BIOS Restore

[KatrinB]

I need to restore the bios in my laptop. How can I get or create a copy of the bios that will boot and load on my computer? The computer would not boot from its system after my failed restore attempt. The computer now will boot only from my external 3.5 usb floopy drive. The 3.5 system provides only a simple dos system that seems to access only the a: drive. The computer will not boot recovery dvd disks, that I made and that I successfully used before for recovery. I did not update the bios in the past. I had kept the computer up to date before its failure. Please help. Thanks, Katrin 

[erico]

Follow the instructions on the following HP web document. There are two methods described.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02693833

[KatrinB]

Thanks so much and I followed the instructions in your link. Please direct me how to manually flash the bios from a usb drive. With another computer, I successfully created a bootable usb drive taking the system from my problem computer recovery disks. I tried to run the bios update service pack specifically listed on HP  for my computer (HP Pavillion DV6700se Vista 32 b) from the usb after bootup and in command screen. The update program starts and runs, but I keep receiving an error message that the bios update is not for my computer. The article you referenced states a manual flashing procedure, but says nothing about how to do it. Please let me know any help. Thanks, Katrin

[erico]

Use the UEFI environment softpaq and use a flashdrive (4-8GB) as the target. The objective here is to run the UEFI Diagnostics environment from the usb flashdrive.  Download the BIOS softpaq from the support portal of your notebook. Use Winrar or winzip to extract the files from the BIOS softpaq. Put the BIOS files extracted in the HP_Tools folder that is not on the flashdrive.

It is important for you to have your notebook connected to the power adapter. You must not disconnect from it or turn off your notebook during the BIOS update process.

Boot from the HP_Tools flashdrive and go to firmware management.

You should see the option to upgrade the BIOS and rollback will probably be grayed out.

Now comes the tricky part. 🙂

You will have to path to the BIOS file that you extracted to the flashdrive. Once that has been selected you can commit to the upgrade.  It should, cross your fingers, complete and retutn your notebook to the stae it was in before the botched BIOS upgrade.

I have never seen any instructions on how to do this. I have asked HP to create a video tutorial on the procedure. I have done it successfully, on a few occasions, on a couple of notebooks for practice. 

[KatrinB]

Thanks so much for the help. I was busy with school, and had to wait to this weekend to try reloading the bios. I extract and run the sp bios file both to either the hard drive or the usb drive without problem. But when the upgrade begins to run after accepting license, it stops and shows an error frame that says the bios upgrade is not for my note book. I downloaded all the available extractable sp bios update files available on HP website for my specific computer. This morning I tried them all with termination and the same error message resulting. Please let me know any further ideas you may have to get my computer running, especially if there is a way to force the bios flashing - I have nothing to lose to try that if possible. Really appreciate your help so far. Thanks, Katrin

[erico]

Please identify the notebook with the complete product name or number. Identify the BIOS upgrade softpaqs you have tried with the sp number.

[KatrinB]

Follows the information I used for the sp files that I looked up on HP support. The information is exactly from the label on the computer. I had kept the computer updated until December 24, 2014. Searching the “Part Number” brings up DV 6725 CA which links to the same set of sp files as that a search for DV 6770 SE brings.

OS: Vista updated to December 24, 2014

“Product:” HP Pavillion DV 6770 SE

S/N: CNF7603T7K

PART NUMBER: KC308UA#ABA

“Service Tag:” DV 6770 SE

F.2A sp38628.exe

F.2C sp38951.exe

F.22 sp38011.exe

F.25 sp38174.exe

F.27 sp38261.exe

F.28 sp38368.exe

F.30 sp39466.exe

F.31 sp42141.exe

F.32 sp42853.exe

F.33 sp48124.exe

F.34 sp52477.exe

Here is the link to the HP support page from where I downloaded these sp files:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/previousVersions?softwareitem=ob-93354-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&os=20...=

I have tried running all eleven of the listed sp files both from both either the usb, or from the hard disk. Each one gets as far as the license agreement and then after clicking next, displays the error code that the bios is not for my laptop. I do have access to the hard drive using the bootable usb drive, but with only the command screen.

Hope a fine new year is with you. Thanks again for help. Katrin

[erico]

Thanks. Happy New Year to you as well.  🙂

I suggest using the UEFI PC Diagnostics softpaq downloadable from the following location. 

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp69001-69500/sp69045.exe

Use a Windows 8 or 8.1 PC to create the HP_Tools flashdrive. Windows 8 and 8.1 have a built in utility for extracting the softpaq to a file. Just right-click the softpaq. That is how I did it as seen in the following image. Notice that the sp number is one from the list you provided in your previous post.

Please post your results.

[KatrinB · Accepted solution]

Thanks so much. I got the BIOS to flash this weekend with your help. The link you sent that referenced the maintenance SP file opened the system to accept and run the Phoenix flashing program. I am able to access and run the restore disks. I keep all my documents on a separate partition, and back it up once a week to an external drive. So nothing lost in the crash.

I kept immediately getting "BIOS update not for your notebook" when I would boot from the USB and run the executables from the extracted SP files. I tried all eleven of the HP listed download extractable files and received the same message. Then I booted from the USB and put the maintenance file, which you had linked to, on the hard drive. It ran from the command prompt, (which is all I could use,) without any text field or display frame for about 5 seconds, and then returned the prompt. I then tried the F.33 (latest update) as before running the version A executable. But this time, after I had run your linked maintenance application, the Phoenix ran with an instruction display frame. I followed the instructions and the program displayed a frame that identified the existing BIOS version, F.25, with date and time, and the version I was going to try to flash. I verified and a new frame said the version was not for my laptop, but not like the frames I had been seeing. I then extracted and ran the F.25 version A, the Phoenix program ran and identified as before, but I received the same not for my laptop message. Then I ran the F.25 version B executable, the Phoenix program ran, and after I verified, the program flashed the BIOS! It sounded nicely with the fans in the computer coming on and all.

I hope HP will publish viable BIOS recovery processes. I had to go through much trial and error, and the BIOS problem seems to be common now with the System Restore applications. In this case, my computer shutdown in the middle of a restore because I forgot to plug it in and the battery went dead before the restore completed. My brother recently tried a restore after running a Service Pack 2 update on our old XP computer, and that took out the BIOS. But we found an old 3.5 floppy in his drawer, under his pajamas or something, that someone had created years ago. It was bootable and had an executable BIOS update that ran without any problem to restore the BIOS.

Thanks so much again for your time and help. I will participate in this community to help others. Take Care, Katrin

[BrJoe]

I just went through all this problem and finally figured out.

Here is what should work with any HP machine:

1- Get a flash drive, format it.

2- Go to HP support and find out what model is your machine

3- Select Downloads and Drivers and you'll see many collapsed items. Look for BIOS.

4- Click to download BIOS and make sure you know the path you are saving it.

5- Rename you flash drive HP_TOOLS

6- Run the BIOS app you just downloaded and follow the steps until you get:
a- "Update"   b- "Create Recovery Flash drive"  c- "Copy"
7- Choose "copy" and click "next". You'll be prompt to choose where to save. Choose the flash drive HP_TOOLS
8- Remove the flash drive
9- Make sure the laptop to be fixed is off and not connected to the outlet.
10- Insert flash drive (If your laptop is old consider using a 2.0 flash drive)
11- Press "WIN" and "B" keys simultaneously and connect the AC adaptor to laptop

12- Press "power" on laptop for 2 seconds keeping  "Win" and "B" keys pressed

Your laptop should boot right away.