System BIOS update failed Unable to open BIOS image file HP M01-f1024

[Psychlone]

My customer applied an update through Windows Update that flashed a new BIOS, the computer no longer boots past the HP BIOS Update screen.

I have read every post for 3 days and tried every available fix including:

Power off, unplug, hold power button for 30 seconds to discharge, then plug in, hold ctrl-b and power on

Also tried ctrl-v and just "b" as well as just "v".

I have repeated this scenario after building a BIOS USB Recovery using the only available BIOS I could find but it was for M01-0000a model.

I even tried recreating the USB BIOS Recovery using the F.41 BIOS from the exploited SP141980 to no avail.

I have used the BIOS Recovery USB creation tool as well as manually formatted a USB as FAT32 and used the BIOS exe to copy the BIOS files to it - neither way works.

To date, no matter what I do, the computer boots to 

HP BIOS Update

The System BIOS update failed

Unable to open BIOS Image file

The original hard drive was found to be defective in this computer when it was brought in, it is no longer a viable resource at all as it has failed beyond recovery.  Coincidentally, the slowness the customer was experiencing is why they thought they could install the BIOS update via Windows Update and perhaps fix their problem.

There is NO WAY to boot into BIOS, no way to boot to diagnostics.  It is an endless loop of the HP BIOS Update screen and holding ctrl-b or ctrl-v produces no beeps.

[Psychlone]

So after typing all that out and refreshing the page, it went under Notebooks > Notebook Operating System and Recovery, which is NOT correct, despite filling out the form correctly saying it's a Desktop and even including the model number.

[Psychlone · Accepted solution]

I was just now able to fix this.
Using sp146742 BIOS, I created a new USB recovery, formatted within the application.

I unplugged the computer, moved the CMOS jumper to the appropriate pins, started the computer, turned off the computer, unplugged and then I pulled the battery and held the power button for about 10 seconds just to completely discharge then put the battery back in and moved the jumper back to the neutral position.

I then put the new USB with this BIOS into the ailing computer, held ctrl-b at startup and held my breath.  It worked.

I'm going to have a happy customer tomorrow!

[cstevensleisa]

Oh man, you're really caught between a rock and a hard place here. A BIOS update gone wrong is like a bad haircut—hard to ignore and even harder to fix. But hey, don't throw in the towel just yet; we can still try some more approaches. Double-Check That USB Drive I know, I know—you've already tried this, but hear me out. Sometimes, the USB drive itself can be finicky. Make sure you're using a well-known, reliable brand. Also, give another USB port a shot. Some computers prefer USB 2.0 ports over USB 3.0 when it comes to BIOS recovery. BIOS Reset: The Old-Fashioned Way Have you tried resetting the CMOS battery? To do this, unplug the computer and open it up. You'll see a coin-cell battery somewhere on the motherboard. Remove it, wait for about 15 minutes, then put it back in. This will reset the BIOS settings to their default state. Talk to the Big Guys You've pretty much exhausted the DIY solutions at this point. So, it might be time to contact HP Support. I'm not saying they've got a magic wand, but they do have resources and experience that could help you navigate this tricky situation. Worst-Case Scenario: New Motherboard If nothing, and I mean nothing, works—it might be time to consider replacing the motherboard. Yeah, it's like buying a new engine for your car, but sometimes you've got to bite the bullet. Preventive Medicine for Next Time For future reference, always—and I mean always—check whether the BIOS update is specifically designed for your computer model. A mismatch here is like putting diesel in a petrol car; it just won't work. You've clearly been burning the midnight oil on this one, but sometimes these problems are like solving a Rubik's Cube—you've got to turn it every which way before it all clicks into place. Keep at it, and good luck!

[cstevensleisa]

Oh man, you're really caught between a rock and a hard place here. A BIOS update gone wrong is like a bad haircut—hard to ignore and even harder to fix. But hey, don't throw in the towel just yet; we can still try some more approaches. Double-Check That USB Drive I know, I know—you've already tried this, but hear me out. Sometimes, the USB drive itself can be finicky. Make sure you're using a well-known, reliable brand. Also, give another USB port a shot. Some computers prefer USB 2.0 ports over USB 3.0 when it comes to BIOS recovery. BIOS Reset: The Old-Fashioned Way Have you tried resetting the CMOS battery? To do this, unplug the computer and open it up. You'll see a coin-cell battery somewhere on the motherboard. Remove it, wait for about 15 minutes, then put it back in. This will reset the BIOS settings to their default state. Talk to the Big Guys You've pretty much exhausted the DIY solutions at this point. So, it might be time to contact HP Support. I'm not saying they've got a magic wand, but they do have resources and experience that could help you navigate this tricky situation. Worst-Case Scenario: New Motherboard If nothing, and I mean nothing, works—it might be time to consider replacing the motherboard. Yeah, it's like buying a new engine for your car, but sometimes you've got to bite the bullet. Preventive Medicine for Next Time For future reference, always—and I mean always—check whether the BIOS update is specifically designed for your computer model. A mismatch here is like putting diesel in a petrol car; it just won't work. You've clearly been burning the midnight oil on this one, but sometimes these problems are like solving a Rubik's Cube—you've got to turn it every which way before it all clicks into place. Keep at it, and good luck!