HP BIOS updates reportedly leave some laptops stuck during boot
HP is investigating reports of BIOS updates causing boot issues on some of its business laptops and mobile workstations. According to The Register, users have reported frozen boot screens, higher fan noise, crashes and Blue Screens of Death after recent firmware updates.
The issue appears to affect at least two AMD-based premium models. For the ZBook Ultra G1a, users point to BIOS versions 01.04.03 and 01.04.05. For the EliteBook X G1a, the reported problematic versions are 01.03.11 and 01.05.00.
The Register reports that the update was marked as critical and delivered through Windows Update. This means it could be installed automatically, unless firmware updates from the operating system were disabled in BIOS settings.
“HP is aware of purported BIOS issues and is looking into the matter.”
— HP to The Register
Some affected users have reported success with BIOS downgrade recovery, but the process does not appear straightforward. The report claims that network BIOS downgrade worked for some users only with an HP USB-C to Ethernet adapter. HP told The Register that it is aware of the reported BIOS issues and is looking into the matter.
This is not the first time HP users have reported serious problems after firmware updates. The Register also points to a 2024 case where BIOS updates left some ProBook laptops unusable. The current reports arrive as Microsoft is applying more scrutiny to third-party drivers and firmware updates distributed through Windows Update.
Source: The Register
