Unanswered Topics - Desktops

I have a number of questions about HP Support Assistant, and would be pleased if someone, perhaps even from HP, would answer them.

1. My machine is from October 2018. The HPSA version currently on it is 8.8.24.33. Whenever I go to the "Check for HPSA updates" (to the HPSA program), it tells me that there are indeed updates, connects to the HP server and stalls on "Downloading". In other words, it doesn't do it.

2. I see that HPSA is also offered in a V9 to "certain HP machines". Nowhere does it say which machines exactly. Why not? If I download the "latest version" as a file sp102329, the preliminary "blurb" states that this is "9 (whatever)/8.8.24.33" and what I get when install completes is V8.

3. Annoying and unexplained, but liveable. However, this is not. If I check for system updates and downloads, previous instals are either not listed, listed as still required, or otherwise wrong. For example, I installed BIOS A40 in February, but this is still listed in the Action Log as "Deleted".

4. If I go to the Drivers and Downloads HP web page for this machine, it lists a new BIOS version A41 as available. However, when I use HPSA to check for updates, this BIOS update is not listed or offered. Why?

Overall, HPSA is either inaccurate or non-functional as the "gateway" to keeping my HP machine updated with whatever software the company offers for it. This is less than satisfactory, given that I am one of those now emerging (I hope) from the catastrophic fiasco of the KMODE bootloop covered at length in the Community (but without a single post that I can see from anyone at HP!).

Answers please, and no, I shan't be doing a fresh instal of my system or any of the other facile and simplistic "solutions" offered.