Update BIOS on EliteBook 8560w running Linux using FreeDOS

[ianthinks]

If you push 'esc' at start up and then 'F10', you can check a box that says bios update.  it will tell you you can just put some files on a USB and upgrade, but the BIOS upgrade I downloaded didn't have a signature file for the bios .bin.  So here is a work around without installing Windows.


Disable Intel Anti-Theft:

esc at startup, f10, 'right arrow' to Security section, 'down arrow' to anti-theft option.

There may be some other bios security options you should disable before upgrading, but I can't find them.

Download FreeDOS FullUSB
Extract files from .zip.

Write .img file to a usb:
dd if=/path/to/freedos.img of=/dev/sdx

Download the BIOS update file for Windows.

Extract files from BIOS update exe using 7zip:
7z -o/home/user/hpbios x path/to/file

Copy folder of extracted files called “hpbios” onto the FreeDOS USB.

Boot from USB:
Push esc at boot, f9 - boot options, select usb drive from list.

It will give you the option to install.  Just say NO, continue to DOS.

Type “dir” to list items on the C:\ drive.
Type “cd” to change directory.
Type the name of an exe to execute it.

dir

cd hpbios

dir
cd rompaq
dir
erompaq

The program erompaq.exe will run.

Update the BIOS.

Exit.
Typing 'shutdown' didn’t work, so I just held the power button to power off.  Then powered on the computer and waited.  Seemed to boot normally.  I rebooted and pushed esc at startup and F1 and see new BIOS version.