HP Laptop BIOS Update Warning

I recently updated my HP ProBook 450 G6 to the latest BIOS version 0.1.17.00 released in September. This update broke the functionality to maximise battery health by limiting the charge to 80% so I reverted to the previous version. Beware you might have the same problem with the latest HP BIOS.

steve108 said:

How old is the newest version and did you report the issue to HP? Thanks for sharing this

The newest version was issued in September. I can't report the issue to HP since I have no warranty support but did report it on their forum.

Steve,

Interesting observation.
HP are not the first to change.
Another user reported something similar earlier this year for a Dell.

- His 2019/2020 'Dell power manager' does not have the 80% etc charge-limiting function but my 2016 version does.
- Dell Tech support had also recently issued an online video in which they stated that there were no detrimental effects from charging to 100%.

Perhaps they now think that their battery management systems are sophisticated enough to avoid adversely affecting battery longevity.
Or perhaps they have re-assessed the situation in the light of improvements to battery technology & materials.

I had just started a comparison trial.
- I had always let mine charge to 100% & remain connected to power almost all the time.
- I have now set mine to limit to 80% charge & remain connected to power almost all the time.
I don't intend to regard my results as useful until at least mid-2023 because of the variability in 'Last full charge' results I have seen in the past.
I'll post back then.

All the best,
Denis

Try3 said:

Steve,

Interesting observation.
HP are not the first to change.
Another user reported something similar earlier this year for a Dell.

- His 2019/2020 'Dell power manager' does not have the 80% etc charge-limiting function but my 2016 version does.
- Dell Tech support had also recently issued an online video in which they stated that there were no detrimental effects from charging to 100%.

Perhaps they now think that their battery management systems are sophisticated enough to avoid adversely affecting battery longevity.
Or perhaps they have re-assessed the situation in the light of improvements to battery technology & materials.

I had just started a comparison trial.
- I had always let mine charge to 100% & remain connected to power almost all the time.
- I have now set mine to limit to 80% charge & remain connected to power almost all the time.
I don't intend to regard my results as useful until at least mid-2023 because of the variability in 'Last full charge' results I have seen in the past.
I'll post back then.

All the best,
Denis

How will you obtain a meaningful result when the battery is bound to fade more anyway over the next 2 years whatever you do?

Steve C said:

How will you obtain a meaningful result when the battery is bound to fade more anyway over the next 2 years whatever you do?

Steve,

I have 'Last full charge' results for both batteries for the whole of their lives [2016+, 2019+ respectively].
But I will only know if my results are useful if the effect is both extreme & consistent.
I'll plot 'Last full charge' results over time on a graph and only then will I be able to see if there is anything significant.
So I might be wasting my time.

All the best,
Denis