how to restore to factory on Aspire 5520 w/o password

I have tried that three times. It still requests the Empowering Technology password, of which I do not know. It does not allow the factory restore program to work. I also looked to getting a restore CD, but it is not available through the store (Digital River). At one point I did find the page where I was supposed to be able to make a CD copy of the program. I also tried that, but the CD I got was not a factory restore program. Instead, all it made for me was a copy of some of the file programs that had been later installed on the computer.

I can sure tell that Acer never uses any Federally licensed technicians or intelligent programmers, or has much of a favorable reputation for good customer service as none of these would have ever allowed a 'no help' situation such as this that I have encountered with this machine.

Can you possibly find a copy of the Vista Windows version for this machine?

Yes, I noticed that. When a company does not follow laws regarding the Ten Year Rule on parts and service, the company is always found to have a very poor customer service and support for their customers. In reality it is called 'Corporate Greed' as all they want is to sell new products.

I speak from experience as having been a Federally licensed technician, and a dealer in the radio/ telephone, and other communications business for over fifty years. I watched all of these newer companies from their start, and saw a very

fast transition to a poor service company. I have had other Acer products in for repair from people who could get no

help from the company. This instance was just another proof of it.

I have already fixed the problem, however, before doing so I wanted to see if they had gotten any better. Nope! It even

appears they have gotten worse.

That was one of the first things I had tried. Everything I tried always got me to a password Hint, only. And, I had also tried the Acer store for this system. They do not have it. Of course, that is due to the fact that corporate greed only wants to sell new computers, and as such will not make available any product parts or software for any of their systems that they no longer support. (They ignore the Gov on the 'Ten Year Rule' for parts, etc.)

Acer, in reality, has no support for their products. I have tried to deal with them before for customers. If one is not a certified Acer sales, and repair shop they do nothing for customers, or other shops in the business. They always make the claim of Propriatory. (If this were actually true, then IBM would have all exclusive ownership of everything but a name alone. No computer product manufactured works any differently than any other. They are all merely electronic devices.)

As I had stated in my last post, I have already fixed the problem. This community chat support method can be a help if one has experienced it before, and found a way that works, but Acer should have it as part of their support as well directly through their support, and without fee, or some mandatory repair service.

My method worked well, but I really am a Federally licensed 1st Class electronics tech. My testing in Chicago was a three day effort back then. Acer doesn't have any such licensee employed, and the new licenses do not cover all as I had to test for back then. One would have to take all of the separate tests just to get most of the twenty-three fields in electronics.

I'll leave everything at the present, without further explanation. I do thank you and any other who tried to offer assistance. Fast replies, and suggestions or solutions is just great. Unfortunately, many times there is no known solution without the knowledge needed, or the resources.

  Dave.