 Laptops & tablets Desktops Printers Ink & toner Displays & accessories Business solutions Support


HP Customer Support

Support Home Products Software and Drivers Forums Contact Support

HP Notebook PCs - Restoring the BIOS

 Recovering the notebook BIOS using a key press combination
 Recovering the notebook BIOS using an external storage device

This document pertains to all HP notebook PCs including notebooks with HP SureStart architecture.

If the BIOS on your notebook becomes corrupted, such as from a failed BIOS upgrade or damage from a virus, the computer might show any the
following symptoms:

The computer displays the error message BIOS APPLICATION ERROR 501.

The computer stops at a black or blank screen and it will not enter any of the Boot Options, such as: the BIOS Setup Utility, Hardware
Diagnostic Tools, System Recovery screens, etc.

The computer does not boot and the Caps Lock or Num Lock LED blinks twice, or the computer emits beep codes.

The computer turns on (for example, the fan might spin), but there is no video on the internal display or external monitor, and it does not
boot into the operating system.

If the computer shows any of the previous symptoms and it does not boot up, use this document to restore the BIOS.

Many HP notebook computers have an HP BIOS Restore tool to recover the BIOS from an earlier version and restore basic functionality. This tool
might or might not work in the event of BIOS corruption depending on many factors, but it is worth trying in the event the BIOS has become
corrupted.

Recovering the notebook BIOS using a key press combination

When you upgrade the BIOS on your notebook, a copy of the previous BIOS version is stored on your hard drive. Many HP notebook computers have
an emergency BIOS recovery feature that allows you to recover and install the last known good version of the BIOS from the hard drive, as long as
the hard drive remains functional. This emergency recovery feature is separate from the BIOS and is designed to work in the event of a catastrophic
BIOS failure.

 NOTE:

If the hard disk partition is deleted or inaccessible, follow the steps in the Recovering the notebook BIOS using an external storage device
section.

Video of restoring the BIOS with a key press combination

 View this video on YouTube. 

Follow these steps to recover an earlier version of the BIOS on your notebook:

1. Turn off the computer.

2. Plug the notebook into a power source using the power adapter.

3. With the computer off, press and hold the Windows logo key and the B key at the same time.

4. Still pressing those keys, press and hold down the Power button on the computer for 2 to 3 seconds, and then release the Power button but
continue to hold the Windows and B keys until the BIOS update screen is displayed or until you hear a beeping sound (usually 8 beeps).

The power LED light remains on, and the screen remains blank for about 40 seconds before anything appears on the display. You might also
hear beeping sounds. Eventually, an HP BIOS Update screen displays and the BIOS update begins automatically.

Figure 1: HP BIOS Update screen

If the HP BIOS Update screen displays, continue to step 5.

If the HP BIOS Update screen does not display, find your condition from the following options and then follow the steps for that condition:

Computer boots into Windows

If your computer is able to boot into Windows, update the BIOS to the latest version using the standard BIOS update procedure. Follow
these steps for your type of computer:

Updating the BIOS (Desktop)

 Updating the BIOS (Notebooks)

Power LED light turns off

The computer turns off if you press and hold the power button too long. Repeat steps 1 through 4 above, this time press and hold the
power button down for between two to three seconds in step 4.

After repeated attempts, the HP BIOS Update screen does not open

Contact HP Customer Support .

5. After the BIOS is recovered, a Continue Startup button displays and a timer counts down. Click the Continue Startup button to restart the
computer immediately. The computer restarts automatically when the timer reaches zero.

Figure 2: HP BIOS Update screen

6. When the computer restarts, a message similar to the following displays: A system BIOS Recovery has occurred. BIOS Recovery (500) Enter –
Continue.

Press the Enter key to continue immediately or to allow the computer to reboot automatically.

 NOTE:

After restoring the BIOS, if the computer repeatedly displays a message that the BIOS has been recovered, perform the steps in the HP
support document: HP BIOS Application Selected is Corrupt or Missing.

7. After restarting, Windows might display a message stating that the computer was improperly shut down or that a boot problem was
detected. Read and respond to the screens to continue.

Recovering the notebook BIOS using an external storage device

If the HP_TOOLS volume (Windows 7) or UEFI partition (Windows 10, 8) on your hard drive has been deleted, you can use a USB drive with an
HP_TOOLS volume as an alternative to restore your notebook BIOS. Follow the steps in this section to use the HP System BIOS Update Utility to
create a BIOS recovery drive.

 NOTE:

The USB drive does not need to be bootable.

Before you begin

Before downloading the BIOS file and creating the BIOS recovery media, you need the following:

The product number of the computer that is not booting into the operating system

The product number is usually located on a sticker on the bottom of the computer. If you need help finding the product number on your
computer that does not boot into the operating system, refer to How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?.

Another computer with an Internet connection

If your computer does not boot into the operating system, use another computer with an Internet connection to download the BIOS and
save it to a USB drive.

A blank USB drive

Step 1: Finding and downloading the BIOS file

To find and download the BIOS for your computer, find the specific product number of the computer that is not booting up and follow these
steps:

1. Go to the HP Customer Support website.

2. Select your Country/language option, and then select Software and Drivers.

3. Search for your computer model number and navigate to the product page for your notebook.

For help finding your notebook model number, refer to the HP support document How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?.

4. Select the operating system (such as Microsoft Windows 8.1) of the computer that is not booting, and then click Update.

5. The webpage lists the available downloads for your computer. If a BIOS category is listed, click BIOS.

6. Click Details to view more information about the BIOS update package.

7. If multiple BIOS files are available, select the most recently released file, or select the one you need (if a specific BIOS file was
recommended for restoring your computer). Click Download and save the file to a convenient location on your computer.

Step 2: Creating the BIOS recovery media

Once the BIOS file is downloaded, create the BIOS recovery media using the following steps:

Video of creating a BIOS recovery flash drive

View this video on YouTube. 

1. Connect a blank USB drive to the computer.

2. Double-click the BIOS file that you downloaded and saved.

3. In the InstallShield Wizard window, click Next.

Figure 3: Click Next in the InstallShield Wizard

4. Select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next.

Figure 4: End User License Agreement

5. In the Location to Save Files window, click Change.

6. Select the USB storage drive, click OK, and then click Next.

7. The HP System BIOS Update Utility opens. Click Next.

Figure 5: HP System BIOS Update Utility

8. Select Create Recovery USB flash drive, and then click Next.

Figure 6: Create Recovery USB flash drive

9. Select your USB drive, and then click Next.

Figure 7: Select your USB drive

10. Wait while the computer copies the BIOS files to your USB drive. When the message: The recovery flash drive was created successfully
displays, click Finish.

The HP System BIOS Update Utility window opens again.

Figure 8: Click Finish

11. The recovery BIOS is saved on the USB drive, renamed HP_TOOLS. Click Cancel to close the window.

Figure 9: HP System BIOS Update Utility

 12. Remove the USB drive from the computer.

Step 3: Installing the BIOS on the computer that is not running

Restore the BIOS on the notebook that is not running using the following steps:

Video of restoring the BIOS with a recovery flash drive

View this video on YouTube. 

1. Shut down the computer completely and wait a few seconds.

2. Plug an AC adapter into the notebook.

3. Insert the BIOS recovery USB drive into the notebook.

4. With the computer off, press and hold the Windows logo key and the B key at the same time.

5. Still pressing those keys, press and hold down the Power button on the computer for 2 to 3 seconds, and then release the Power button
but continue to hold the Windows and B keys until the BIOS update screen is displayed or until you hear a beeping sound (usually 8 beeps).

The HP BIOS Update screen displays the update progress.

 If the HP BIOS Update screen does not display after repeated attempts, your computer might not support this function, or there is a
hardware problem preventing the tool from opening. For additional support options contact HP Customer Support .

Figure 10: Progress of the HP BIOS Update

6. After the BIOS is installed, a Continue Startup button displays and a restart timer counts down. Click the Continue Startup button to
restart the computer immediately.

 NOTE:

The computer restarts automatically when the timer reaches zero.

Figure 11: The System BIOS recovery is complete

7. When the computer restarts, a message similar to the following displays: A system BIOS Recovery has occurred. BIOS Recovery (500)
Enter – Continue.

This is not an error message. The message indicates that the BIOS update has completed. Press the Enter key to proceed.

 NOTE:

After installing the BIOS, if the computer does not boot into the operating system and repeatedly displays a message that the BIOS
has been recovered, perform the steps the HP support document HP BIOS Application Selected is Corrupt or Missing.
 8. After restarting, Windows might display a message stating that the computer shut down improperly or that a boot problem was detected.
Read and respond to the screens to continue.

You are now able to enter the BIOS menu or boot into the Windows operating system after recovering the BIOS.

Was this document helpful?
 Yes
 No

Survey Powered By Qualtrics

Ask the community!

Support Forum
Join the conversation! Find Solutions, ask questions, and share advice with other HP product owners. Visit now

Country: United States

About us Ways to buy Support HP Partners Stay connected

Contact HP Shop online Download drivers HP Partner First program    

Careers Store locator Support & troubleshooting HP Partner First Portal
Investor relations Call an HP rep Forums Developers
Sign up for news & offers
Sustainability Find a reseller Register your product
Newsroom Enterprise store Manage commercial support
Email address
Accessibility Public sector purchasing cases
Authorized service providers
Check repair status Submit
Training & certification

Recalls | Product recycling | CA Supply Chains Act | Site map | Privacy | Terms of Use | Cookies & ad choices | Limited warranty statement |
Terms & conditions of sales & service

© Copyright 2016 HP Development Company, L.P.