Notebook Hardware and Upgrade Questions

Hi,

I'm trying to update the BIOS to the latest version using the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics but it's giving an error of “BIOS Image File Specified is not intended for this system”. The 'System Board ID' is 80D1 and current 'BIOS Version' is F.16 (it was F.19 but I've had to restore it and F.16 must have been the original version on the machine). I've downloaded the latest version F.1D and used the .exe to write it to a USB. I'm then selecting the 080D1.bin file in the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics and it's giving me an error of “BIOS Image File Specified is not intended for this system”. As far as I can see I'm selecting the correct .bin file for the 'System Board ID'. The only .bin file I can get it to not give that error is the 080DX.bin, but that fails with another error and also leaves the BIOS corrupted (hence why it's been restored to version F.16).

The reason I'm trying this is because the machine has gone in to an endless cycle of a pale blue error screen that then tries to do an automatic repair that fails, then displays the same pale blue error screen and so on. I can't get in to Windows 10 and the repair USB I'd prepared when I first got the laptop does nothing. I've also downloaded Windows 10 and created a bootable USB to try and repair Windows, but that comes up with the setup screen briefly then is followed by the same pale blue error screen.

I've performed the extensive hard drive test and memory test and all OK. I can also still boot to Kubuntu that I've been dual booting to since I got the machine and that has no problems. It's just seems to be Windows 10 that has this issue. I've been having locking issues since the Windows 10 anniversary update last year and have tried a lot of the solutions that seem to have worked for other people, but no change. Then a couple of weeks ago this pale blue error screen appeared on bootup and when it happened on the brand new Windows install USB it occurred to me that it may well be some Windows update that's now causing an error with the BIOS, or perhaps an even bigger error with the BIOS.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. You won't believe how hard it's been to type this without swear words. When I think of the number of hours I've spent trying to sort this out and the locking issues before this, it just makes me feel like taking a sledge hammer to it.

Thanks