Acer Aspire 5742G is dead. I think BIOS is corrupted because all I get is a blank display.

I was doing a heavy task on my other laptop and I wanted more RAM so I decided to take out the 4gigs from my Aspire 5742G only to find out that its not a 1×4GB RAM (instead a 2x2GB DDR3). All I did is take out the RAM, saw that it was only 2gigs and put it back in (nothing else, I know my way around computers enough). Then I thought of sharing the job over the network only to find out that my Aspire 5742G won't boot. Nothing. Not eveb the Acer logo comes up. Hard disk access light is always off (not a single blink). Terrified. I had thought it might be display issue but as I said the HDD light doesn't even blink once.

Then I jumped to Google. Found out it most likely a BIOS problem. So I downloaded the lastet BIOS from Acer, just to be greeted with a gibberish ZIP file. I have no idead how to use this ZIP to refresh my BIOS. The exe file is no good since the PC doesn't boot and other methods all seem unlikely since boot selection is not even possible.

Can someone kindly guide me to the right possibly way of refreshing my BIOS?

Thanks in advance,

PC Info and specs:

Acer Aspire 5742 Series
Model No: PEW71
Aspire 5742G-374G50Mnkk
MFG Date: 1011
Current OS: Windows 8 Pro
Original OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
RAM: 4GB DDR3 (2x2GB)
CPU: Intel Core i3-370M
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470
HDD: 500GB 2.5" SATA

[edited for privacy]

Accepted answers

Alan-London

While it can be almost impossible to diagnose a problem remotely, I would hazard a guess and suggest that your problem has nothing to do with your BIOS.

Given your description of your actions, I would recommend you check and double check your RAM seating. Also check that there is no damage to the socket. There is also the likelihood that static may have destroyed the RAM. You may need to try known good RAM to rule this possibility out.

It is not always possible to update a BIOS if a hardware problem exists.

Certainly, I would not want to risk a BIOS install until there is absolutely no doubt that a problem doesn't exist elsewhere. Should an attempted update fail, you could find yourself worse off. In short, ensure that your RAM and seating is 100% before looking elsewhere. Your choice of course.

All comments

Alan-London

While it can be almost impossible to diagnose a problem remotely, I would hazard a guess and suggest that your problem has nothing to do with your BIOS.

Given your description of your actions, I would recommend you check and double check your RAM seating. Also check that there is no damage to the socket. There is also the likelihood that static may have destroyed the RAM. You may need to try known good RAM to rule this possibility out.

It is not always possible to update a BIOS if a hardware problem exists.

Certainly, I would not want to risk a BIOS install until there is absolutely no doubt that a problem doesn't exist elsewhere. Should an attempted update fail, you could find yourself worse off. In short, ensure that your RAM and seating is 100% before looking elsewhere. Your choice of course.

tamrat

I tested the RAM on my other Toshiba laptop and I can see its working since it reads 10GB under PC Info (the Toshiba is 8GB by itself). But even if the RAM had failed (or possibly a damaged port, God forbid), there is still a 2GB RAM in there which I never (I mean ever) touched. I have been handling RAMs since DDR1s, and I am 100% sure its sitting in the right place correctly. If the RAM wasn't in the right place, the lockers wouldn't snap on too.

So, back to BIOS, right? The thing you said about failed BIOS update sounds very scary and since laptop repairs, especially the ones related to complicated things like ROMs and BIOS have really low chance of being fixed in my country, I am quite not sure of how to proceed.

Any help or suggestion will be appreciated.

Alan-London

OK. So you at least know your RAM is good. However, be aware that 'correctly' inserted RAM is no guarantee that it is 'electrically' connected or that the socket is not damaged. I have spent many happy hours over the years struggling with RAM that refused to 'connect' although correctly seated!

Do also check that you have returned the correct RAM to the Acer and not a Toshiba stick. (I can hear you now 'Of course I b***** well have!' but I had to ask!) RAM issues are more than capable of producing symptoms such as yours.

Assuming you have had a good look at the socket pins and there are no bent or shorted ones, have you tried to fire it up with that socket vacant?

If you are convinced that all is well then I guess you will want to pursue the BIOS as a possible culprit. I have had a quick look at version 1.30 and it appears you would need a bootable machine to install it as it is performed by a DOS or Windows app. If that is the case, your only option may be to send your laptop to an Acer service centre.

tamrat

Well, to my big surprise the Acer started working fine today after doing literally nothing on it. The chronological order of the things I said are not perfect (now looking back and reading it). Back when I opened up the Acer for more RAM for my Toshiba, I had actually taken out the RAM, saw that it was only 2GB and then I PUT IT IN THE TOSHIBA to check it out. The Toshiba read 10GB which meant all was fine (should have been since the problem never occurred at that time). The Acer stopped working after I put the 2GB RAM back. And also I only noticed it wasn't working until the next day. So when you asked me to check if the RAM had shorted, I never bothered to open up and check it since it had worked the previous day. Confession over, to the drama how the Acer got back to working state.

After noticing my fault (not checking the RAM when you told me to), I opened up the Acer and removed the RAM carefully and inspected the connector on the board. It had absolutely no visible physical damage and all pins were in perfect line (nothing had shorted). So I turned to the RAM and since there was nothing much I could do just by staring at it, I decided to put it in the Toshiba once again. I put it in carefully and double checked everything. I fired up the laptop. BAM! Nothing! Blank screen for about five seconds and the laptop turned off by itself (forcefully, it made the noise when you press and hold the power button). I concluded the RAM was fried. I opened the Acer (with only the 2GB in it) and it worked like normal.

Mad with myself for my poor handling of the RAM, I decided to give it a second shot and open the Toshiba again. Voila! The Toshiba worked (with the troublesome 2GB RAM in it). While opening it read "Preparing to configure Windows" which was weird since I didn't install any updates (not even automatically). After it loaded, opened PC Info and it read 10GB; the RAM works. Pushing my luck a bit further, I put the 2GB RAM back in the Acer and surprise surprise... it worked.

I absolutely have no logical or educated explanation for the events that happened but I think this is a second chance for me and to rethink my way of handling RAMs since they don't come cheap at where I live.

Thank you @Alan-London for your professional reply and saving my laptop, or else I would have fiddled with the BIOS thing and killed that thing for good. Thank you very much again and I am sorry for my inaccurate explanations in the previous posts.

Cheers,
Tamrat

Alan-London

No worries. The main thing is you are back up and running (and without risking your BIOS!!).

The 'bad RAM' mystery can, in my experience, frequently be put down to poor tolerance sockets and/or RAM. Should you have a slightly sloppy socket together with an undersized RAM board (I refer to the PCB thickness) it can be problematic. While it may well work initially, once removed and reseated, getting a good electrical connection can be difficult. I have on one occasion had to get my soldering station and tin all RAM pads to make it work!! (I do not recommend this - success is not guaranteed.)