Acer Aspire M3985 wont boot

Aspire M3985 Wont Boot

The problem happens all the time. if the computer by some reason is turned off you cannot turn it on without 50 to 60 attempts.

Pressing the power on. Power supply, fans, and HDD light come on. I get 3 short beeps 2 times before the HDD light goes off. At this point the only thing to do is to hold the power button in and turn system off. Doing this repeated times will eventually turn the system on. Goes through POST and boots to Windows 7. Once the system is on there is never a problem. If however it needs to restart it virtually never comes back on without repeated attempts.

I was trying to flash BIOS but gives me error #3 Fash Size does not match BIOS size. My computer is a M3985-MC10B with 6GB RAM and an Intel i5 at 3.0GHz.

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IronFly

you can flash the P01.A2 version only, since the other BIOS are for windows 8 UEFI BIOS from factory.

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_P01.A2_A_A.zip?acerid=634804213109801085&Step1=DESKTOP&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE%20M3985&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

if your warranty is expired, i suggest you to open the case and check if ram sticks are well seated and try to boot with just one stick to check if it gives you the 3 beeps again.

please report if the 3 beeps are 1 long and 2 shorts

i they are 1 long and 2 shorts repeated 2 times, please check your VGA card, i suggest you to disconnect it from the mainboard and put it back, then try to boot again.

xdrios

Thanks for your advice. Tried the memory sticks and keeps beepng. And yes, I'm sure there are three short beeps twice.

I haven't been able to boot the PC to flash the memory. Tried with a bootable USB and disconnecting hrd drives but didn't work.

Any ideas on how to make it boot from USB to flash bios?

Thanks.

IronFly

i suggest you to create an USB DOS bootable media.

download Rufus:

http://rufus.akeo.ie/?locale=en_US

set it as on screenshot:

click on start and when it finish, copy DOS and ROM folder on your USB flash drive, connect the USB flash drive to the PC that need BIOS update, boot pressing F12 and select the USB flash drive as bootable device.

once at the DOS prompt, please follow instruction on readme_DOS.pdf available on the BIOS zip file.

xdrios

Hi there,

I made the bootable USB and loaded flash image you provided, thanks.

However, PC does not boot pressing F12. I tried with an USB keyboard as well as a mini din keyboard, same result: three short beeps twice. With standard keyboard I'm able to see lights on numeric pad turning on and off but then nothing on the screen.

Any advices? I've been trying to boot for three days and several hours with no luck. What does three beeps twice mean? Do you know?

Thanks in advance.

IronFly

i can't find any reference on 3 short beeps.

One long beep and two short beeps then repeat

VGA not installed or VGA error.

Graphics card error/not installed, graphics card memory

error or graphics card BIOS checksum error.

One long beep then two short beep

BIOS damaged.

BIOS is damaged, BIOS POST jumps to Boot Block to

execute the default procedures.

normally with DVD and HDD disconnected and 1 ram stick, you must be able to enter BIOS pressing DEL

if it still does the 3 short beeps, i suspect a motherboard or BIOS issue.

Try this:

disconnect the power cable, press the power button twice to discharge capacitors, open the case, look for the CMOS battery (it's on the bottom of the motherboard, under the VGA slot), take off the battery and check the voltage.