Thunderbolt Not Working – HP Envy 15t-ep000 CTO (USB-C Ports Not Detecting Devices)

[LuqmanR1236]

🔧 Thunderbolt Not Working – HP Envy 15t-ep000 CTO (USB-C Ports Not Detecting Devices)

🖥 Laptop Model:

HP Envy 15t-ep000 CTO

My HP Envy laptop's USB-C / Thunderbolt ports have completely stopped working. Devices connected to USB-C (e.g., external hard drive, dock) are not detected, and the status LED doesn't even turn on. However, the same device works fine via USB-A ports.

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🧪 Steps I’ve Tried:

🪟 1. Windows 10/11:

Reinstalled Windows cleanly using the official Media Creation Tool.

Installed all drivers from HP Support Assistant and HP's website.

Thunderbolt drivers/software are missing.

No Thunderbolt-related devices show up in Device Manager (not even hidden).

Tried scanning hardware changes—nothing appears.

BIOS has no Thunderbolt or USB-C options visible.

🐧 2. Parrot OS (Linux):

Ran lspci, dmesg, and boltctl — no Thunderbolt device is detected.

Message seen:

> Root hub lost power or was reset

Bolt service not found

Indicates system is not recognizing any Thunderbolt controller at all.

🍏 3. Hackintosh (macOS):

Temporarily tested macOS for hardware compatibility.

Thunderbolt/USB-C still not working under macOS either.

Suggests it's not just a Windows/Linux driver issue.

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📂 Other Steps Taken:

Reset BIOS settings to default.

Reinstalled BIOS firmware using HP's recovery tool.

Updated all firmware/drivers via HP's website.

Verified external device works fine on other laptops.

Checked power delivery—no charging or LED indicators on USB-C ports.

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🔍 Suspected Causes:

Thunderbolt firmware may be corrupted or missing (possibly due to Hackintosh or re-flashing BIOS).

Ports are disabled at firmware level, but BIOS provides no options to enable/disable.

Thunderbolt NVM may require reflash using HP service tools.

Could be hardware failure, though no physical damage occurred.

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🙏 Request for Help:

1. Can HP provide a way to reflash Thunderbolt firmware/NVM?

2. Is there a way to unlock hidden Thunderbolt options in BIOS?

3. Could this be a known firmware bug or issue with this model?

4. Is it possible to obtain a Thunderbolt diagnostic tool from HP support?

5. Can HP confirm if this model supports Thunderbolt via USB-C, and if yes, which controller it uses?

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⚠️ Notes:

I understand BIOS modding or flashing NVM manually is risky and prefer official support first.

The system is currently usable via USB-A and HDMI, but USB-C/Thunderbolt functionality is critical for my workflow.

[banhien]

@LuqmanR1236 

From its specs, it only has

• Ports: 2 USB 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen1, Micro SD Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack

Its USB-C ports are NOT Thunderbolt ports. It is a hopeless USB-C port  which does NOT support Alt mode nor Power Delivery. You can NOT use it to

• Charge your machine,
• Connect to an external monitor with/without hub/dock/adapter

Regards

[LuqmanR1236]

I checked on product page its mention 

2 Thunderbolt™ 3 (40Gbps signaling rate) with SuperSpeed USB Type-C® 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort™ 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge); 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate (HP Sleep and Charge); 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signa

From that usb i charge macbook pro and mobile and used to transfer data also 

[banhien]

@LuqmanR1236 

What is the link ? I can not find it.

Regards.

[LuqmanR1236]

Hp site doesn't show any specs but i check other site that mentions the specs 

HP ENVY Laptop - 15t-ep000 CTO

Serial number:

5CD039MP83

Product number:

8ST15AV

https://www.paklap.pk/hp-envy-15-ep0000-series-10th-gen-core-i9-rtx-2060-4k-uhd-touchscreen-laptop-p...

[banhien]

@LuqmanR1236 

I do NOT trust that link, I use the manual:

           https://kaas.hpcloud.hp.com/pdf-public/pdf_12385527_en-US-1.pdf

On page 5, item 7 it says

• Connect USB devices, provide high-speed data transfer, and charge small devices, even when the computer is off.
• Connect a display device that has a USB Type-C connector, providing DisplayPort output.

Which device(s) do you wish to connect to ? How do you connect them ?

Regards.

[LuqmanR1236]

I have bricked macbook pro 2019 T2 intel 

I am trying to recover it and the only option is to use another macbook so i dont have any other apple product i install hackintosh in my hp laptop its working fine i connect type c to macbook type c its transfer data working great and then after 2 days my hp laptop type c ports are not working even not giving a light when i connect external ssd enclosure when i connect usb type A its show light on enclosure but when i connect on usb type c of laptop its doesn't detect or working i try to find a solution and there is 2 possibility if the port is damage or the port is disable is advanced bios setting due to i install hackintosh macos in laptop and some users say its happened sometimes when i checked bios there is no option of advanced setting 

[banhien]

@LuqmanR1236 

Well, you are NOT running the right software therefore I don't know. Its specs and manual are for Windows.

Regards.

[LuqmanR1236]

I reinstall windows install all driver and update bios utility still nothing light up in usb type c 

[banhien]

@LuqmanR1236 

Sorry, you played to much with it. Please try a factory settings using 

             https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_4511095-4511141-16

Regards.