Elitebook 8560P - Unable to update BIOS

[cyberyaga]

OK... I have an Elitebook 8560P with an old BIOS, that I want to update.

Current BIOS: F.08

(This old version has some issues with UEFI that I want to update)

This machine has no OS, It has a blank hard drive that I'm going to run Linux Mint 18.

Problem:

I've spent 2 days trying to get this machine to update the BIOS and no success.

What I have tried:

• I downloaded the latest BIOS for this machine (Ver. F.67A) and extracted it on my windows machine.
• Ran HPQFlash.exe and got a ROM.CAB missing or corrupted error message. I figured that this was due to the program being executed on a non-HP machine. After some lengthy research, I got my system board ID (1618). Ran Installer.exe to format/partition the flash drive. And ran the program like this: hpqflash.exe -s -f68SCF.CAB (That allowed me to place the BIOS update on a USB flash drive.
• Took my flash drive to the laptop. Plugged it in, and booted it. The laptop recognized the flash drive, but it refused to update the BIOS. It gave me an error saying that update failed or incorrect something.
• I tried deleting the partition on the flash drive and re-doing the process. - Didn't work.
• I tried re-downloading the BIOS and extracting it again, and repeat the process. - Didn't work.
• I tried making a copy of the 68SCF.CAB and naming it ROM.CAB and re-doing the process. - Didn't work.
• I tried turning on UEFI ON... And see if I have any luck. - Didn't work.
• I tried doing it on different USB ports in the laptop, or running the HPQFlash.exe on another machine. - Didn't work.

So... That's my current state. Machine will not update the BIOS. As a last resort, I might try to install a copy of Windows 7 that I have laying around and see if the program will update the BIOS via the operating system. If this works it is a real shame, that an entire operating system needs to be installed for something unrelated to it like a BIOS update.

I hope I get some suggestions that might help me. I'm willing to try anything as long as it saves me from installing windows.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I tried to put as much detail as possible.

Thanks in advance.

[EddyK]

Hello cyberyaga,

Upon/before booting, hold down Windows key + B (or V) until an HP Automatic BIOS update/recovery screen appears. Then go through the steps. This may or may not be available.

Otherwise, I'm sorry to say I don't have suggestions.

Kind regards,

Eddy

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[cyberyaga · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the help.

I bit the bullet and installed a copy of Windows 7.  Ran the BIOS update inside Windows, and everything was OK. I now have the latest BIOS.

This is a real shame, that I have to install a whole operating system to get something as simple as a BIOS upgrade to happen.

Hope this helps someone else.

Thanks