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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 [email protected] to c/[email protected]

141 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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[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Why anyone buys HP shit these days is beyond me. So many better options.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I have a no HP policy because of their printers and a no Samsung policy because of their TVs.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

I also have a no Samsung policy, because of their refrigerators.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

I work at in a place that has 1000s of these piece of shit probooks. There is so much marketing about environmentalism yet these laptops are e-waste after 4 years if they even last that long. No one repairs any thing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I tried to disable the atom cores on the £2000 laptop recently.
It took me about 10 mins not finding it in the BIOS, to discover that HP just doesn't have an option for it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What are your suggestions? The only reasonable choice I've found is the Framework. I'd prefer if I had more than a single choice.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I don't buy enough laptops to answer that. My last purchase was an Asus which I'm happy with, but after their recent scandal with scamming customers on warranties I don't think I'll be buying from them again. But HP has such a terrible track record with laptops, printers, and just the way they operate in general for consumer stuff, that I would never consider purchasing consumer devices from them.