Windows Update Bricks HP ProBook Laptops, HP wants €400 for Repairs, Who’s to Blame?

LaptopMedia.com News Windows Update Bricks HP ProBook Laptops, HP wants €400 for Repairs, Who's to Blame?

From: Severin Kolakov 12 June 2024 / 17:41 | 0

HP is blaming Microsoft for pushing faulty firmware, a firmware that HP themselves have developed. People have already complained about it, as several ProBook 445/455 G7 laptops that have received the update are now bricked and unusable. These are AMD-powered machines that launched back in 2020.

The firmware version 01.17 is now removed from HP’s update website, as well as from Windows Update, and the HP Support Assistant app. Below you can read an email sent by HP to a service center about the new update.

✉️ From: HP ✉️ To: Service Center

We have encountered an issue where HP has removed the BIOS from hp.com/HPIA. As a result, please refrain from updating any more PCs until further notice.

To assist with our investigation, we would like to borrow two PCs to send to our lab in the USA. If this is feasible, could you please provide the following information:

Contact person with phone number and email address
Complete pickup address
Serial numbers of both PCs

Please ensure the customer packs the PCs in suitable boxes. I will send DHL shipping labels and custom papers to facilitate the pickup as soon as possible. Remember to remove the SSD to ensure no customer data is shipped with the PCs.

We aim to send both PCs to our lab in Houston, USA, as soon as possible for further analysis.

HP support technicians on the forums stated that it’s Windows Update pushing this new firmware and that installing it from the Support Assistant doesn’t bring the same problem:

“…we have the same problem. Currently, 6 computers are broken this way. HP Authorized Service suggested that the BIOS in the Windows Update patch is faulty, but installing version 1.17 straight from the BIOS, via the Internet or using Support Assistant, the effect is the same.

The service technician replaced the motherboard and updated the BIOS from version 1.14 to version 1.17. Upgrading from versions 1.15 and 1.16 causes the problem.”

Since the laptops are out of warranty, HP wants around €400 to replace the motherboards of the laptops, which just isn’t feasible and you’re better off buying a new laptop altogether. This is maddening for consumers, who did nothing wrong, as HP is to blame for not testing and rolling out this new firmware. Microsoft is also a part of the problem for pushing out the firmware using Windows Update, which often starts updating on its own without asking for user permission.

“I opened a ticket with HP to request a repair. They then sent me a quote of around €400 for the replacement of the motherboard, which I refused because I don’t intend to pay for HP’s mistakes. They don’t want to know anything because my PC is no longer under warranty, leaving the consumer to pay for the damage caused by HP. I find this unacceptable for professional machines. At this point, I can no longer trust HP, especially with the updates they provide.”

Here are all HP laptops on LaptopMedia’s Specs System.