| # BIOS Flash Update |

This BIOS Flash Update SoftPaq contains utilities and data files that can be used to restore or upgrade the system BIOS on Hewlett-Packard business desktops. Several methods for changing the BIOS firmware stored on your computer are provided as described below.

- BIOS updates in Microsoft Windows OS.
- BIOS updates from the (ESC) Startup Menu or (F10) BIOS Setup Utility.
- BIOS updates on a system using Windows Bitlocker or BIOS measurements.
- BIOS updates from a DOS bootable USB storage device.
- Updating the BIOS with the System Software Management (SSM) application.
- Updating the BIOS with HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS).
- BIOS updates over a Local Area Network (LAN).
- Updating the BIOS after a failed flash.
- Folder and flash methods general descriptions.
- View revision history

## General Descriptions

Utilities and appropriate BIOS images are contained in each of the directories as follows:

DOS Flash - A DOS utility that can be used locally or with a Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) management application to update or restore the System BIOS.

HPQFlash - A utility to locally update or restore the System BIOS on individual PCs in the Microsoft Windows operating system. No backup will be made of the current System BIOS.

This Softpaq can also be used with the following methods of updating the System BIOS:

System Software Manager (SSM) - Use this SoftPaq with System Software Manager (SSM) to update the System BIOS on target PCs over the local area network. Place this SoftPaq in your SSM Filestore folder and then update the database. SSM is a free utility provided by Hewlett-Packard Company. For information on SSM, see http://www.hp.com/go/ssm.

HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS) - Use this Softpaq with HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS) and Altiris Notification Server to remotely target, distribute, and update the System BIOS on networked PCs. Place this SoftPaq in your HPCMS Filestore folder and then update the database. HPCMS is a free management application provided by Altiris and Hewlett-Packard Company. For information on HPCMS, see http://www.hp.com/go/EasyDeploy.

NOTE: The Business Desktops BIOS Utilities SoftPaq is also available on the web. It contains additional utilities to support Hewlett-Packard Company products. The BIOS Utilities SoftPaq will be shown when searching for software support of products in the category BIOS and Firmware.

## Windows BIOS Flashing

HPQFlash.exe is a utility which is designed to flash the System BIOS within a Microsoft Windows environment. To display the available options for this utility, enter [Path]\HPQFlash -? at a command prompt or local search box. If the system has a BIOS Setup password enabled, then HPQFlash will prompt for the password to be entered before completing the flash process. For more information, view Readme.txt or HPQFlash.txt, both located in the HPQFlash folder. If you wish to update your BIOS using HPQFlash, click the link below. If prompted with a File Download dialog box, please select "Open" or "Run from current location".

### Launch HPQFlash

### Using a USB Device to run HPQFlash

HPQFlash.exe can also be run from a USB storage device, including flash memory devices and external hard drives. To do this, insert the device and take note of the assigned drive letter. Copy HPQFlash.exe and ROM.CAB to the root of the drive indicated by the drive letter, or a folder on that drive. HPQFlash can then be executed from its location on the USB device. If the system has a BIOS Setup password enabled, then HPQFlash will prompt for the password to be entered before completing the flash process. For more information, view Readme.txt or HPQFlash.txt, both located in the HPQFlash folder.

### View Contents of HPQFlash Folder

## Startup Menu / F10 Setup BIOS Flashing

The HP Business Desktop systems provide a BIOS upgrade option through both the Startup Menu and the F10 Setup utility using the "Flash System ROM" feature. Reboot the PC and press the Escape key to display the Startup Menu. Use the arrow keys to select Utilities, and then select the Flash System ROM option. Alternatively, reboot the PC and press F10 to access the BIOS Setup utility. In the File menu, select Flash System ROM. Either method requires that removable media be present (USB storage or data CD) that contains the BIOS binary image file in the root directory. The binary image file can be found in the DOS Flash folder and is named xxx_MMmm.bin where "xxx" is the BIOS family, "MM" is the major version number, and "mm" is the minor version number. To create a CD for updating the BIOS, use a blank CD-R or CD-RW disk on a system with a CD-RW or DVD+RW drive, and write the binary to the disk using any CD-burning software (Windows 7 and Vista support burning data CDs without additional software). If a BIOS Setup password has been set, the password will be required before being able to access the "Flash System ROM" menu. The user is notified when the process is completed. The new BIOS code will not take effect until the PC is restarted.

View Contents of DOS Flash Folder

## USB Device BIOS Flashing in DOS

DOS Flash (DOSFlash.exe, FlshUefi.cpu) is the DOS-compatible System BIOS flash utility that can be used from a DOS bootable storage device (where "DOS" refers to any of a number of compatible operating systems such as FreeDOS, MS-DOS or DR-DOS). FlshUefi.cpu is the required driver for DOSFlash.exe. To flash the System BIOS from a bootable USB storage device, you will need to copy the contents of the DOS Flash folder to the USB device, boot the PC from the USB device, and execute the DOSFlash application. To see a more complete description of the DOS flash utilities, view DOSFlash.txt located in the DOS Flash folder. This folder also contains the required binary image of the BIOS. The binary image file is named xxx_MMmm.bin where "xxx" is the BIOS family, "MM" is the major version number, and "mm" is the minor version number. This file can be copied to the root directory of any USB removable medium for use with the F10 setup "Flash System ROM" option or BootBlock Emergency Recovery Mode.

### View Contents of DOS Flash Folder

## System Software Management (SSM) BIOS Flashing

Use this SoftPaq with System Software Manager (SSM) to update the System BIOS on target PCs on a network. Place this SoftPaq in your SSM Filestore folder and then update the database. SSM is a free utility provided by Hewlett-Packard Company. For information on SSM, see http://www.hp.com/go/ssm

## HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS) BIOS Flashing

Use this Softpaq with HP Client Manager Software (HPCMS) and Altiris Notification Server to remotely target, distribute, and update the System BIOS on network PCs. Place this SoftPaq in your HPCMS Filestore folder and then update the database. HPCMS is a free managment application provided by Altiris and Hewlett-Packard Company. For more information, see http://www.hp.com/go/EasyDeploy

## Network BIOS Flashing

The DOS Flash utility has been designed to support System BIOS flashing via a remote network boot using PXE. DOS Flash uses a small memory footprint that is compatible with the limited DOS memory available and the DOS extended environment that may exist while running Altiris eXpress. To see a more complete description of the network BIOS flashing utilities, view the DOSFlash.txt file located in the DOS Flash folder.

### View Contents of DOS Flash Folder

## BitLocker Drive Encryption / BIOS Measurements

If you have Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) enabled on your system, it is recommended that BDE be suspended temporarily before the BIOS is updated. You should also obtain your BDE recovery password or recovery PIN before suspending BDE. After the BIOS is flashed, BDE can be resumed.

To make a change to BDE, select Start > Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption, click 'Suspend Protection' or 'Resume Protection' and then click 'Yes'.

As a general rule, updating the BIOS will modify measurement values stored in the Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) of the system's security module (TPM). Technologies that use these PCR values to ascertain platform health (BDE is one such example) should be temporarily disabled prior to flashing the BIOS. Once the BIOS is updated, the functions should be re-enabled and the system should be restarted so that new measurements can be taken.

The primary measurement for BIOS code is stored in PCR 0. If the TPM is enabled, the value of PCR 0 after the system has been updated should match the value listed in the revision history (history.txt).

## BootBlock Emergency Recovery Mode

In the event of a failed BIOS update (for example if power is lost while updating), the System BIOS may become corrupted. BootBlock Emergency Recovery Mode detects this condition and will automatically search the hard drive and any USB media sources (hard drive, flash drive, etc) for a compatible binary image. The original factory image will have a suitable BIOS binary for automatic recovery without user intervention. Otherwise, the binary (.bin) file in the DOS Flash folder should be copied to the root (top level) of the desired storage device in a FAT or FAT32 partition, and the system powered on. Once the binary image is located, the BIOS will display a recovery screen and will start the recovery process. Do not power off the system until recovery is complete.

Aside from the root (top level) of a hard drive or USB device, there are two alternate paths that are searched for the recovery binary file. These can be used to configure for automatic recovery a system which has had the original hard drive image replaced or reinstalled with system software recovery media. The two valid paths for recovery other than root are "\Hewlett-Packard\BIOS\Current" and "\EFI\HP\BIOS\Current".

If the system has a BIOS Setup password, you may be required to use the Startup Menu / Utilities submenu to flash the BIOS manually after providing the password. Sometimes there are restrictions on which BIOS versions are allowed to be installed on a platform. If the BIOS that was on the system had restrictions, then only allowable BIOS versions may be used for recovery.

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