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    BIOS corruption on Walmart model

    Discussion in 'HP' started by JonathanGennick, Sep 22, 2015.

  1. JonathanGennick

    JonathanGennick Notebook Guru

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    I could use some help. I've a neighbor with an HP from Walmart that was a Christmas gift last year. The machine will not boot. Currently we are seeing:

    1. We power the machine on and an orange wifi light on the F12 key lights up

    2. The caps-lock light blinks in a sequence as follows: blink+blink+long_pause+blink+blink+long_pause...the sequence continues indefinitely.

    I've found a blink-code list on HP's site that suggests that blinking twice indicates a corrupted BIOS.

    I've tried HP's suggested Win-B key sequence during power-on. That sequence seems to initiate some hard-drive access, but after a bit of that the laptop ends up at the same two-blink sequence as when I began.

    I further found some instructions on HP's site for downloading a new BIOS onto a USB drive. Here is where I am completely stuck. The model number on our machine is listed as 15-1039wm. When I go to Drivers and Downloads on HP's site, there is no matching model number. So I have a corrupt BIOS and apparently no way to load a new one.

    Any help or guidance is appreciated. Is there a specific place on HP's site from which to download a new BIOS for the 15-1039wm model?
     
    JonathanGennick, Sep 22, 2015
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  2. JonathanGennick

    JonathanGennick Notebook Guru

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    Ok. We have discovered the model is really 15-f039wm. The f is badly printed and looks like the digit 1, but viewing under a jewelers loupe it's possible to make out the crossbar. So now we know the model, and I was able to track down the BIOS.

    I made a recovery USB drive. We tried booting from that. We tried booting normally with the USB drive in the machine, and we tried booting while holding down Win+B while the USB drive was attached. No joy. The machine just sits there and the caps-lock LED runs through that two-blink pattern over and over and over again.

    I'm at a loss, and at this point I think the kid is SOL. Suggestions welcome though, if anyone has any.
     
    JonathanGennick, Sep 22, 2015
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  3. 3Fees

    3Fees Notebook Deity

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    it could be several things, bios battery is dead--very remote, graphics card failed-likely, these carry a one year warranty according to walmart, contact walmart or hp support and problem solved, warranty is still good, HP fixes it till warranty expires.

    From walmart

    Support and Warranty:
    • Windows 8.1 laptop has a 1-year limited hardware warranty
    • Restore discs are not included (unless specified by supplier). We recommend you use the installed software to create your own restore and backup DVD the first week you use the computer

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-15.6-1...0GB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-8.1-Black/38043712

    Cheers
    3Fees :)
     
    3Fees, Oct 17, 2015
    #3