this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2024

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

submitted 5 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

148 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

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[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 22 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

HP laptops are garbage. This is the hinge of my HP X360 laptop after 6 months of occasional use: https://i.imgur.com/LhZWBIt.jpg

[–] baatliwala@lemmy.world 26 points 5 months ago

Damn that laptop is unhinged

[–] Omega_Jimes@lemmy.ca 8 points 5 months ago (3 children)

They're very inconsistent. I've had an x360 since 2020 and, aside from the hinge being weak, it's still going. I'm also pretty careless with my equipment. My wife uses it now.

But then, I've seen more than one like yours that has seemed to evaporate like a cheap t-shirt.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

HP has known the hinges are defective since they introduced them. There are so many people having problems a class action suit was filed about it.

[–] Iloveyurianime@ani.social 3 points 5 months ago

Hp means Hinge problem as every single one of their laptops have some problem with their hinges

[–] michael_palmer@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 5 months ago

I have an HP 530 from 2007, and its hinges are fine. I upgraded it to 2 GB of RAM (I have core2duo model) and installed Linux Mint. I use it at work to open the corporate web portal and watch youtube, which is only possible with a modern web browser.

[–] terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 months ago

Check the torq of the hinge screws. They tend to come loose over time and can rock a little. This can cause the plastic to break that holds the female standoffs that it attaches too.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

They don’t play well with Linux. Occasionally my HP laptop will turn back on SecureBoot with no warning. There’s also like a full minute of delay between opening the thing and keyboard strokes registering. (Iirc, HP is so Linux hostile it’s not really supported by Arch)

[–] Anti_Iridium@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Mine will start immediately after shutting down. I have never found a solution other than holding the power button

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

Must depend on the model. I've been running Mint on that (repaired) X360 for years without significant problems outside crappy Realtek wireless module issues.

[–] axo@feddit.de 3 points 5 months ago

That problem has every consumer laptop. Lenovos Ideapads and Thinkbooks do the same. As well as the Asus, Acer, etc notebooks from the cheaper end.

I do those hinge repairs from time to time for customers and its rarely a thinkpad, elitebooks, probook, etc.

[–] terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If it's not a touchscreen, it's fairly easy to repair. Still shouldn't have broke in the first place, but it's just the back panel cover.

I've repaired hundreds of laptops across multiple vendors on all kinds of damage, fwiw.

[–] Aux@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Touchscreens are also easy to repair, they just have two more wires in the ribbon, that's all.

[–] terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Depends on the model. Some are more involved than others.

[–] Aux@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, agree. But it doesn't have to be that way. Some companies are just lazy, sadly.

[–] terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 months ago

There's been a few models I've tried repairing in the field, and it would have required a likely damaging of the end of the WiFi antenna wires (at the very least). Some will have this effectively thick copper tape that's soldered onto the end of the WiFi wires, and the glue is very aggressive.

And again, some you can peel off without too much trouble, but some not as easily. Granted the vast majority of my repairs were onsite at the customers home/business.