Performance issues after F.30 BIOS update

[b3rt13]

Hi there,

I'm facing the same problems as NikolayMaksimov on my HP 255 G6 (Win10 formerly 1709 (?) now 1803). Before I made the BIOS update everything worked fine (except for the random reboots) and now almost everything I do brings the CPU up to over 90%.

Since waiting for the next BIOS update seems to be the only solution, I'd like to ask if there's already a targeted date for its release? I got this notebook especially for its speed and it's really saddening that this was kind of taken away...

Best wishes

b3rt13

[CherylG]

@NikolayMaksimov

Why is this marked Solved? I almost didn't read your post due to that. I suggest you click Options on the post above and Unmark it as Solution.

Read through this Advisory at Microsoft. Number 18 in the FAQ may help:

https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV180002

 KB4078130 makes the registry changes needed.

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4078130

[Fwood]

It appears a lot of people have this problem. My bw0xx is 7 months old and it ran well until I allowed HP Assistant to install the F.30 BIOS on July 19. Upon reboot the consequences of the BIOS upgrade were immediate, negative and infuriating. Win key + B will not allow a rollback and the previous version can't be installed from the HP software/drivers site. HP diagnostics, from the Assistant or at boot, finds no problems and resetting BIOS to default does nothing meaningful.

 KB4078130 allegedly makes registry changes for Intel Spectre protection but my computer has AMD. I installed GRC InSpectre (free tool) which easily disabled Windows Spectre protection for AMD; however, the improvement in performance in my computer was negligible so I used the tool to re-enable the protection.

This is an F.30 BIOS problem, pure and simple, and my laptop has run like a snail for two weeks. Presumably HP will at least try to fix it but the cure had better come soon because Core Temp, another free tool, shows my processor periodically reaching temps of 77C - 85C.

[CherylG]

@Fwood

If you read through the MS Advisory above it mentions two changes to make in registry. KB4078130 actually makes those changes and has worked for several on forum with AMD laptops. The KB was initially released in late Jan after Intel laptops started havig the performance hits. Not sure why MS doesn't do a new update on the KB descripion to add AMD since they were late in getting the security fixes that Intel machines got and are now suffering the same performance hits.

You could of course just copy the registy text in MS Advisory, paste it into notepad and save as -change .txt extension to  .reg  extension. Then click it to modify registy.

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-create-edit-and-use-reg-files-2622817

[Fwood]

Thanks. If it makes changes to the registry that the GRC tool does not, I'll certainly give it a try. I only recall that Inspectre identifies the processor and will  change the registry, if permitted.

[Fwood]

CherylG: The caveat being I'm not a computer whiz, it appears to me the GRC tool and the KB accomplish the same task. I'll go the easy route and disable via the tool again, this time allowing a longer test than the last go round. I know the tool made "some" performance improvements last time but not what I'd hoped for. I'll report back in a day or so.

[Oldboy49]

Cheryl G    Good work  Issue my my particular Notebook seems to be fixed. and I am forever in your debt.  I hope your suggestion helps others     

Regards

Oldboy49

[CherylG]

@Oldboy49

Happy to hear it fixed your issue. Hopefully the original poster will soon visit and try it as well. If it works maybe he will change the Solution from the question someone asked him to the correct Solution- which will help others looking for it.

[Oldboy49]

Try downloading KB4078130 run it and reboot    fixed my laptop  

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4078130

[Fwood]

Update. The KB and the GRC InSpectre perform the same registry modifications so I reran the latter on my 15-bw0xx last night. I also installed it in a business laptop that runs like a champ – an old Dell Latitude running Win 7 Enterprise and maintained by an IT department. The GRC tool identified the Win 7 as having an Intel chip with Spectre mitigation installed and enabled. Meltdown was not enabled, possibly disabled by IT. In any event that laptop is fine.

The tool identified my HP as having an AMD chip with Spectre (but not Meltdown) mitigation installed and enabled. I disabled Spectre and rebooted.

With Spectre disabled there is a noticeable improvement in browsing and video downloading. It may be that most people experiencing lag/slow speed will be quite pleased after either installing the KB and/or the GRC tool. On the other hand my laptop is still running hot (it's clean and properly ventilated) and some programs, like task manager, are still slow to open and close with just a small load on the CPU.

Last night I started BitDefender and it took 11.3 hours to complete the scan of the 1TB C drive; it only took an additional 10 minutes to complete the scan of the external backup (2TB Passport). Core temp averaged 62C with a max of 81C. It runs around 40 -45C at idle. This computer might need more than just a disabling of Spectre mitigation.

I don't know when Spectre mitigation was installed, though the July 10 Windows updates installed on July 11 without creating problems. The Insyde F.30 BIOS flashed on July 19 and hit the computer like a Mack truck. Additional Windows updates were installed on July 24 and 25 without helping or causing additional degradation in performance.

I might try a laptop cooler and keep my fingers crossed that the August patch has a fix and/or a new BIOS is released.