Hardware: How to update BIOS on HP Laptop using Linux

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Warning Warning Warning: BIOS is key component of computer. Failure to flash/update it properly may brick laptop. Proceed at your own risk and only if you are familiar with BIOS update process. If you are not sure then use windows update tools from HP support site.

I have only Linux installed on my HP ProBook & EliteBook. I would like to update BIOS but I don't want to install MS Windows. HP web pages don't mention it directly but there are several ways how to update BIOS without using MS Windows operating system.

I will describe several ways how to update BIOS for both of my laptops:

  • HP ProBook 650 G2
  • HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G1

These procedures may work also on similar models from HP but there is no guarantee that it will work in future. HP may change update procedures so watch carefully output from commands.

Warning 1: Make sure that you have fully charged battery and laptop is running from AC. Don't shutdown or try to interrupt update once it started. Failure to obey this steps may brick your laptop.

Warning 2: All names and FW version are based on FW at time of writing this article. You need to adapt names for newer versions.

Warning 3: Review BIOS configuration after each BIOS upgrade. Configuration may be updated based on hard-coded options in BIOS update file and / or configuration options may be introduced / removed / changed during update.

Verify if update is needed

Using root privileges execute lshw and examine output: 

lukas                     
    description: Notebook
    product: HP ProBook 650 G2 (V1C29ES#BCM)
    vendor: HP
...
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: HP
          physical id: b
          version: N87 Ver. 01.07
          date: 04/18/2017
          size: 64KiB
          capacity: 15MiB
...

First section show full name of laptop (preferred way is to check sticker on laptop). Firmware section show version of BIOS (preferred way is to check this in POST during boot-up or in BIOS configuration utility). I captured this after I performed BIOS update.

Note full product name and BIOS version / date then continue with:

  • Navigate to support.hp.com.
  • Enter full computer model.
  • Select "Software and driver".
  • Insert "Windows 10 (64bit)" if you are asked for OS version.
  • Search for "BIOS" section and pick latest one from list.

BIOS section may be missing on web page if there are no updates available yet. This is common for relatively new products. If you found never version of BIOS then download it and continue with next steps.

HP ProBook 650 G2

Network update

HP ProBook 650 G2 have build in functionality to update BIOS over network. Unfortunately this newer worked for me. I suspect that problem is how HP so often change they URL schemas. Mostly likely update URL was no longer valid and updater failed to find necessary files. I will mention it here as reference. It may work with certain relative new versions of BIOS.

  • Reboot laptop and interrupt boot process by using ESC or F10 key.
  • If you used ESC key then select "BIOS Setup (F10)" from menu.
  • In "Main" section select "Update System BIOS".
  • Configure network by following onscreen instructions.
  • Invoke update utility by selecting "Check HP.com for BIOS Updates"

If everything goes well then update is applied seamlessly.

... I my case this show repeatedly that it is not possible to contact HP.com. I assume that I had too old version of BIOS.

(U)EFI Update & USB flash update

If you have (U)EFI system installed on laptop then this may be easiest way to perform update.

  • Extract files from downloaded exe file using 7-Zip (7z) or "Archive manager".
  • Locate "bin" file in root of extracted directory with name format <HW_version>_<release>.bin. For my laptop correct file is N87_0107.bin.
  • Copy file to EFI/HP/BIOS/New/ on EFI partition or to Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/New/ on USB flash. USB flash should be formated as vfat / FAT32 on "c" partition. There should be only one partition on USB flash.
  • Reboot laptop and interrupt boot process using "ESC" key.
  • Select "Update System BIOS" from menu.
  • Follow onscreen instructions.

Laptop will play sequence of tones at least 3 to 4 times and then normally boot. Be patient it will take some time.

Alternate way is to use BIOS setup utility.

  • Interrupt boot using "F10" and enter BIOS Setup.
  • Select "Update System BIOS" from "Main" section.
  • Select "Update BIOS Using Local Media".
  • Follow onscreen instructions.

Recovery USB Flash

This option may be helpful if you have access to Windows machine (VM or someone else laptop). It is not necessary to be HP machine.

I will use names for "N87 Ver. 01.07". It may be different for different version of FW update.

  • Insert empty USB flash to machine and format it as FAT32 using menu in Windows.
  • Download sp79860.exe and execute it.
  • Follow onscreen information.
  • This will create c:\SWSetup\SP79860.
  • Navigate to C:\SWSetup\SP79860\HPQFlash and execute SP79860_H.exe.
  • This will create C:\SWSetup\SP79860_H and start "HP Update BIOS and Recovery".
  • Verify that HW version and update version is correct.
  • Select "Create recovery USB flash drive".
  • Wait for installer to populate flash with files.
  • Use "safe remove" menu on Windows and then disconnect USB flash.
  • Shutdown target laptop.
  • Connect prepared USB flash and power on laptop.
  • Laptop should recognize USB flash and ask for BIOS update. If not then try to invoke it using F10 or ESC as described in previous part.

If you would like to try to create this USB Flash on Linux then follow this steps (untested!!!):

  • Extract files from sp79860.exe using 7-Zip or Archive Manager.
  • Create only one partition on USB flash (type c) and format it as vfat / FAT32.
  • Create Hewlett-Packard directly on USB flash.
  • Copy BIOSUpdate to Hewlett-Packard.
  • Copy firmware "bin" file to Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/New.
  • Reboot laptop and try one of "ESC" or "F10" steps mentioned in previous sections.

HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G1

USB Flash update

  • Create only one partition on USB flash (type c) and format it as vfat / FAT32.
  • Extract downloaded firmware file using 7-Zip (sp77819.exe)
  • Create Hewlett-Packard directly on USB flash.
  • Copy BIOSUpdate to Hewlett-Packard.
  • Create BIOS/New in Hewlett-Packard.
  • Extract Rom.CAB to temporary directory.
  • Examine ver.txt for firmware file name (_ROM_ 68IOD ...). Second word is name.
  • Copy Rom.bin as 68IOD.bin to Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/New.
  • Copy efibios.sig as 68IOD.sig to Hewlett-Packard/BIOS/New.
  • Umount and remove USB Flash.
  • Power off laptop and connect USB Flash.
  • Power on laptop and interrupt boot process using "F10".
  • Mark "Update System BIOS" in "File" menu.
  • Confirm update. Save changes and exit BIOS Setup.
  • Follow onscreen instructions.

Note: This laptop need power cycle to initialize update. If you change settings after reboot then it will be ignored until laptop is powered down and restarted from "cold" state.

Recovery USB Flash

This option may be helpful if you have access to Windows machine (VM or someone else laptop). It is not necessary to be HP machine.

  • Insert empty USB flash to machine and format it as FAT32 using menu in Windows.
  • Download sp77819.exe and execute it.
  • Update manager start automatically once files are extracted.
  • Select "Create recovery USB flash drive".
  • Use "safe remove" menu on Windows and then disconnect USB flash.
  • Power off laptop and connect USB Flash.
  • Power on laptop and interrupt boot process using "F10".
  • Mark "Update System BIOS" in "File" menu.
  • Confirm update. Save changes and exit BIOS Setup.
  • Follow onscreen instructions.
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