[Request] Unlocking HP Envy x360 Laptop BIOS

Hello I need some help, I am currently trying to mod my bios using a mix of AMIBCP tool and UEFITool. I am not sure how to get passed hp’s signature restriction. My original plan was to use hp’s bios recovery usb but replace the stock bios with my modded bios but it errors out every time I try flashing. Any ideas on what to do, also any suggestions on how to mod the bios in the first place, im not confident in my abilities. I can send the bios or a link to hp’s drivers for my laptop looking up my laptop should allow you to find it tho. All I am trying to do with my mod is allow for me to open up the hidden advanced menu so i can mess with the fclk clock and my ram. Any help on any part would be greatly appreciated. If you have more questions that you need me to answer before you can help also let me know I will answer to the best of my abilities.

Edit by Fernando: Thread title shortened

Hello.

Oh, please, no! Not BIOS recovery.
Flashing in a standard way is more promising, since integrity of recovery files is checked by BIOS.

Well its only erroring out because the signature file that comes with the bios doesnt match anymore, i tested just flashing the normal bios and it works so that method would work if HP’s security could be bypassed. How do you suggest I do it instead?

You say with what exact message does it erroring out, I’m trying to bypass it and then you check if it works.

alright here is the exact picture of the error, i can re do the bios flash to get another log file if additional info is needed.

unknown.png

No. Not that log. This is recovery utilities, but I meant the BIOS update utility for Windows. Does it say anything or goes straight to this?

Well the bios utility inside of windows asks if i want to do a bios update, make a recovery usb, or download the bios. So i made a recovery usb then i replaced the bios that it had included with the modded bios i made. In windows everything is fine. Then i go to use it and it opens up and starts trying to update the bios

download.jpg

this is what it says on the screen. Then It lets me exit and i go back into windows and on the usb drive is a log txt file with the picture i sent previously. If you want I can send u a link to the driver page if you want to see and download the bios utility for urself?

So you are saying that you have not tried doing "BIOS Update" with the modified BIOS file?

Already did it before replying to your request.

Bios update would just kick me out of windows and update the bios I can try it again but i was not sure on how to swap in my edited bios. I will try it again and let u know if i can manage that. Do you think it would work going through this rather than the usb method, wouldnt it just have the same signature checks?

It would, if I don’t patch. Do you want me to send you an edited bios update?

I checked it does not save the file to any spot on my drive that i am able to access i have even looked through hidden system files like System Volume Information or in where windows stores the drivers. No luck with either.

Sure id love it if you could do that. Also in my msg above i was referring to the option u mentioned in ur previous msg.

“It would, if I don’t patch. Do you want me to send you an edited bios update?” Do you need me to send anything to you for u to be able to do that?

Not yet.
I need your time. Check this. Firmware file system checksum check patched. And in the BIOS I just changed the version. Try to perform "BIOS Update" action.

alright i tried running it and it came up with this saying its not supported. should i go ahead and try making a usb trying to flash it or will that not work either?

test.png

I used a hex editor to compare the bios yours gave me and the ones i already have and it seems to have alot of 0xFF hex values in place of alot of regions where there was data before. https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/sel…2-1?sku=8VP56AV heres the link for my exact bios version i was comparing against just in case u might have accidently found the wrong envy x360 with a 4500u since theres more than a few versions.

It will not work. I think that there is something I missed. There are so many modes of how update utility can operate, thats why I could have possibly changed things that are not even active by default. It is very time consuming as I am doing this for the first time. Expect me presenting another one patched file not earlier than next day.

No issue take your time doing it right once is better than doing wrong a ton of times. If you need any additional information or want to send updates on progress or anything like that ill be glad to see it. Also here is just me looking at the 2 bioses against each other. I dont know what u did but it looks like more than just the version changed. If u need me to test anything else ofc lmk.

check.png

Oh! This is because this bios is not for your device. Even their numbers are different. I followed the first link in the search results, and that was for 15z-bq100. I’m sorry, I will be more attentive.

Np your fine, easy mistake to make, i thought u might have made that mistake because i have run into that issue in the past. HP makes alot of slightly different models