Can I manually update Spectre x360 X2 to Firmware F.19? HP BIOS SP158781 keeps crashing...

[markharris2000]

I have been trying to update the BIOS on my Spectre X360 X2 for a year. It keep offering the F.19 update file SP158781.exe, downloads it, and when I tell it to RUN, it extracts a single file into the SWsetup\SP158781 directory called HPWINGUI.exe which when run, green screens the PC and causes a reboot.  The machine is running F.17 now.  The machine is a 50X87U8R model. The HP website says F.19 Rev A is available, but that SP158781 is the file that causes the green screen crash. 

[Deep_World]

Hi  @markharris2000,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I Understand your concern about spending a year trying to update the BIOS only to have the installer crash , don’t worry let me help you with this. 

Could you kindly confirm the below details :

Whether you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Whether the crash happens immediately when launching  .exe, or only after it begins flashing the BIOS.
 

Below are a few steps you can try:

1. Run BIOS update from USB: Instead of running the .exe in Windows, create a bootable USB with the BIOS update. HP BIOS updates usually include a .bin  file that can be copied to USB and applied via F10 BIOS menu -Firmware Management.
2. Use HP Support Assistant: Sometimes the Support Assistant handles dependencies better than manual execution.
3. Clear SWSetup folder: Delete the existing SP158781 folder, re‑download the package, and retry to avoid corrupted extraction.

If the installer consistently green‑screens, the USB method is usually the most reliable workaround.

I hope this helps. 

[markharris2000]

I am running Windows 11 Pro and have gone to the support site to download several times. It auto-detects my machine and offers the F.19 Rev A BIOS. The HP support site then downloads the file HPWINGUI.EXE only. (No BIN file to place on a USB drive). The HPWINGUI file is successfully placed in a subfolder under the SWSETUP folder. When it automatically runs the HPWINGUI file (or if I try to manually run it) I see the dialog asking me if I will allow the app to make changes to my machine and it identifies itself as "FLASH utility 3.56 Build 06021". If I answer YES, then I get a green screen crash. If I answer No, then it exits, but no BIN file is extracted.  I suspect if I could get the BIN file for this machine  (15t-EB1000  model 50X87U8R#ABA) and put on a USB drive, it might work, but the BIN file is elusive.

[Deep_World]

Hi @markharris2000,
 

Thanks for your response and Thank you for sharing those detailed observations. 

Windows 11 Confirmation Since you’re running Windows 11 Pro, the installer should normally extract both the GUI utility and the firmware image. The fact that only HPWINGUI.EXE appears without a .BIN file suggests the package may not be unpacking correctly.

 From your description, the crash occurs immediately after granting permission to the “Flash Utility 3.56 Build 06021,” before any flashing begins. This points to a compatibility or corruption issue with the installer itself rather than the BIOS image.

Kindly follow the below next steps and confirm :

 Delete the existing SP158781 folder, then re‑download the BIOS package fresh. Sometimes cached or partially extracted files prevent the .BIN from appearing.

UEFI Firmware Management: If the package still fails, you can create a USB BIOS recovery stick. For your model (15t‑EB1000), the .BIN file is embedded in the SoftPaq.  

Steps for Using a USB Flash Drive : download the latest BIOS update file from the manufacturer’s website. Ensure you download the latest stable version to avoid any issues.Prepare a USB flash drive by formatting it to FAT32. Copy the BIOS update file to the root directory of the USB flash drive. Restart your computer and enter the BIOS setup by pressing the designated key during boot (usually F2, F10, DEL, or ESC). Navigate to the BIOS update section, select the BIOS update file from the USB flash drive, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.

I hope this helps.