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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]

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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] 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.

[–] [email protected] 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.

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

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

[–] [email protected] 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.

[–] [email protected] 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.