HP BIOS Update/possibly a virus?

[mermaidhaylee]

I hadn't used my ENVY dv4 in about two days. When I turned it on, the screen was black but the LED lights on my keyboard were all on and the caps lock light was blinking. After a minute or so, a screen with "HP BIOS Update" appeared and it said "Initializing...". A couple of minutes after that, another "HP BIOS Update" page came up and said "The system BIOS is corrupted and needs to be recovered, but the computer is not connected to external power. Please connect external power and select enter to continue.". Then it counts down and if you do not "connect external power" it repeats the process over and over again. Please help! I have no idea what to do and I am afraid my computer has a virus.

[Bruce_T]

Hello mermaidhaylee...

I'm sorry you're having this issue with your dv4!  Don't worry, this is not a virus - the system is working as designed and is trying to fix itself.  Just plug it in to your AC power adapter.

What has happened is that when you powered up the machine, the BIOS checked it's own health and determined that it had somehow become corrupted.  In cases where this is recoverable, the system then tries to restore a "good" BIOS from the hard drive (the "HP BIOS Update") screen.  the catch is that we won't let a BIOS update occur unless 1) the battery level is at a minimum of 50% capacity, 2) the system's power adapter is connected and plugged into a good AC power source, or 2) both.

Assuming that your AC adapter and/or battery is functioning, once you plug it in you should see the system proceed part the "BIOS Update" screen to a Recovery screen similar to the attached example.  Upon completion of the recovery, you'll see the system reboot and display a screen saying that a BIOS recovery has been completed.

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

DISCLAIMER: I am an HP employee, but I am not a spokesperson for HP.

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[mermaidhaylee]

Thank you! I am so relieved to learn it is not a virus!

However, I left my computer plugged in overnight and it is still doing the same thing.

[Bruce_T]

Hi mermaidhaylee....

Is the computer still plugged in while the recovery is trying to run?  Are you sure that the system us getting power from the adapter?

DISCLAIMER: I am an HP employee, but I am not a spokesperson for HP.

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[mermaidhaylee]

Yes, I have it plugged in while the recovery is trying to run. I thought maybe my outlet wasn't working so I tried 3 different outlets in my house to no avail.

I have only had my computer for 7 months, hopefully the problem is not the adapter.

[Bruce_T]

Hi mermaidhaylee...

Well, I'm out of ideas.    It should just work.  I'm guessing at this point that there could be one of a number of things wrong, involving either the power circuitry or the system board (or both).  My recommendation to you at this point would be to contact HP Support for your region / country, and get the notebook serviced.

I wish I had a better answer for you on this.  Good luck, and please come back here to let us know if the problem was resolved.

DISCLAIMER: I am an HP employee, but I am not a spokesperson for HP.

• If you found this information helpful, please take a moment to click on "Accept as Solution".
• If you'd like to say thanks, please click on the Kudos star!

[Lavenderbaby_23]

Hi. I have an HP envy dv4 notebook. I sort of have the same issue. The HP BIOS Update white screen comes up and it just says "Initializing..." My laptop just stays at this white screen for hours without doing anything or moving forward to the next step. I have forced reboot several times, and it will startup with the white screen and continues to just say "Initializing..." What can I do ?

[Great-Deku-Tree]

Hey @Lavenderbaby_23 ,

If your BIOS update fails there is no need to worry. Shut down the notebook and follow these steps to restore the BIOS to its factory version: Restoring the BIOS.

This should get you back up and running.

Also, if you were not updating the BIOS for compatibility or hardware issues it's best to leave it alone. As the saying goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

Let me know if this works for you!

[JessikaV · Accepted solution]

Hi Community!

Here are some links that might help:

When should I update my BIOS?

In general, there are three scenarios where you may want to consider upgrading your BIOS:

1. Bugs: If your BIOS is already experiencing systematic bugs, updating may help repair these.

2. CPU hardware changes: If you’ve upgraded your computer’s processor, you may need to update your BIOS so that the motherboard, where BIOS is embedded, and your CPU can collaborate properly.

3. Hardware malfunctions: Updating BIOS can sometimes be a method of troubleshooting for issues with your RAM and/or CPU. Only update BIOS as a troubleshooting method if HP support or your IT company recommends doing so.

If your computer is working normally and you don’t fall into these three categories, it’s unlikely that you need to worry about updating your BIOS software. You know what they say - don’t fix it if it ain’t broken.

Next, let’s jump into how you can check in on your BIOS version on Windows 10 as well as how to perform a BIOS update.

Updating the BIOS automatically using Device Manager in Windows

To automatically update the system firmware (BIOS) to version F.03 (or later) using Device Manager, follow the steps in this section.

JessikaV
HP Support Community Administrator