HP bricks ProBook laptops with bad BIOS delivered via automatic updates — many users face black screen after Windows pushes new firmware ( www.tomshardware.com )

On May 26, a user on HP's support forums reported that a forced, automatic BIOS update had bricked their HP ProBook 455 G7 into an unusable state. Subsequently, other users have joined the thread to sound off about experiencing the same issue.

This common knowledge regarding BIOS software would, then, seem to make automatic, forced BIOS updates a real issue, even if it weren't breaking anything. Allowing the user to manually install and prepare their systems for a BIOS update is key to preventing issues like this.

At the time of writing, HP has made no official comment on the matter — and since this battery update was forced on laptops originally released in 2020, this issue has also bricked hardware outside of the warranty window, when previously users could simply send in the laptop for a free repair.

Overall, this isn't a very good look for HP, particularly its BIOS update practices. The fragility of BIOS software should have tipped off the powers at be at HP about the lack of foresight in this release model, and now we're seeing it in full force with forced, bugged BIOS updates that kill laptops.

unphazed ,

This happened to me on my daughters Lenovo. Got a windows update overnight. Updated while traveling in the car. Wouldn't boot. Apparently the BIOS updated and there was no fix. Had to send gor a replacement under warranty. Sent it off, took 8 weeks to get it back. Wasn't even the same serial number, just a replacement with no sdd.

TCB13 ,
@TCB13@lemmy.world avatar

User error, should've got an EliteBook instead of that cheaper thing. :P

Jackcooper ,

At a business we had an hp laptop for 6 months before it bricked. We sent in for warranty, they sent it back saying we broke it in a noncovered way

It was a workstation on a table top that never had any food etc near us. Even with appeals they will not fix it. My IT guy is now aware we do not do business with them.

AI_toothbrush ,

What the hell. How are automatic bios updates a thing. That seems like a horrible idea for multople different reasons.

D_Air1 ,
@D_Air1@lemmy.ml avatar

I swear when it comes to forced updates of any kind it seems like this kind of outcome is always inevitable. There will at some point always be a bad update.

MonkderDritte , (edited )

and since this battery update was forced on laptops originally released in 2020, this issue has also bricked hardware outside of the warranty window, when previously users could simply send in the laptop for a free repair.

Anyway, they break it, they fix or replace it.

There's even laws in some countries about computer sabotage. Germany for one.

davidgro ,

After the first 4 words of the title I was assuming it was intentional - Glad it doesn't seem to be, but HP's reputation is just that bad.

Xanxia ,

My wife's Elitebook was also bricked by the most recent forced BIOS update.

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