Updating BIOS from within WinPE using an sccm task sequence

[PaulF69]

Hi


I am trying to upgrade the BIOS of my company HP laptops using HPBIOSUPDREC64.exe (Version 1.1.36.1, or earlier version) during the WinPE phase of an SCCM task sequence

I have created a package with all the necessary files in and a task sequence which has the following steps...


1 Boot to WinPE 1709 via PXE
2 Partition and format the drive as GPT / UEFI format   (IT IS ONLY A PROBLEM ON GPT DISKS MBR WORKS AS EXPECTED)
3 Upgrade BIOS using a package containing the Updatefile.bin, HPBIOSUPDREC64.exe and the pwdfile.bin
  cmd line -  HPBIOSUPDREC64.exe /s /pPwdFile.bin /fUpdateFile.bin /b /r
4 Reboot to WinPE 1709 to apply BIOS upgrade
5 Install Windows 10 1709


The result is that
a) The machine boots into WinPE
b) Runs the portion of the upgrade from WinPE successfully
c) Downloads WinPE again and pre-stages it on the disk (this has been confirmed from viewing SMSTS.log and BCDEDIT /enum command from the F8 command prompt) which gives an output of.... device      ramdisk=[C:]\_SMSTaskSequence\WinPE\sources\boot.wim,{ramdiskoptions}
d) Reboots
e) Performs the BIOS / EFI firmware update successfully
f) Resets to try and boot back to WinPE
g) Error received "No bootable device found" The laptop now needs to be PXE booted again to get it to build.

If I prevent the BIOS update from happening but allow all the other steps to occur (including the 2 reboot to WinPE steps) the machine boots up to WinPEthe second time successfully and continues with the build.
If I perform the same steps from within Windows ... The computer stages the BIOS update, Reboots, Updates the firmware, Resets and boots back into Windows as expected.

The Log from the HPBIOSUPDREC64 looks successful...

2018/01/18 13:11:25.160|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitializeProperties|******************************************************************
2018/01/18 13:11:25.160|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitializeProperties|**   Start of HPBIOSUPDREC session, version 1.1.36.1    **
2018/01/18 13:11:25.160|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitializeProperties|******************************************************************
2018/01/18 13:11:25.160|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitializeProperties|Command line: /s /pBIN_Pw.bin /f".\HP EliteBook 840 G2\M71_0121.bin" /b /r
2018/01/18 13:11:25.160|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitializeProperties|DASL PnP ID NOT found
2018/01/18 13:11:25.207|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::SmbiosInfo::GetSmbiosInfo|Getting SMBIOS information
2018/01/18 13:11:25.207|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::SmbiosInfo::GetSmbiosInfo|Successfully retrieved SMBIOS settings: BIOS Family = M71, version = 01.18
2018/01/18 13:11:25.207|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::SmbiosInfo::GetSmbiosInfo|PCID: 'A3009D510203', AT-p supported: no, portable: yes
2018/01/18 13:11:25.269|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PrivateWmiInfo::GetPrivateWmiSettings|Successfully retrieved Private WMI settings
2018/01/18 13:11:25.269|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PrivateWmiInfo::GetPrivateWmiSettings|m_isEfiUpdateSupported = 1, m_isEspDriveSupported = 1, m_isEncryptionSupported = 0
2018/01/18 13:11:25.269|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PrivateWmiInfo::GetPrivateWmiSettings|m_isBiosUpdateSet = 0, m_isUefiToolsRequired = 1
2018/01/18 13:11:29.299|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PublicWmiInfo::CheckWmiSettingSetupLogIn|Setup Password is set.
2018/01/18 13:11:31.217|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PublicWmiInfo::CheckWmiSettingCurrentValue|Bios setting = Lock BIOS Version, expected = Enable, actual = Disable
2018/01/18 13:11:32.278|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PublicWmiInfo::GetBiosSettingValue|Setting not found: Update Base Embedded Controller Firmware
2018/01/18 13:11:32.278|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::PublicWmiInfo::GetPublicWmiSettings|Successfully retrieved Public WMI settings
2018/01/18 13:11:32.278|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::CabFile::ParseUpdateName|Processing image filename '.\HP EliteBook 840 G2\M71_0121.bin'.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.278|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::InitInstance|Update BIOS Family = M71, version = 01.21
2018/01/18 13:11:32.314|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::Partition::FindEspPartition|PartitionStyle == PARTITION_STYLE_GPT, PartitionCount: 4
2018/01/18 13:11:32.314|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::Partition::FindEspPartition|ESP partition found: index=0 PartitionNumber=0.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.462|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::Partition::AccessEspPartition|ESP drive already mounted as S:\.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.462|00000474|Error      |HPBiosUpdate::Partition::AccessEspPartition|Error creating S:\EFI\HP\: 0x3
2018/01/18 13:11:32.493|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::Partition::FindHp_ToolsPartition|No HP_TOOLS partition found.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.493|00000474|Warning    |CHPBiosUpdateApp::PrepareEfiFlash|No BIOS recovery partition was found.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.493|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::PerformSilentFlash|EFI flash is not supported, will attempt WMI flash.
2018/01/18 13:11:32.509|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::GetPasswordFromFile|Successfully read password from file.
2018/01/18 13:11:33.389|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::WmiFlash::QueryFlashROM|Query Flash Rom succeeded
2018/01/18 13:11:33.389|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::FlashRom|***** Start FLASHING *****
2018/01/18 13:11:34.405|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::FlashRom|Start flashing, attempt #1
2018/01/18 13:14:32.656|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::WriteRomImage|Image written successfully
2018/01/18 13:14:32.821|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::FlashRom|End flashing (Write) attempt #1
2018/01/18 13:14:32.821|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::FlashRom|Flash succeeded
2018/01/18 13:14:32.821|00000474|Information|HPBiosUpdate::OnlineFlash::FlashRom|***** END FLASHING PROCESS *****
2018/01/18 13:14:32.828|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::ExitInstance|HPBIOSUPDREC Return Code = 3010
2018/01/18 13:14:32.828|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::ExitInstance|******************   End of HPBIOSUPDREC session    ******************
2018/01/18 13:14:32.828|00000474|Information|CHPBiosUpdateApp::ExitInstance|


maybe with the exception of the lines highlighted ...
    Error creating S:\EFI\HP
    EFI flash is not supported, will attempt WMI flash.

I have tried adding the /H switch to create the HP_TOOLS partition but 4 partitions already exist on the disk and this step fails.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong or why this is failing?

Many thanks in advance
PaulF

[Lager]

Daniel Classon @danielclasson Twitterd:

Nice, with the latest version of HP BIOS Upgrade tool HpFirmwareUpdRec64.exe, the firmware file in the same folder as the exe will automatically be used by default. #configmgr #SCCM

So we tried without specify the firmware in the command line, it worked!

EDIT:

It worked without the silent command and you clicked through the install guide, still error when using -S doh 😕

[MSLEEE]

Please try to create S:\EFI\HP folders before running the BIOS Update. I created a seperate package for this batch file and added a command line in the task sequence. It worked in my test with my SCCM server.

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I work for HP. All opinions and comments are my own.

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