How to use the HP BIOS update (uefi) utility

[HPSAwizard]

When you run an HP BIOS update on your HP notebook PC, two files are written to your HP_TOOLS volume.   The BIOS binary file and an HP signiture file to secure the binary file.   Both files are written to the Hewlett-Packard\BIOS\NEW folder on HP_TOOLS.   During the next boot, the update is applied to your PC.   The new version is backed up the CURRENT folder and the previous verison is backed up  to the PREVIOUS folder.  

The backed up versions of the BIOS are used if the BIOS becomes corrupted or if a problem is encountered. 

HP automates the update and recovery of the BIOS.   A user may also access BIOS management functions by selecting F2 System Diagnostics from the Startup menu during a restart of the PC.  

[Ih0r]

Thank you!
But I also managed to create and fill HP_TOOLS fat32 UEFI partition manually. After searching web I found what folders should be created.
So folders tree looks like the next for Bios update and System diagnostic UEFI tools:
Hewlett-Packard
|- BIOSUpdate
|- BIOS
| |-Current
| |-New
| |-Previous
|- SystemDiags
Instead of running bios update and system diagnostic utility executables I simply extracted them to corresponding BIOSUpdate and SystemDiags folders using 7-zip except *.exe and *.dll files.
Also for bios update I generated *.bin and *.sig files with phoenixtool. Extracted bios update executable and opened *.fd file with this program. Resulted *.fd.DEC file renamed to *.bin and RSA.SIG to *.sig.
And all this was run under Linux. Only phoenixtool needed wine with .Net 2.0 installed.
Hope this will help somebody else:-)

[HPSAwizard]

I am not sure why you are going through the steps manually to try and update or recover your BIOS.    What is the problem you are trying to solve?   

[Ih0r]

Problem is that with my current bios F.0B hotkeys, ac adapter plug/unplug is only supported by windows. But I like to use Linux on my laptop and installed it to gpt-partitioned hdd that allows to use more than 4 primary partitions. I wanted to install windows 7 and try to figure out problem. And ended up that I need UEFI boot for gpt partitions but my laptop supports only HP UEFI tools, not booting OS.
So I used previosly described method to test system with updated bioses.
As they fix problem with hotkeys in linux BUT: kills screen backlight. Linux boot log, listing of hardware and PCI devices reveals that integrated videocard is not detected from system POST.

Why HP propose 5 bios updates for my laptop that completely kills screen backlight?

Later maybe I'll try to boot windows from flash drive with my current bios to check the magic with events from hotkeys...

[jayvastani]

After a lot of googling and testing and blue screens on my other pc, I finally got my laptop working.

My problem started with applying the BIOS update which got stuck... then I tried to force shut down, which didn't happen(which always does). So I removed my battery like a kid without thinking about the consequences. And thus my BIOS got corrupt...

The symptoms: Caps-lock led kept flashing, hdd and cd-drive were running and absoultely nothing on display.

Okay... so let me write a detailed description of how i got rid of this problem:

1. find a 1-2 gb pen-drive.

2. Format it using windows utility(preferably uncheck quick format). use following settings:
-File system as "fat", allocation unit "16 kilobyte". And that is FAT16 file system thumb drive.

3. Rename the drive name as "HP_TOOLS".

4. Download and run the BIOS Update Utility (not the BIOS, yet) from the HP support drivers page.
- Select the option to install on a USB drive
- Select the option to create the HP_TOOLS partition
- The drive should now be formatted as HP_TOOLS with a Hewlett-Packard folder containing BIOS and BIOSUpdate folders. The BIOS folder will contain empty Current, New and previous folders.

5. Download and run the HP System Diagnostics (UEFI) SP from the HP support drivers page
- Select the option to install on a USB drive. This will create a SystemDiags folder under the Hewlett-Packard folder.

6. Download and run the HP Notebook System BIOS Update from the HP support drivers page.
- Now this file will be named sp****.exe. DO NOT RUN THIS FILE ON OTHER PCS... Extract this exe (with winrar, 7zip etc)
- There you will find the biggest file(by size) in the folder, it can be *.bin, *.ph or whatever. Just find it, DONT DO ANYTHING YET.

7. Now download the phoenix mod tool from here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/xxd63k (or google it...)
- Extract it and open the PhoenixTool.exe, open the *.bin file you found in original BIOS.
- Let it do it's word and keep clicking ok..

8. Open the BIOS directory and you'll find *.bin.dec (Decrypted file) and RSA.SIG
- Make copies of these files and paste them on desktop.
- Rename them according to your "motherboard no". (If you downloaded your model's BIOS file, this could be found as 01234.bin,then "1234" is the no.)
- For example:
03453F12.bin.DEC -> 03453.BIN
RSA.SIG -> 03453.SIG

- This number is most important part as BIOS recovery searches for it by file name.

9. Just to be safe create two copies with such as "3453.BIN" and "03453.BIN" and same with *.sig.
- Paste these four files in: root folder, Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/Current/, Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/New, Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/Previous
Note: I pasted them in all the folders... just in case.
Also Note: This is just so the you dont have to try every time with different permutations. The HP BIOS recovery software uses only what it needs and disregards the other files.

10. Shut down your laptop, remove battery and power-cord, plug the USB stick, hold win + B, plug-in power-cord(while holding win+B) and power on.

11. Wait(15-30 secs) for the system bios to flash and then release win+B.

12. If BIOS recovery pops up... you are good to go. It'll take care of itself.

I used these methods to recover my HP dv6-6140tx laptop. Every laptop has different hardware and software settings. So this can/cannot work.
Also I mixed a lot of tutorials to build one. Thanks to all the commenters in this post.
Hope it helps.. 🙂

[Ih0r]

I want to add that for G62-a35er laptop bios version F.0B doesn't recover. I tried almost a week to hold keys from 3 seconds to more than minute. When I tried latest F.48 bios it recovered. But I didn't noticed messages because of display problem with new bios described upper. And after recovery I normally flashed F.0B bios.

[RobinsNest]

We appreciate these details and have the same problem. We will be attempting to recover BIOS on our CQ61Z-300. No idea why the BIOS became corrupt/failed, it locked up then won't boot. Double flashing caps lock indicating BIOS failure. The notebook is out of warranty.

[AxshunJaxun]

Hey RobinsNest,

Take a look at this document for help rolling back the BIOS to a previous version. 

Restoring the BIOS

Hope this helps! I'll keep an eye out for your reply

[Javierhdiaz]

i did the same way, and it works. it looks like the recent LAPTOPs, require RSA signature for BIOS. My laptop is a Pavilion DV7 CTO 8x 2.3GHz, 8GB, RADEON6700-2G. (LM336AV)

[katzboom]

hi guys, I have hp support assistant installed and it informs me to update my bios. now i have the uefi installed on a partition on my hard drive  and would like to update my bios using it. anyone can give me instructions on how to do so?

btw, my current bios is F.03 and hp support assistant suggest to dload and install f.24 but checking the hp website for my laptop model (hp 450 notebook pc) has a newer bios f.26. which bios should i use to update?