Here it is:

I also have photos from the other BIOS tabs, if you need to see them.

Update (good news):

• I tried powering first with rams on the original order - got again the usual shut down, a black screen.
• Then tried connecting it with an HMDI cable to a TV screen - it showed the screen with options to enter BIOS but again: shutdown.

• I changed the order of the ram modules and connected it to a TV screen again. I also removed that small usb connector/plug of the wireless mouse. This time I was able to enter BIOS with F2 😀. Took the photos, changed the boot order (I usually have it set for DVD first, so I placed the HDD as priority) and tried Windows repair.
• It didn´t repair automatically and showed that blue screen were it asks if you want to try repair on startup, or make a clean install, or proceed to Windows. I chose repairing startup files, it failed and took me back to the blue screen options. I chose proceed to Windows.
• Went straight to Windows, showed the hello message, showed the options you get when you install for the first time and have to chose language keyboard… I selected ignore for now and went for Windows and it entered Windows.
• I tried copying some files I had not a backup of, and after a while it went down again. Then I remembered I should have checked how much memory it has - it could be working only with one ram module?

• I didn´t try restart and reinstalling Windows because I wasn´t sure it would hold reading the DVD with Windows ISO. Thought I should post this here first. Later, I will try again and see if it allows reinstall of Windows before shuting down.

It is very uncertain/unstable: sometimes I enter the Bios, sometimes it shuts down without giving time for anything. Changing the ram order seemed to make a difference.

[Edited the post to hide sensitive data]

Any info that should be hidden?

Right now, I was trying to reinstall windows 10. Is this what you mean? I´m not using win7 now - should I try?

• I disabled quiet boot but the only thing on screen before shut down was the usual basic information:

• system memory speed , Bios version, bios build date, processor type.

Sorry, no photo: I can´t even get to that menu.

Right now, I can´t pass beyond the BIOS - can´t see the WIN10 install menu nor boot anything from DVD. In the best chance, it doesn´t get passed the first image of Windows repair.

• If I manage to enter BIOS, then it stays powered on. But, if I leave BIOS, it shuts down a few seconds later while booting or sometimes show the Windows repair screen and shut down right after.

Don´t know why I was able to enter Windows yesterday.

I tried today with another screen and got the same result I´m getting now. Also tried again with the original drive (no OS installed) and this time I was able to enter BIOS and no black screen, unlike yesterday.

I will try to install WIN10 to the drive with another computer (connected with usb sata cable) and see if it´s the startup files.

EDIT: system memory speed listed 1067mhz, don´t know if it´s correct.

I installed WIN8.1 with rufus on the original drive because I can´t install it externally connected (SATA to USB). I tried to boot from it on another computer and it seemed to be entering Win8 and configuring it but then entered the main drive (Windows 10) instead.

I went ahead and installed this original drive on the 5742G. Powered on, went to BIOS, checked boot order and went for WIN8… Right when it was showing an image that seemed like configuring windows it went down again.

Don´t know if it was a correct installation of WIN8.

Does anyone know if this could be MBR or BIOS or the drivers? How can I check/be sure if this is a software problem?

Today someone (very positive person) told me that this could only be the CPU having some electrical problem (and obviously implied I should give up)… 🙄 It really could be so many things.

This laptop has more than 10 years old and it will need replacement, sooner or later. But unless I´m sure it´s a hardware problem I would really like to get it to work.

I´m still intrigued as to why I could enter Windows through repair menu yesterday, but not today.

I will try installing Windows 10 on the original drive another day, maybe over the weekend.

Thank you for your comment. :)

Maybe it´s memory. Don´t know if it´s just that:

This morning, I repeated the steps before I got into Windows: removed RAMs, disk, mouse and even DVD. Then tried turning it on, in this order:

All removed = black screen, went down (powered on by itself twice and disconnected)

With the disk only = black screen

Just one RAM stick (on the bottom slot) = The screen lit up, disconnected before entering BIOS

Just the other RAM (on the bottom slot) = :) screen lit up, entered BIOS successfully, then I went for Windows, computer tried automatic repair and went down again.

With both RAMS (no DVD) = same as before.

I used RUFUS with MBR setting, on target system it showed 'BIOS (or UEFI-CSM)'. Tried Win2go on a usb pen but didn´t work well.

One question (and sorry bothering): is there really no way to boot this machine (PEW71 model) from a USB pen? How to turn a USB boot option on?

Searched this several times and BIOS has no option I could see. I keep repeating this to everyone that keeps telling me 'just boot from a USB pen'! Even some technicians seemed to think this machine can, but somewhere on Internet says this aspire has no USB boot option.

Thank you very much!

I know it may seem obvious but I tried those USB options long ago and it failed! Don´t know why. Now that I think of it, maybe it was the Windows 10 version.

For some reason I can´t install Windows using the latest 22H2. Tried several ISO DVDs and the installation always aborts half way. Then installed version 1909 and all went well. This is the latest version I can install of WIN10 then I have to update to 22H2.

I will try again.

Also will see what I can do with this Aspire.

Again, thank you for all your patience and for trying to help. 👍️

Regards

I will try the USB again with an older Windows version, see how it goes. Still I can only do that if It stays powered on long enough.

Thank you for all the info. I learned a few things and understand this aspire and others a bit better than I did 5 years ago. This helps when having problems with computers. It would have saved me some mistakes.

Maybe LinuxMint Cinnamon can give a clue if it´s hardware.

I still wouldn´t call it "old" but in machine years, it matters. It's just 13 years since it was made, 12 years since bought. I truly hardly felt it was an old machine. Slower than i5 processors, definitely yes. But at 8-9 years of use with Win10, I could have many (I mean many) tabs opened and still could run some games on this aspire and no explorer problems. Can´t do the same with this i5 processor, intel graphic card and same gb of ram. I notice the Intel I'm using is faster but having ram issues. This Aspire's 512mb of dedicated memory made a difference.

When it went for a technician diagnostic, back in 2019 I think (the problem was the fan), they opened it and removed some thermal pads, then left it like that. I didn´t notice at the time. Only much later, when I looked at old photos I took before sending it to the technician, I noticed what they did. They still messed the power button cable I replaced now. 😡 At the time, I did replace thermal paste and some pads but not these ones as I followed what was inside and saw no pads there.

Here you can see the pads that were missing, right next to the GPU. Don´t know what these two black parts are but they are placed below the heatsink to be cooled (photo taken first time it was opened, as it was from factory):

What I mean is: there are far better machines out there and today, but this one simply did a good job. Ok, maybe I push computers a bit but this one held on well, quite well. :) Never any problem or complaint of it for years until the usual heating problems: battery, adapter, fan. Should have been cleaned and paste and pads replaced, I know now…

It also kind of surprised me - I did not know Acer well. I was actually a bit displeased that I was loosing ram gb comparing to the desktop I had. The person that chose it said it was good and also something about the graphic card.

I get the impression it could still be fixed if not too complicated, but if you have to replace everything then it´s a new computer. Only for some… I can feel the processor is a bit slow (now compared to other computers) for today´s OS, Internet pages and all that. And it doesn´t hold on many tasks as it used to. Maybe it needs more memory - I suspect it was failing or lacking it. Maybe the CPU is failing or maybe the mainboard that gets the blames when this happens along with the graphic card. Then again, software and OS changed in this last 5 years, many web pages are demanding and I think a better/faster processor would likely help too.

This aspire will probably have to be replaced.

Good work at the forum. 🙂

Best regards

True, I would too, but if I had money to spare away just in trials. Only I´d also have to replace RAMs, until maximum allowed, and that would be much more than 50€. For that much input I might just go ahead and save it for a new one. Then I can finally edit heavy graphic files, use a drawing tablet and eventually end Diablo's III last quest 😄, something I can´t even do on this HP without more ram and a dedicated graphic card.

Thank you, I´ll see what I can do.