Windows 10 Insider Preview Fast Build 19569.1000 - February 20  

After doing a BIOS update via the Dell .exe they give me, usually the rev number will not get updated in Device Manager. A few weeks later, WU will do it. And it does say in the WU update it's a BIOS Update. Freaky! But all it's doing is updating the "words" on the machine in all the right places, not actually doing a BIOS down-in-the-chip MB update. That requires a totally isolated environment and a super-safe mode updating of the BIOS chip Eprom. When WU does this, there isn't even a restart involved. Just real quick slam-bam thank you! Takes less time than a Defender Update.

linw said:

That makes more sense. Hard to update a BIOS without noticing!

That gets the Understatement Award of the Century!

linw said:

That makes more sense. Hard to update a BIOS without noticing!

Amazed faces all round

Did a fresh install and I go see dell firmware when I did a windows update. never seen that before

f14tomcat said:

After doing a BIOS update via the Dell .exe they give me, usually the rev number will not get updated in Device Manager. A few weeks later, WU will do it. And it does say in the WU update it's a BIOS Update. Freaky! But all it's doing is updating the "words" on the machine in all the right places, not actually doing a BIOS down-in-the-chip MB update. That requires a totally isolated environment and a super-safe mode updating of the BIOS chip Eprom. When WU does this, there isn't even a restart involved. Just real quick slam-bam thank you! Takes less time than a Defender Update.

Not sure about that. After starting the HP Inc. Firmware update through 'Optional updates' it asked for a reboot. On rebooting had a black screen with something like 'please wait updating firmware' when it crashed and proceeded to desktop. It then asked to reboot to install the firmware and failed again on the black screen. So, in my case, I believe it was trying to update the bios
Macrium fixed it

Fabler2 said:

Not sure about that. After starting the HP Inc. Firmware update through 'Optional updates' it asked for a reboot. On rebooting had a black screen with something like 'please wait updating firmware' when it crashed and proceeded to desktop. It then asked to reboot to install the firmware and failed again on the black screen. So, in my case, I believe it was trying to update the bios
Macrium fixed it

Yours may have done the real BIOS update thru HP WHQL with MS. If yours asked for a reboot, it most likely did. What happens here, on mine, is I get a notice from Dell (Alienware) that a BIOS update is available, I go DL it, and manually run it, at a time of my choosing. Personally, I think it's scary for it to take off by itself, considering BIOS flashing is the #1 easiest way to brick your machine. No matter how confident I am in the process, and Dell is good, I still get a little tummy knot when it runs. With my Surface Pro 3 laptop I don't have any choice, MS surprises me and just does it, like your HP. So far (knock on wood), no issues. My story is just what happens here. Been consistent for years. Vendor specific maybe.

f14tomcat said:

Yours may have done the real BIOS update thru HP WHQL with MS. If yours asked for a reboot, it most likely did. What happens here, on mine, is I get a notice from Dell (Alienware) that a BIOS update is available, I go DL it, and manually run it, at a time of my choosing. Personally, I think it's scary for it to take off by itself, considering BIOS flashing is the #1 easiest way to brick your machine. No matter how confident I am in the process, and Dell is good, I still get a little tummy knot when it runs. With my Surface Pro 3 laptop I don't have any choice, MS surprises me and just does it, like your HP. So far (knock on wood), no issues. My story is just what happens here. Been consistent for years. Vendor specific maybe.

I agree with you TC. Still a nerve wracking thing to do. When I used the HP site to do the firmware upgrade I was pleasantly surprised on being offered to create a bios recovery flash drive before the upgrade, which I did. Nice touch from HP which I've never seen before. Won't try the firmware update from the 'optional updates' again though.