HP BIOS version confusion

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xpd

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#281285 9-Feb-2021 12:12

Trying to resolve an issue on a HP Pavillion laptop..... looking at BIOS, the currently installed version is F.45 dated June 2020, yet looking at the support site for the laptop, their latest update is F30 dated November 2020.

Confused.... :D

Do I risk pushing through the one from the HP site.... which is dated more recent...

XPD / Gavin

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#2654454 11-Feb-2021 09:47

Unless you need to fix a nasty bug,

I wouldnt risk it, the HP website is a messy disgrace.
They dont seem to know whats in their own PC's & laptops : eg the driver list for a PC will sometimes list 5 different NIC's (so they dont know whats in it)

Ive trashed a brand new HP business PC , when the bios on the website was not correct for the PC . Even HP support said to use that bios update .
I suspect that model had more than one variation of mb .
Luckily HP replaced the MB under warranty .

Ive even had firmware updates on brand new HP servers leave the server broken .

xpd

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#2654465 11-Feb-2021 10:05

I'm suspecting someone made a typo but yeah, not keen to try it :D

And then you see posts like this...... makes you wonder what HP are feeding their staff.

https://twitter.com/Konfluscience/status/1358869947917742083

XPD / Gavin

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#2654470 11-Feb-2021 10:17

1101:

Unless you need to fix a nasty bug,

I wouldnt risk it, the HP website is a messy disgrace.
They dont seem to know whats in their own PC's & laptops : eg the driver list for a PC will sometimes list 5 different NIC's (so they dont know whats in it)

That's normal; system configurations vary with spec.

1101:
Ive trashed a brand new HP business PC , when the bios on the website was not correct for the PC . Even HP support said to use that bios update .
I suspect that model had more than one variation of mb .
Luckily HP replaced the MB under warranty .

Ive even had firmware updates on brand new HP servers leave the server broken .

My experience with HP/HPE is a little different. Great support, great tech docs, great deployment tools...... can't complain tbh (well except maybe BIOS whitelisting).

K8Toledo

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#2654472 11-Feb-2021 10:19

xpd:

Trying to resolve an issue on a HP Pavillion laptop..... looking at BIOS, the currently installed version is F.45 dated June 2020, yet looking at the support site for the laptop, their latest update is F30 dated November 2020.

Confused.... :D

Do I risk pushing through the one from the HP site.... which is dated more recent...

What machine do you own? If you like I can check SPDM/Image Assist

xpd

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#2654475 11-Feb-2021 10:23

Staff members laptop..... and in different city as well which makes things fun as well...

HP Laptop - 15s-eq1027au

XPD / Gavin

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xpd

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#2654477 11-Feb-2021 10:26

Basically, user has 2x external screens and a HP USB C dock. When he connects everything up, the screens don't work and he gets a Windows message which points to a potential driver issue. Yet hes running latest drivers and updates etc. He swears hes had it working before on a colleagues screens and dock.

XPD / Gavin

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#2654485 11-Feb-2021 10:53

xpd:

Basically, user has 2x external screens and a HP USB C dock. When he connects everything up, the screens don't work and he gets a Windows message which points to a potential driver issue. Yet hes running latest drivers and updates etc. He swears hes had it working before on a colleagues screens and dock.

Are one or both displays connected via USB?

xpd

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#2654530 11-Feb-2021 11:01

Its USB C - so Laptop -> USB C Dock > 2x DP connected screens.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NBDHNB4512981/HP-Elite-HP-USB-C-Dock-G5-2X-USB-202X-DisplayPort1

I'm using same dock here but different laptop (Probook) and dual external screens.

XPD / Gavin

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#2654536 11-Feb-2021 11:26

PM sent

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#2654539 11-Feb-2021 11:30

This ol Chesnut.

As you have found, they also engage different BIOS suppliers/revisions. So the download mileage may vary depending on factory it come out of - using the product ABCxcc#abg helps narrow this down.

Or, using the HP bloat that goes away and gets them for you based on this data.

Secondary, with USB-C and docks, can be passthrough, or may have it's own internal USB->output chips and associated firmware updates

Coming down to the laptop, if passthrough (some form of graphics ram offload) I've seen issues where it may not be able to drive all of them at once.

What can change this you say.

Dock Firmware - update the guts of it

System BIOS - may or may not include thunderbolt (if applicable) update

Thunderbolt/firmware standalone update

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#2654595 11-Feb-2021 12:49

xpd:

Its USB C - so Laptop -> USB C Dock > 2x DP connected screens.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NBDHNB4512981/HP-Elite-HP-USB-C-Dock-G5-2X-USB-202X-DisplayPort1

I'm using same dock here but different laptop (Probook) and dual external screens.

Just an FYI as I've had similar issues before, HP business models support DP Alt mode over USB-C where as their consumer models don't so while it's the same dock it would be using display port for your probook but standard USB on the 15s-eq1027au

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#2654604 11-Feb-2021 13:07

Thanks all, will take a look at other dock options for this user :)

Or tell him to sell his current laptop and get a business model.... ;)

XPD / Gavin

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#2654764 11-Feb-2021 16:50

xpd:

I'm suspecting someone made a typo but yeah, not keen to try it :D

And then you see posts like this...... makes you wonder what HP are feeding their staff.

https://twitter.com/Konfluscience/status/1358869947917742083

Nah that's just the latest advancement in thermal compound technology: PaperPaste. Tests results show PaperPaste makes heat transfer more efficient when compared with other compounds like peanut butter or Nutella.

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#2654801 11-Feb-2021 17:36

K8Toledo:

1101:

Unless you need to fix a nasty bug,

I wouldnt risk it, the HP website is a messy disgrace.
They dont seem to know whats in their own PC's & laptops : eg the driver list for a PC will sometimes list 5 different NIC's (so they dont know whats in it)

That's normal; system configurations vary with spec.

Yep HP not the only one doing this. Apple, Lenovo, etc will swap out different parts even for the same model as long as it's providing the same advertised functionality.

For HP, could use the update app HP provides? It can check the specific hardware installed and work out the specific firmware/drivers that need updating. Might be more reliable than trying to figure it out manually.

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#2654804 11-Feb-2021 17:46

xpd:

Basically, user has 2x external screens and a HP USB C dock. When he connects everything up, the screens don't work and he gets a Windows message which points to a potential driver issue. Yet hes running latest drivers and updates etc. He swears hes had it working before on a colleagues screens and dock.

Are they higher resolution screens? What interface are they connected to. There are some very annoying issues with high resolution (think 1440p and higher) monitors and HP docking.

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