HP investigating BIOS updates that leave premium laptop users in boot loop limbo
Personal Tech
Slowdowns, crashes, BSODs reported on pricey mobile workstations
HP customers are reporting problems with BIOS updates for the PC maker's premium laptops.Over the past few months, customers have used forums to register complaints over unbootable devices, spikes in fan noise, and Blue Screens of Death following BIOS firmware updates.An example cropped up in April, when a user of a ZBook Ultra G1a (a very expensive mobile workstation) complained that a BIOS update had caused the machine to "freeze completely during the boot process."
The customer wasn't alone: other forums including Reddit showed many other users experiencing problems.
The cause appears to be a BIOS update, flagged as critical, and pushed through Windows Update. As a critical update, the patch was automatically applied, which is where the fun begins for affected users.In the case of the ZBook Ultra G1a, the broken BIOS versions are 01.04.03 and 01.04.05. The problematic BIOS versions for the EliteBook X G1a are 01.03.11 and 01.05.00.Stopping the update is one option, and the BIOS lets users prevent the operating system from initiating updates. However, once the update has completed, reverting to a known working version is problematic. Users have reported some success using the network BIOS downgrade functionality, but only with an HP USB-C to Ethernet dongle.
This is far from HP's first rodeo when it comes to BIOS updates turning laptops into expensive paperweights. In 2024, an update left some devices irretrievably bricked and customers facing hefty hardware repair bills. The current issues come at a time when Microsoft is working to improve the reliability of Windows and applying greater scrutiny to third-party drivers sent through Windows Update. The service can also be used for BIOS and other firmware updates.HP told The Register: "HP is aware of purported BIOS issues and is looking into the matter." The hardware vendor suggested that affected users contact its support teams for assistance.Timing is everything. On May 20, Richard Hughes of the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) project announced that HP was joining Lenovo and Dell as premier sponsors. The LVFS initiative is an open source firmware updating solution. Here's hoping that HP is only bringing its dollars and not any of the BIOS update quality problems currently frustrating some of its customers. ®
