Aspire V3-575 - black screen -LEDs lit but won't boot

toddovich

Aspire V3-575T spontaneously stopped booting.  On powerup, power LED lights, backlighting on the keyboard lights up, screen gives one very dim flicker but remains black.  No logos, no nothing.  Hear the hard drive engage but after a minute or so it spins down, leaving only the LED and the fan.  Powering off requires either holding down power button or inserting paperclip in the battery reset pinhole (battery isn't removable).

 

Here's what I've tried, based on reading through the forums etc:

- external monitors: no change

- re-seat RAM: no change

- remove power adapter, hold down power button + press battery-reset-pinhole for 30 seconds: no change

- fully charge battery: no change

- fully discharge battery, recharge: no change

- use a different power adapter: no change

 

The *only* thing I can get it to do is if I power on while pressing Fn+Esc, then the LED blinks instead of holding steady.  Based on reading this seems to mean it's in a BIOS Recovery mode.  So I tried this:

- downloaded BIOS (various versions), extracted files from the EXE using 7zip onto a FAT32 USB key, inserted that into (various) USB ports while doing the Fn+Esc poweron sequence.  Also, no change.

 

Help?  Anyone?  The machine is not quite 19 months old.  Argh.

JackE

>>>downloaded BIOS (various versions), extracted files from the EXE using 7zip onto a FAT32 USB key, inserted that into (various) USB ports while doing the Fn+Esc poweron sequence.  Also, no change.>>>

 

Pick one version. Go to the DOS subdirectory of the extracted file. Find a ROM, BIN or WPH extension file. Probably named ZRW_xxx.WPH for example. Copy that file, and only that file, to the USB stick root. Try pressing and holding Fn+ESC routine while cold booting. Jack E/NJ 

toddovich

Hi, Thanks very much!   I regret to say there are no ROM, BIN or WPH (or .fd for that matter).  Ive looked inside all the files to see if it was tucked away another layer down, but again: no dice.  Other thoughts?

 

 

 

 

JackE

Did you find any DOS subdirectories in the extracted files? Jack E/NJ

toddovich

I wish!  Sadly, no DOS directories in the BIOS archive -- only a "Windows" directory.

JackE

The dates on the extracted links & executables don't look right. What version #s did you download and extract? Jack E/NJ

doughjohn

Hi

 

On a slightly different tack...

 

Can you create a USB or DVD and attempt a boot from 1 of those.  Why?

Maybe the HDD has been corrupted.  Maybe the HDD is electrically compromised, hence the shutdown.

Ideally remove/unplug the HDD, even fit into an external caddy.

 

If you can, then I suggest you try and get off any data that is important. 

 

Booting something like Knoppix or Mint will show / prove it is not the screen.

 

If in doubt please ask.