Predator PT917-71 BIOS Update now bricked

GingerNinja32
GingerNinja32 Member Posts: 4 New User

Hi All,

I just bought a Predator PT917-71 (Second hand working fine). I ran some updates and system has updated the bios to version 1.07. Laptop rebooted and it ran through the update proceedure fine.

Laptop rebooted, fans and power light comes on…. No screen… Then reboots after 10 seconds and continues this pattern.

I have tried the FN+ESC USB recovery but does not seem to do anything…

PLEASE help I cant believe a bios update from Acer has now potentially bricked my laptop!!!

Answers

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,705 Trailblazer
    edited August 2023

    BIOS update should only be done if necessary and if your laptop needs that particular BIOS update, you don't do a BIOS flash just for the sake of having the latest BIOS version! The Predator Triton PT917-71 is a great and top of the range Acer laptop that is now a 5-year-old laptop and users always take a big risk updating any old PCs BIOS as the chip could be faulty and will not take a BIOS update like its happened to you.

    The solution to your problem is this, you need to either try to recover the BIOS with the Crisis Utility SOP (see the SG manual instructions from the Predator PT917-71 PDF below) and you might need an Hex editor to extract the BIOS EH78Fx64.fd file, as if you can't do that, then the BIOS chip has to be reprogrammed with a BIOS - CH341A Programmer Tool and Software or the BIOS chip has to be changed with a new chip, that is pre flashed with version 1.07 BIOS, which is available from specialist BIOS chip retailers on the web and they are not expensive and are not a big job to replace by a technicism that has the proper micro soldering tools that an Acer technician in your country can do or an experienced local technician that has these BIOS programing tools.

    I don't know what you did wrongly but flashing the EH78F107.exe file bios in the Predator PT917-71 is a very easy process and you either did something wrong or as I've said above, you were unlucky and the BIOS chip on your secondhand Predator PT917-71 is faulty and will not take a flash, which happens to old PCs and that is the risk that every user takes.

    Acer has a README for the BIOS update file for the Acer Predator PT917-71 and the instructs of how to flash the BIOS, which is a very simple process, anyway good luck and hope this helps you out and you recover the BIOS and make your excellent Predator PT917-71 laptop work again.

    How to update the BIOS:
    Click "EH78F107.exe" under Window's mode in your Predator PT917-71 - Release Note: 1. Update ME v12.0.40.1433.

  • GingerNinja32
    GingerNinja32 Member Posts: 4 New User

    Hi StecenGen,

    Many thanks for the response. I just ran the BIOS update exe due to noticing the laptop was on version 0.13.

    May I ask if you or someone has a copy of the FD file? I can get the BIN file from another laptop and I have tried the name convention and changing the file extension to FD but the laptop does not seem to take to is.

    Kind Regards

  • GingerNinja32
    GingerNinja32 Member Posts: 4 New User

    I have just managed to download a main bios file from the net (V1.07) and when renamed and followed the guide the fans spin loud and the keyboard flashes then restarts… Same thing occurs I get the same loop…

    I am thinking the jump from version 0.13 to 1.07 has done this… Is there anywhere where I can get earlier versions of the bios?

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,705 Trailblazer
    edited August 2023

    Sorry but Acer does not have the bios version 0.13 listed? The bios for this laptop started at version 1.0 (see details below form this laptops SG) where did you get version 013 from, as the only two bios versions that Acer has is the version 1.05 and the 1.07.

    Sorry to hear that you were not successful in recovering the bios, sorry as I don't have that .fd file and the only place that I know that you can get or ask is on Discord at Electronic Repair School, so Join that forum at Electronics Repair School Discord Server and go to Laptops and ask there, as they can get allot of bios files if you inquire there and see if someone will come up with either the .fd file for you to do a crisis utility recovery flash or the CH34A programmer bios file.

    The only other options is for you to get someone to reprogram the bios chip with the BIOS - CH341A Programmer Tool and Software or the last option is to buy a new bios chip for this laptop that will have the last bios version1.07 flashed on it.

  • GingerNinja32
    GingerNinja32 Member Posts: 4 New User

    The machine used to be a machine that was on the stands at conventions so unsure if it had some weird BIOS on it no idea but deffinately was not a V1._ version.

    However, following your PDF and with V1.05 I have managed to flash and laptop is now working. I cant thank you enough for providing that guide absolute life saver :)

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,705 Trailblazer

    That is really great news and I'm very glad to help you out, as bios issues are not that serious and can be fixed and that is why this forum is here for, as we have information that we can pass on😀it would be a shame not to be able to revive a nice laptop like the Predator PT917-71 that is one of my favorites. Take care