frozen computer

[Bill-B1]

My wife was typing an email in Firefox when the screen froze.  hitting control-alt-delete had no effect.  she hit the power button and the machine shut down (black screen).  She waited, then hit power button again.  The screen opened with "HP Bios Update/ Do not shut down or remove exdternal power fro your copter during the process. / Writing new BIOS image.  However, this screen is also frozen.  Nothing has happened for one-half hour.  What to do?

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Bill-B1,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like your computer is stuck during a BIOS update process, which can be quite concerning. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do next:

1. Wait and Observe

• Give It More Time: BIOS updates can sometimes take a while. If it hasn’t been too long, it might be worth waiting a bit longer to see if the process completes on its own.

2. Perform a Hard Reset

• Power Off: If the system is still unresponsive after waiting, perform a hard reset:
  • Press and hold the power button for about 10-15 seconds until the computer powers off.
  • Unplug the power cord from the computer (and remove the battery if it’s a laptop and you can easily do so).
  • Wait for a few minutes.
  • Plug everything back in and try powering on the computer again.

3. Check for Any Hardware Issues

• Disconnect External Devices: Unplug all external devices (USB drives, printers, etc.) and try turning the computer on again.

4. Access BIOS/UEFI

• Enter BIOS/UEFI: Restart the computer and repeatedly press the BIOS access key (usually F2, F10, Esc, or Del depending on the manufacturer) to enter BIOS/UEFI settings.
• Check BIOS Status: If you can enter BIOS, check if there are any messages about the update process or options to continue or cancel the update.

5. Check for BIOS Recovery Options

• BIOS Recovery: Some HP systems have a BIOS recovery option. Check your computer’s manual or HP’s support website for instructions on how to use BIOS recovery tools.

6. Boot into Safe Mode or Recovery Environment

• Advanced Startup: Try accessing advanced startup options to see if you can recover the system:
  • Restart the computer and repeatedly press F8, F11, or Shift + F8 (varies by manufacturer) to enter advanced startup options.
  • From there, you can try to repair the startup or use recovery options.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Rachel571

HP Support