Step reference

HP BIOS configuration

Apply HP firmware settings in WinPE before Windows installs (Secure Boot, TPM, virtualization, boot and wireless) using HP's own BIOS Configuration Utility.

2 min readUpdated Jul 31, 2026

What it does

Applies BIOS/firmware settings on HP hardware using HP's BIOS Configuration Utility, in WinPE before Windows installs. Every setting is optional: leave a field blank to leave it unchanged on the device. The step is skipped automatically on non-HP hardware, so it's safe to include in a mixed-fleet template.

Options

Each setting is Enable / Disable (unless noted); leave blank to leave it as-is.

SettingNotes
Secure BootEnable to satisfy Windows 11 requirements.
Legacy Support / CSMUsually disabled for modern UEFI installs.
TPM DeviceAvailable (enabled) or Hidden (disabled).
TPM StateEnable / Disable.
Virtualization Technology (VT-x)For Hyper-V, WSL2, sandboxes.
VT for Directed I/O (VT-d / IOMMU)Directed-I/O virtualization.
Fast BootEnable / Disable.
Wake on LANEnable (boot to hard drive) / Disable.
Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi)Enable / Disable.
BluetoothEnable / Disable.
Network Boot (PXE)Enable / Disable.
BIOS admin passwordVault secret name. Leave blank to skip.

Good to know

Protected settings need the BIOS admin password

On many HP models, protected settings such as Secure Boot and TPM can only be changed when a BIOS setup password is set on the device and supplied here. If a change is rejected, the step fails with a clear message telling you a BIOS admin password is likely required. It never reports a silent success.

  • Runs in WinPE, before the OS, so firmware is correct from the very first Windows boot.
  • Non-blocking by default: it warns and continues rather than stopping the whole build.
  • On Dell hardware, use Dell BIOS configuration instead.

Part of the step catalogue.