re-installing the Windows 7 OS, hardware: Aspire E1-731

Traceyad2032
Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
Can Windows 7 be re-installed using a secondary (monitor / screen)?
I want to re-install the OS.

I dropped the laptop and broke the (primary) screen.

I have the OS installation on CDs, plus the OS comes installed on another partition.

Please advise.
Thanks, Tracey

Just FYI, I contacted Acer Technical Support during COVED.
I was told they could only email the shipper ticket, but the local library was closed (where I have internet/email access).
When I called ATS back after the library was re-opened I was told that service for the laptop was no longer available.

Best Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    We can find out quickly if you have an HDMI cable and a TV set.

    Jack E/NJ

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓

    AOMEI backupper https://www.ubackup.com/ or MacriumReflect

    Jack E/NJ

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓

    >>>sent the laptop to the Acer Repair Center under warranty and asked them to update the BIOS if one was available, but they did not do it.>>>

    They likely didn't do it because BIOS firmware updates are primarily meant for machine's that are having serious issues. Otherwise, firmware updates are NOT recommended due to a significantly higher risk of introducing irreversible adverse side effects or bricking than ordinary driver updates.

    Jack E/NJ

«1

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    We can find out quickly if you have an HDMI cable and a TV set.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
    Yes, the secondary monitor is an HDMI flat screen monitor
  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
    I would like to clone the hdd (?hdd -/- sdd?) just in case something goes wrong.
    I do not want loose my only lamely working installation.
    Is there a hdd cloning utility that does not need .net?

    I just tried installing a file utility.
    It needs .net4 to run, which .net4 is installed, but it says .net4 is not installed.
    This is why I want to re-install windows as it has a number of software issues.

    Please advise.
    Thanks, Tracey
    Just FYI: Previously windows had failed to load correctly for some unknown reason and it required that windows be restarted.
    When windows was restarted, all the folders on the drive were locked and some applications no longer work
    I contacted Acer to see if I could buy the hdd/sdd with the OS installed like it originally came,  but I was told no.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    >>>I would like to clone the hdd (?hdd -/- sdd?) just in case something goes wrong.>>>

    Because HDDs or SSDs are so cheap these days, the safest option is to remove the old HDD (or SSD) and replace it with a new drive. (1TB WesternDigital  blue series HDDs are less than $50usd) Then fresh install Win7 software on it using Microsoft's Win7 method at this link  Just click on Win7.  Once a fresh copy of Win7  is installed on the the new drive, you can plug the old drive into a USB port using an inexpensive 2.5" USB-to-HDD adapter (less than $10usd) and use it as an additional D :  drive and copy anything off of it that you like.




    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
    Question#1: Can Windows 7 be re-installed on the [Acer E1-731] using the secondary hdmi monitor port from the recovery partition or Recovery CDs? (if so, see question#2)

    Issue#1: I have re-installed Windows 7 before, but the installation (process/steps) required the primary screen for the User Interface.  Example: I can set chkdsk to run, but chkdsk only displays on the primary screen and not display on the secondary screen.

    Question#2
    : If so, what are steps or settings are required so that installation process does NOT require the laptop's primary screen to be the User Interface?
    -or-
    What steps are needed to bypass the primary screen and respond to the installation prompts on the secondary screen?

    I made a set of installation disks (CDs) back when the laptop was new.
    The recovery partition is still fully intact.

    Geek squad at Best Buy says NO (laptop is too old).
    Acer TS has no comment.

    Please advise.
    Thanks, Tracey



  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Use the FN+F5 screen toggle key combination to try to switch from the broken lid screen to the HDMI external screen.

    Jack E/NJ

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Also please don't start another thread on the same machine as it will only delay solutions and confuse forum users. Stay with and respond  to the original thread here. You can also scan your machine for appropriate upgrades specific to your model at crucial.com. Generally speaking you can install up to a 2TB SSD or HDD and 8GB DDR3 or DDR3L RAM.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
    I looked for the Graphics Options> Output To "TV" mentioned which seems to set the HDMI Monitor as the Video Output Device.
    However when I run chkdsk /f the output is sent to the primary screen, but chkdsk does not require User input!!! (the primary screen lights up)

    Question: If I run Acer Recovery Management, will ARM require User input from the primary screen to complete the process?

    If it does NOT require User input then I am good to go, but if not I'm stuck.

    Please advise.
    Thanks, Tracey
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Like the original first time setup when you first got the PC, you must be able to answer questions and provide input during the installation. For example, what language? What timezone are you in? What name to you want to give the PC? What password?  Things like that won't happen automatically without some kind of human user input. If the external screen goes black during the process, then you press FN+F5 to turn it back on.  A full Win7 system reset should return the machine to it's original out of the box factory condition before you turned it on for the first time.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter
    I am looking for a partition imaging program that can back up and restore Windows 7 in it's entirety.
    Can the Acer Backup Manager do this (in the event that Windows will not boot)?
    If not, can anyone recommend one (preferring a  portable one)?

    Ideally I would want to create a boot-able memory stick in the event a full restore is needed when Windows will not load.
    Please advise.
    Thanks, Tracey

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓

    AOMEI backupper https://www.ubackup.com/ or MacriumReflect

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter

    Is there a video driver for Acer flat screens (other than generic drive)?

    I replaced my broken screen with: LP173WD1(TL)(C3); CT:CBCVN027CZZIGX; 173A1C149A4CU 422B

    I am looking for a video driver for Windows 7

    Please advise.

    Thanks, Tracey

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter

    I was able to install the OS from my factory disks

    I want to install kb5016679-x64, but the message is that: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=123986 must be installed before security roll-up can be installed.

    That "page" points me to link that is no longer available.

    Can anyone tell me what needs to be installed before I can install kb5016679?

    Please advise.

    Thanks, Tracey

    BTW the NLA-link is: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?familyid=93a942c1-fc43-44cf-bc5b-5cc1874b3cc3

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter

    I tried installing kb5016057-x64, but it "failed" to install.

    Kinda lost.

    Thanks, Tracey

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    edited September 2022

    Sorry, the problem you're facing is that Win7 is no longer supported by Microsoft as of Jan 2020. This means updates of the old OEM Win7 factory version are no longer offered by Microsoft.

    The best you can do is using Microsoft's media creation tool. This will install the most recent updated generic Win7 version as of Jan 2020. Then any devices that don't work properly with the generic Win7 will have to be downloaded from the ACER OEM device driver download page or using on line driver freeware tools such as iobit's Driver Booster

    If it was my machine, I would update to generic Win10 using the same Microsoft media creation tool for Win10. All the ACER Win10 OEM drivers are available for the E1-731 and Microsoft will offer Win10 updates well into the foreseeable future. Win10 can pretty well be set up with about the same look and feel of Win7 but you'll have the benefit of a supported Windows version for the next several years at least.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter

    Is there a way to find out what is contained in the bios updates(fixes, corrections, etc): [BIOS_Acer_2.28_A_A] and [BIOS_Acer_2.30_A_A]?

    The laptop shows [2013: BIOS_Acer_2.17_A_A] and the [BIOS_Acer_2.28_A_A] and [BIOS_Acer_2.30_A_A] are available.

    I want to know if it is worth while taking a chance because if there is a glitch during the install it usually renders the device permanently disabled.

    Please advise.

    Thanks, Tracey

    I sent the laptop to the Acer Repair Center under warranty and asked them to update the BIOS if one was available, but they did not do it.

    I sent the laptop a 2nd time to the Acer Repair Center (paid for the repair) and asked them to update the BIOS if one was available, but they still did not do it.

    BTW: I reinstalled Windows 7sp1 from my Acer Factory Recovery CDs and all seemed to go well.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓

    >>>sent the laptop to the Acer Repair Center under warranty and asked them to update the BIOS if one was available, but they did not do it.>>>

    They likely didn't do it because BIOS firmware updates are primarily meant for machine's that are having serious issues. Otherwise, firmware updates are NOT recommended due to a significantly higher risk of introducing irreversible adverse side effects or bricking than ordinary driver updates.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Traceyad2032
    Traceyad2032 Member Posts: 20 Troubleshooter

    I successfully reinstalled Windows 7 sp1.

    1 program I use requires .Net FW 4 which installed after I installed MSU: KB4474419

    KB4474419 is needs to be installed before running ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe

    Just FYI, Tracey

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer

    Congratulations. Thanks for the report. Happy to read that it seems to be working OK for you. 🙂

    Jack E/NJ