How to find out the specific operating system my laptop uses when I can’t get in to my laptop

[PTrees]

When I turn my laptop on it says Bios corruption has been detected, then HP BIOS Update and tries to recover System BIOS, after that it says System BIOS recovery is complete, and finally goes to a screen that says System Bios recovery has occurred, BIOS Recovery (500) and then will do the whole thing over and over again until eventually the screen will stay blank and nothing happens.

I’ve done research on what to do and it seems I need to download a new driver using a working laptop and a USB drive.

So I’ve gone onto the HP Support website to download the driver and first it asks what OS do I have to which the only option is Windows 10 which is correct, but then it asks which version of OS do I have to which there are 4 options:

Windows 10 version 1909 (64-bit)

Windows 10 version 2004 (64-bit)

Windows 10 (64-bit)

Windows 10 Version 20H2 (64-bit)

The problem is is that I don’t know which version my laptop has and everywhere I’ve looked says that to find out I have to go into the settings of my laptop and click on Start but I’m not able to get into my laptop to do this because of the BIOS being stuck on a loop. Is there any way I can find out which version I have? I’m concerned that downloading the wrong version could be harmful to my laptop.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Since you have to make a BIOS recovery drive, the recovery is done outside of Windows.

The only suggestion I can offer, would be to use the most recent BIOS update file that appears on your notebook's support page under all versions of the operating system listed.

That way you know it should work with no matter which version of W10 that is installed on your PC.

For example:  BIOS vF.59 appears on every W10 driver option you can select.

That would be the one I would use, but that is up to you.

[PTrees]

Thanks for the reply.

I don’t know how to find the support page or the BIOS update file to do so, the only thing I’ve been able to find is the Windows 10 OS options on the HP site. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I thought you had already found the support page, hence the reason for your post.

Here is the link to the support page and you will find the F.59 BIOS update which is common to all of the listed W10 operating systems.

HP Laptop - 14-cf3512sa Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Customer Support

[PTrees]

Thanks for the link, I just hadn’t selected any of the OS options which was why I hadn’t got to the next part with the updates.

I’ve downloaded the F. 59 update onto a USB drive but unfortunately I’m not able to test whether it works because I cannot get into the Start Up menu when turning on the laptop no matter what key I try.

I tried ESC and F12 and all the others but I’m still stuck on a loop with the BIOS and just cant get to the Start Up Menu to do the update.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Assuming the PC doesn't automatically boot from the BIOS recovery drive, and if pressing the ESC key immediately after you turn on the notebook does not allow you to get to the F9 boot options menu, unfortunately I don't know what you will be able to do to fix the problem.

[PTrees]

Okay, I’ll have to keep trying.

Thank you for all your help regardless. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I hope you can fix the problem.

That notebook is too new to be tossed in the bin.