HP Laptop stuck on BIOS update

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

I’m trying to fix a laptop that won’t boot. I created a Windows installation USB to try to repair Windows if that’s the problem, but it would usually crash or blue screen before I could even boot into that.

So as a last ditch effort I thought I’d try to update the BIOS from a USB using HP’s BIOS recovery screen. It’s gotten stuck at 29%. I know it says not to power it off, but I can’t even do that. Holding the power button does nothing.

What do I do? How do I get the computer off?

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

I unplugged it, let the power drain, and tried again. This time it got stuck at 100%

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

Hi and welcome to the ElevenForums

To help us help you and for future reference; please fill out your computer specifications with as much detail as you can (If a Laptop, the exact model would do it)

At least tell us the model number of your HP please

Alternatively, if you want to fill in some detail, this link will open your System Specs:

https://www.elevenforum.com/account/system-specs

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

The model is HP Pavillion 15-cs00053cl

Unfortunately I think the BIOS is corrupt now. After it got stuck the second time, I let it run out of power again. This time it said “flashing boot block” when it came back on. Then that got stuck around 43%.

I let it run out of power a third time, and now it is a black screen with a flashing white light code on the caps lock button - 5 long and 3 short. I can’t get back to the BIOS recovery screen anymore.

Alchemy Tweaks · Aug 6, 2024

kujen said:
I’m trying to fix a laptop that won’t boot. I created a Windows installation USB to try to repair Windows if that’s the problem, but it would usually crash or blue screen before I could even boot into that.

So as a last ditch effort I thought I’d try to update the BIOS from a USB using HP’s BIOS recovery screen. It’s gotten stuck at 29%. I know it says not to power it off, but I can’t even do that. Holding the power button does nothing.

What do I do? How do I get the computer off?

Hi, do you have access to your BIOS at this moment or everything is full stucked now?

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

Alchemy Tweaks said:
Hi, do you have access to your BIOS at this moment or everything is full stucked now?

It’s stuck now due to the issues with it getting stuck during the BIOS update. Black screen with flashing caps lock code 5 long 3 short.

Prior to that, I was able to access the BIOS but not boot into Windows, and also struggled to boot into a Windows creation media USB. It just would blue screen a lot with various errors, or boot loop on the black HP screen.

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

Alchemy Tweaks said:
Hi, do you have access to your BIOS at this moment or everything is full stucked now?

Did you read the posts?

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

Sounds like Chip or Motherboard replacement time.
This is called bricking.
Be a long stretch but had you kept extending the warranty?

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

antspants said:
Sounds like Chip or Motherboard replacement time.

Be a long stretch but had you kept extending the warranty?

No at this point I’m just hoping the data on the SSD is safe. It’s an old M.2 drive so I’ve ordered an enclosure for it so I can hook it up to my desktop.

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

The SSD should be fine.

This would be another long stretch but you could open the HP and reset the CMOS

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

antspants said:
The SSD should be fine.

This would be another long stretch but you could open the HP and reset the CMOS

I’ve opened it up a few times trying to fix this. It doesn’t have the little CMOS battery but that function seems to be controlled by the laptop battery. I’ve reseated it a few times. I haven’t opened it up since the attempt to reset the BIOS, but I will try that again tomorrow when I get the SSD enclosure.

Do you think it is worth trying to run it with the battery completely out and on AC or would that not work?

Marcus Vinicus · Aug 6, 2024

Have you tried the steps in this post on the HP forums (the reply from an HP employee)?

Might be worth a try.

HP BIOS Update stuck

Hello My laptop (product number 5TA22EA) did an automatic BIOS update and is stuck at 23% on the "System BIOS being updated" screen at the "Writing new BIOS image" stage for 18 hours. The fan is loud. I have tried pressing the power button down for 40 seconds but it does not power off...

h30434.www3.hp.com

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

Marcus Vinicus said:
Have you tried the steps in this post on the HP forums (the reply from an HP employee)?

Might be worth a try.

HP BIOS Update stuck

Hello My laptop (product number 5TA22EA) did an automatic BIOS update and is stuck at 23% on the "System BIOS being updated" screen at the "Writing new BIOS image" stage for 18 hours. The fan is loud. I have tried pressing the power button down for 40 seconds but it does not power off...

h30434.www3.hp.com

Yes I tried that windows + B command. That’s what brought up the BIOS recovery screen (but it doesn’t anymore)

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

kujen said:
Do you think it is worth trying to run it with the battery completely out and on AC or would that not work?

You could try but because the Laptop BIOS update was interrupted (and more than once) I’d guess the laptop is bricked.

kujen said:
but it doesn’t anymore

Kind of not surprising.

Also, BIOS update is probably the very last thing to do. Coming here before that would of been better.

I am sorry this has happened to you.

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

antspants said:
You could try but because the Laptop BIOS update was interrupted (and more than once) I’d guess the laptop is bricked.

Kind of not surprising.

Also, BIOS update is probably the very last thing to do. Coming here before that would of been better.

I am sorry this has happened to you.

I agree, but I had tried working on it all day and didn’t know what else to try. I mainly wanted to use the creation media to repair windows and it wasn’t even letting me do that. I figured a BIOS update was like my last ditch effort.

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

I am having a hard time finding motherboard specifications. You would be correct re the CMOS battery, I have read that many laptops incorporate this into the main battery. But I would expect there to be a CMOS reset on the board. I (vaguely) read that other HP’s do.
Having said that, because it seems to have been bricked before that point, I’d doubt it would change anything. I don’t know and we can’t find the reset anyway. Maybe the battery is the only option on this laptop

Did you plug it in yet?

antspants · Aug 6, 2024

Question; When you were attempting the BIOS update, were you plugged in to AC power? If not, this could of been why the fails in updating the BIOS. Can’t really be sure now.

kujen · Aug 6, 2024

antspants said:
Question; When you were attempting the BIOS update, were you plugged in to AC power? If not, this could have been why the fails in updating the BIOS. Can’t really be sure now.

Yes it was plugged in. The problem was that it hung on that BIOS update screen. Around 29% the first time, then the second time it was on 100%. It would quickly get up to those percentages and then it would not make any progress, nor could I shutdown the laptop with the power button. I feel like unplugging it and letting the power drain was the only choice since it was stuck but wouldn’t turn off.

The couple times that I have taken the battery out and back in, before messing up the BIOS, I did get an error message about CMOS each time I turned it back on. So I think the CMOS was getting reset each time I did that. That’s why I’m wondering what would happen if I just ran it on AC without a battery, or if that wouldn’t work due to it needing that for the CMOS.

Before I messed up the BIOS I was getting blue screens and boot loops, and I ran the built in HP troubleshooter, and it said all the hardware passed except for the battery which just said it needed calibration. I had no issues with its runtime though.

I haven’t tried any more today, I’m just going to wait until after I get the SSD backed up tomorrow.