HP Probook 6560b BIOS seems damaged, can not to make a recovery flash card.

[Vadus]

Hello everyone,

Short history: I tried to replace my HDD to SSD unsuccessfully. Made a clone from HDD to SSD, but the system didn't start booting from ssd. Then I tried to change some BIOS settings, boot order, but it also didn't help. Finally I cleared off the checkbox UEFI Boot in the BIOS Boot options (a had GPT HDD working properly) and saved the BIOS settings while exiting, after that the BIOS screen never came back. Then, I installed HDD back and tried keys WIN+B while starting - but it also didn't work.

According to HP web site, the USB Bios recovery flash is supposed to help. I've tried to create this recovery flash from another notebooks, but the program doesn't work properly and return this log after installation:

2018/02/23 11:42:54.718|00002164|Information|GetSystemID|System ID: 827D
2018/02/23 11:42:54.726|00002164|Information|FindSectionAndKeyStrings|INI section name to read: SYSTEM_ID
2018/02/23 11:42:54.736|00002164|Information|FindSectionAndKeyStrings|INI key name to read: 827D
2018/02/23 11:42:54.744|00002164|Information|GetTargetExecutable|Cannot find this ID [827D] in MAP.INI file
2018/02/23 11:42:54.760|00002164|Information|GetTargetExecutable|Cannot find this ID [827D] in MAP.INI file
2018/02/23 11:42:54.768|00002164|Information|WinMain|Completed, Return Code: 1001

The question is, how can I create the recovery USB flash, using the original BIOS config setup sp85528.exe on the different notebook? I was using the latest bios version F.67 Rev.A. Thank you.

[Vadus · Accepted solution]

OK, so finally, I've found an easy way to make that program work and wright the recovery USB flash drive for me. The problem is in installer, which is matching the System ID to the proper BIOS .CAB archive. All system ID's are written inside the map.ini file, which contains the proper launch code for HP application - HPQflash.exe. This APP will NOT start without prompting the .CAB file name. You can use CMD to launch the command prompt, and then launch this APP with the following key:  /? It will provide you with all option keys of launching this APP. For my purpose, it was enough to use only the key -f, which is prompting the .CAB file name: "hpqflash.exe -f68sce.cab". After that application started and offered me to wright the USB recovery flash drive. The only problem was, that this package contains two different versions of BIOS ROM -smaller and bigger ones (68sce and 68scf), which are matched inside the map.ini file according to the SYSTEM IDs. Since I was not able to figure my system ID, I tried to guess and selected the smaller one (since I have standard model). I assumed, that if the BIOS version is incorrect, it will not be written.

Unfortunately, in my case nothing has been happened  - neither with smaller version of ROM.cab, nor with bigger one. The notebook starts blinking the capslock after holding the WIN +B keys while starting, but USB drive is being accessed only for the coupe of first seconds, after that it comes back to stay idle. Fan starts to work with high RPMs, but there is no result and activity. I've also tried WIN+V keys, or rapidly pushing WIN+B or WIN+V - but, to no avail....

So, if anyone has any idea about what can I do with this brick by myself, before bringing it to the tech-guys with direct flashing programmer, I would be appreciated.  

[Vadus]

No ideas? What else should I try to recover BIOS?