HP bricks customers laptops with faulty automatic BIOS upgrade

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

HP BIOS Update Incident

  • Automatic BIOS update reportedly bricked some HP laptops, including out-of-warranty machines.
  • Commenters see this as unacceptable risk for such a critical component, especially when delivered via Windows Update without explicit user intent.
  • Some are now hesitant to apply new HP BIOS updates and mention buying BIOS chip programmers as a safeguard.

HP Product Quality & Reputation

  • Many describe long-standing distrust of HP consumer PCs and printers, citing:
    • Poor build quality, convoluted and sharp internals, brittle plastics.
    • Past deceptive hardware (e.g., unused DIMM slots or unconnected expansion pads).
    • Aggressive printer cartridge behavior and firmware issues.
  • Others report positive experiences with specific HP lines (EliteBook, Spectre x360, Z-series workstations, certain Envy models), emphasizing business-class devices and workstations as “pretty good” exceptions.

HP vs HPE / Legacy

  • Several distinguish HP Inc. (PCs/printers) from HPE (servers, enterprise gear), with HPE and older HP servers/workstations viewed much more favorably.
  • There is nostalgia for “old HP” engineering and criticism that the original culture (“The HP Way”) was dismantled, leaving consumer products as “race to the bottom” commodity hardware.

Firmware Update Design & Safety

  • Multiple posts argue BIOS/firmware updates should:
    • Require sufficient battery and AC power.
    • Use dual BIOS / A/B partitions or redundant flash to avoid bricks.
  • Some note such features exist but remain uncommon, especially in consumer laptops.
  • HP’s behavior of initiating BIOS updates immediately after plugging in a dead-battery laptop is called “reckless.”

QA, Culture, and Responsibility

  • Several blame weak QA, rushed schedules, and a firefighting culture, not individual engineer incompetence.
  • Debate over whether this warrants criminal action (e.g., under the CFAA):
    • Some argue it “exceeds authorized access.”
    • Others say it’s clearly a botched update, at most a civil liability, not a crime.

Alternatives & Broader Market

  • Many recommend avoiding HP entirely and suggest:
    • Apple laptops for reliability and integrated update/recovery experience.
    • Framework and Lenovo ThinkPads; some mention Dell business machines.
  • Others lament that non-Apple consumer laptops in general are low quality due to cost-cutting and weak incentives for long-term reliability.