design, code  and modify the BIOS.

"Didn't they realize it would cause people to get stuck with a version that's causing them issues?"  A BIOS recovery, as in the Windows key + the B key held down  together for 30+ seconds while booting, can be an answer to that. That doesn't always work, but enough that it is worthwhile to try it.

Hijacking a thread is not the answer. 

[tk_srq]

@Felice_Rosso,

The softpaq below is for ver 8.2.0.0. HP Diagnostics UEFI that provides the Firmware Management feature.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp115001-115500/sp115284.exe

You can install it to a usb drive. When the installer asks you where to install, choose usb drive. Connect the usb drive to your laptop and tap F2 key on bootup, and the Diagnostics tool will be booted from the usb drive ahead of from the hard drive. See the screen shot below. Note "USB" to the right of the version number.

Click on Firmware Management then the Rollback tab. If it shows both the previous and current bios versions, click to roll back. If an error message displays, that's the HP way to tell you bios cannot be downgraded. 

But you can try one more thing: You said you created a usb drive with older bios version on. Connect it to the laptop (the laptop now has two usb drives). Boot it up and click on Firmware Management -> the Update tab -> usb drive with older bios -> Hewlett-Packard\BIOS\Current. If the screen displays both current and new versions (actually older version), click to update. If you see the error again, you certainly cannot downgrade bios.