HP Spectre 15-ch055na won’t upgrade to 1809

[Dls22000]

This was actually posted to this thread a couple days ago but a moderator decided to move it to another thread. The moderator said she had "alerted" another team at HP to help resolve the "issue". I think she meant the can't recover issue. Not that it matters, I still haven't heard a word from HP...  I'm reposting this here as the recovery doesn't matter if the upgrade still fails. 

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After several hours on the phone or in chat with HP support, now they want me to send the laptop back to them for repair. The reason is that it will not install the downloaded recovery image which came FROM HP.  After trying it several times they sent me a USB stick (which they did not ship when promised) with the supposedly correct image to recover from.  Of course, it failed just like the multiple downloads.  Now they think that there is a hardware failure in my laptop.  I would think so too but I can install 1803 just fine from a Windows USB stick from Microsoft.  No issues whatsoever.  Just another example of how HP can't find their backside with both hands, they can't even send a recovery media that works.  

I'm loath to send the laptop to them, once its opened up providence only knows what I'll get back, not to mention that they say it will take 10 business days (like I believe them).  So far, they have stalled me for just over 7 weeks going back and forth.  I'm just about as frustrated as I have ever been with a computer company and I'm a network engineer so that is saying something. Frustrated is the wrong word, angry is closer, but still not strong enough.

Last night I logged in to the regular support page and it showed a link to HP Products Tested with Windows 10 which does NOT include the HP Spectre x360 - 15t-ch0xx (that I could find anyway, that page is a mess just like everything else HP is doing recently).  Basically, this $1800 laptop purchased 6 months ago is not going to be supported for the new version of Windows 10 when Windows 10 was sold with the laptop knowing that Microsoft updates twice a year!. Brilliant! 

Here is my favorite quote from that page: 

"Any PC product that is not listed in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update table was not tested by HP for this update and may not be supported by HP for Windows 10"

Yeah, ok, "favorite" was sarcastic...

Last night. after a fresh install of Windows 10 1803 from a Microsoft USB stick, I went in and turned on the fast ring of the Windows Insider Preview and installed the latest build of Windows 10 19H1 (Insider Preview Build 18298). Same result. It can't finish the install. 19H1 is the next version of Windows after 1809 so I don't see this laptop getting feature updates going forward.  Awesome!! I could really use a boat anchor if only I had a boat...  I shouldn't complain though since I might still get security fixes...

I've asked for a manger to call me back at least twice.  They won't even get on the phone with me.  As angry as I am, I've been civil and patient in every conversation with the support agents, but I would LOVE to vent the anger on a manager at HP.  I guess I don't blame them for being afraid to call back. I've spoken with several support agents that have really tried hard to fix this and a few that just wanted to get off the phone as fast as they possible could.  Terrible customer experience, HP should be ashamed of themselves.

[Dls22000]

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@Jim149 wrote:

1809 is now being offered via Windows Update to x360 owners such as myself. Since the update still fails to install, this means anyone with Windows 10 Home (which the laptop comes with) will now be forced to repeatedly install an update that is guaranteed to fail.

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Sadly, this is both the Home and Pro version. Business (Enterprise) and Edu can both turn off Windows Updates. 

The best we can do is postpone them for 30 days.  In settings if you open Windows Updates then go into Advanced Options, there is a setting there called Pause Updates. 

If you search the internet there are ways to disable Windows Updates. I am NOT recommending this as it usually takes editing Group Policy on the local machine and/or editing the registry, neither one is for the casual user since you could end up loosing data (always have a back up) or having to reinstall the OS or both. 

[zorch1t]

I would just like HP to come out and ackowledge there is a problem and that they're working on a fix that will come out in the future. The silence is doing more harm than good.

[DennyC]

Dis220000 - I may be running the same machine as you are.  Same problem getting the1809 update (hangs on reboot).  That link in your post that shows which machines have been tested does show our laptops.  At least if you add the word "convertible", it does.  Right now, I have the feature update delayed until I can learn more on what or how to proceed.  Like you, I have been in chat session  HP to no avail.with

[Dls22000]

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@DennyC wrote:

Dis220000 - I may be running the same machine as you are.  That link in your post that shows which machines have been tested does show our laptops.  At least if you add the word "convertible", it does. 

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DennyC  -- Thanks for finding it! I stared at the list trying make heads or tails out of it for a while and never thought of 'convertible'.  That gives me hope they might fix it. 

My laptop is a HP Spectre x360 - 15t-ch000 CTO  (HP Spectre x36015t Touch, 4K UHD, i7-8705G, Radeon 4GB RX Vega, 512B SSD, 16GB RAM, Win 10 Pro).  

[DennyC]

Dis22000 - We have the same machine except for the hard drive.  I went with the 1TB.  Kind of dumb getting that large of drive with all of the cloud storage I have, but I had one of those moments <grin>.

[Dls22000]

I mentioned before that a post was created in a different fourm of my long post in this thread.  Today I got a reply, here it is:

TrinitySoMe ‎12-14-2018 02:01 PM
Re: HP Spectre x360 - 15t-ch000 CTO won’t upgrade to 1809
 
Thank you for that information. After partnering with a senior technician, it was suggested that a Windows update is performed as the update is still pushing and no ETA is provided.
You can run Windows 10 October 2018 Update tool https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Click the update now button.
If the hardware passed the test then will be able to download and install new 1809 update.
Microsoft still recommended users to use Windows Update feature because Microsoft is testing hardware for max compatibility.
Please keep me posted on the results.

TrinitySoMe
Executive Escalations
Social Media Ambassador

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I sent an email back asking how to do that since the recovery media they sent doesn't allow the recovery to complete and referred them to open my support tickets.  Instead of replying back they sent the exact same text as above.  I even pointed out that it wasn't working a couple nights ago. I thought that maybe there was something new, so once again I re-installed Windows 10 1803 from Microsoft installation media, which works fine by the way.  I then followed the exact directions above. Once again the update hung on the first reboot of the OS at the spinning dots with the HP Logo on the screen, Yup, in the EXCAT same place that it is has been failing since at least the middle of September. I replied back with the results and yet again I have requested a manager callback. 

Update:  Now I am being asked to provide all of the information including a description of the issue all over again in order to get a manager callback. Once they get the information it will take another 24-48 hours to get that call back, if it comes at all that is.  This is beyond ridiculous.  I'm going to say no, since they have all this and can look it up.

 

Update 2:  After replying back to TrintySoMe saying that all the information is in the support cases, and that I don't want to waste all the time doing this again here is the reply:

Hello,

I have already researched this thread and you have not provided any needed information to escalate the case. I will need this information in order to set up the call.

 Best,

TrinitySoMe

At this point I am furious.  So mad that I'm ready to punt this laptop across a parking lot.  I'm going to take a deep breath and cool off. Tomorrow I am going to get on the phone with support and stay there until I talk to a manager.  

[rick-s]

@Dls22000

I have once again brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP.

Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact.

Thank you for visiting the HP Support Community.

[Syxx]

I just purchased this exact same model and it has exactly the same issue. The Windows 10 1809 update will not install either as an update or as a clean install from the media creation tool, but 1803 works perfectly. No ammount of support or troubleshooting is going to fix that without some kind of update from HP or Microsoft. I'm going to wait a few days for some kind of fix to be announced otherwise I'm sending it back while I'm still in my return window.

[STKARTHIK]

@rick-sI hope you will update the community once HP has a fix , Since I have paused my updates I might never know when a fix is being pused.