Notebooks & Netbooks

[Edge-Case]

Hello,

Yesterday I attempted to install Win 7 so I could play D&D Neverwinter on Arc after using various *nix systems for study ( looking to start a career as an admin ). I had plugged into a power strip that was, unbeknownst to me, switched off and I went to make some coffee and watch some news. When I came back to check the progress my laptop had powered off and since then I havn't been avle to boot without being stuck at a black screen after the bios' splash page. Both f2 and f12 also leads to a black screen, so I can't change boot device or enter bios set-up.

Is this at all fixable? For instance, is the a key-combo I can use to restore the bios from a back-up? Or, do I need to take it to a tech who can install a new bios chip or flash this old one some how? Or, did I pemanently brick my device?

[Edge-Case]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHkGkw9EE8c

Im on my phone so I appologize if I fat finger a word or two and misspell.

I have summer courses going on right now and I really can not afford to go more than a few more days without my laptop, Im taking programming courses and have my homework on it.

I was wondering if there was a fix similar to the one explained in the link I posted above. Are there any fixes specific for my model, the Acer Aspire V5-531?

[Edge-Case]

Well seeing as how there is so much help from everyone and my warranty expired a year ago, i have been trying the method described above but without renaming the file because mine ends in .ROM and not .fd.

So far I have actually had some text appear and the light on the thumb drive goes off.

If anyone knows more about this , please help. Worse case i rip out the hard drive tomorrow and mail thia piece of junk back to Acer with a very colorful I hate you note.

[Edge-Case]

I tried different key combos, alt+esc seems to produce the following text for a split second after the splash and after entering my bios password, I only captured the top with my phone camera recording ? Denote unreadable chars due to glare on the screen:

Phoenix SecureCore ??ano (T?)
Copyright 1985-2011 Phonix Technologies LTD.
All rights Reserved
This Bios is exclusively for Acer only
Cpu = Intel(R) Pentium?? CPU 967 @ 1.30 GHz
4096 MB System RAM Passed
256 kb L2 Cache
System Bios shadowed
Video Bios shadowed
Bios Version: 1.10.
USB Device: Kingston Datatraveler 2.0
fixed disk: ??? [Off camera's screen]
.....
.....

The rest was off the camera screen, it all happened in a jiffy.

[laurent_14]

Hello Edge-Case,

You should read this topic (Chigers): black screen - flash bios V5-571

You have the same setup bios utility (V5-531 or V5-571): Phoenix SecureCore Tiano BIOS

To summarize:

1- Download the bios file on the acer support website

2- If it's necessary (Windows version), extract the self-extratible file (*.exe) contained in the zip

    file with 7-zip

3- Format an USB flash drive to FAT or FAT32

4- Copy all files on this one (contained in the Dos or Windows(#2) folder)

5- Follow the instructions of Chigers to recorver the bios

[Edge-Case]

Thank you very much for the reply.

I had gone over that thread before to no avail. That is where I got the idea to try alt+esc+power.

Just to recap, on a power=up without holding any keys down this is what happens:

1) Press power

2) Splash screen displays, the part were you can hit f2 to enter BIOS menu or f12 to change boot device.

3a) If no f key is pressed; Password screen (blue box)

3b) If either f key is pressed; Password screen (blue box)

4) After entering password, in both cases after either step (3), black screen

5) Indefinite silence....

I tried a different version (2.something) of the bios and the fn+esc+power combination and something different happened,

the following displayed, not all at once, I could tell it was executing and then displaying to stdout (the screen) one line at a time:

"""

TDK OEM Version v0.5 for Shell v1.3.23.3, Build 120806

Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Phoenix Technologies Ltd.

Read BIOS from memory.

Initialize Flash module.

Read current BIOS.

Please update to the same type of BIOS (v1.x)

ERROR 235 - OEM check failed from BIOS service!

Warning System will Shut Down in 5 sec...

Press any key to continue

_

"""

But it never shuts down, then after pressing a key, it goes to a black screen.

I tried every version of BIOS there was except for those labeled Windows 8 and one other one gave the same result, the rest just go to black screen with the fn+esc+power combo and with the alt+esc+power combo they all quickly (less than a sec) display the message I captured with my phone and relayed in my previous post afte authentication. In all cases I am left with a black screen and silence.

Do you know what this could mean?

I wish Acer would have techs in this place instead of dumping the customer service responsibility on their customers.

If only I could get away that sort of service, I'd be rich by doing nothing.

[laurent_14]

Hello

In your first "screencopy":

"System Bios shadowed
Video Bios shadowed
Bios Version: 1.10.
USB Device: Kingston Datatraveler 2.0"

In your second "screen copy":

Read BIOS from memory.

Initialize Flash module.

Read current BIOS.

Please update to the same type of BIOS (v1.x)

As far as possible, you need the bios version V1.10. I asked to a member if it exists really. I wait the reply.

We talk about Recovery Bios and not Update Bios. That's not the same thing.

[Edge-Case]

Thanks, I will cross my fingers.

I don't think I saw BIOS version 1.10 at the download page for my product, just 1.14.

When I tried 1.14 nothing appeared on the screen, no messages like I posted, just a black screen. Maybe the messages are not in the programming/code.

[Acer-Cory]

Hi All,

I just want to confirm that I'm not aware of a 1.10. As you mentioned, the first BIOS release I see available is a 1.14.

Out of curiousity, what was the original operating system on this unit? Windows 7 or Windows 8?

[Edge-Case]

Hello Cory, and thanks for the reply.

The original OS was Windows 7.

I never performed a BIOS update so unless I got hit by a trojaned BIOS, it should be the original BIOS.