Bios error

RoyJ
RoyJ Member Posts: 3 New User

I have an Acer Aspire 5315 on Vista OS. I downloaded the updated BIOS and encountered an error which hung the machine. I manually powered off and now I cant get any activity on the machine. Does anybody know how to recover from a BIOS error?

Best Answer

  • RoyJ
    RoyJ Member Posts: 3 New User
    Answer ✓

    Got my laptop working again but its on BIOS version 1.11, I'm kinda scared to use the version 1.45 update on the Acer website seeing it caused all this trouble in the first place. The recovery steps I used are listed below.

     

    First clear the CMOS by removing the Laptop's rechargable battery, then short circut the CMOS battery by connecting something metal against the two soidered leads holding the CMOS battery to the motherboard (I used a paper clip). With the power cord connected, and the metal connection to the CMOS battery in place, press and hold the power button for 30sec then let go and remove the metal connection.

    The rest of the steps I found in the knowledge base.
    INSTRUCTIONS::


    FORMAT A USB THUMB DRIVE use FAT, or FAT16 as the file structure when you format it!
    use a small capacity thumbdrive if possible,, large thumb drives may require FAT32 to format properly(and no floppy ever required FAT32 so that might cause the recovery to fail)

    then put the FILE (Click here for file ICL50HW.fd) ON THE BLANK THUMB DRIVE

    ICL50HW.fd (important FILE from the actual CRYSIS FLOPPY DISK IMAGE)


    download and copy it to the formatted thumb DRIVE

    go to the 5315,,

    (1.) REMOVE CD or DVD if possible (you may have to press the power button the quickly press the CD EJECT button)

    (2.) REMOVE ALL USB DEVICES, NETWORK CABLES, (anything hooked to the laptop)

    (3.) PRESS AND HOLD the POWER BUTTON DOWN FOR 5 secs to shutdown the laptop

    (4.) REMOVE BATTERY

    (5.) REMOVE AC CORD

    (6.) PUT the USB THUMB DRIVE IN USB SLOT ON RIGHT SIDE OF LAPTOP (the one i used anyway)

    (7.) PRESS AND HOLD the POWER BUTTON down for 10 secs... release

    (8.) while holding FN + ESC plug in AC POWER CABLE, (KEEP HOLDING FN+ESC the whole time)

    (9.) NOW PRESS POWER BUTTON & HOLD IT DOWN... THE FAN SHOULD SPIN UP (keep holding FN+ESC) ONCE FAN SPINS UP, RELEASE POWER BUTTON

    (10.) eventually the fan will shut off.... (seemed like 30 seconds,, but could have been 5 minutes... i was freaking out)

    when fan shuts off i unplugged my AC CORD... REMOVED THE USB DRIVE,,,, and then plugged the AC power back in,,,

    then pressed power and my the miracle of technology and my preserverance... i got a green power light followed by an ACER POST SCREEN!!!

    (BIOS VERSION IS GOING TO BE OLD AND TIME IS WAY OFF)... but atleast it should boot.. Be sure to change your computer date and time manually.

     

     

Answers

  • Anandaraj
    Anandaraj Member Posts: 5 New User

    While updating the BIOS, there should not be any interuuption, Roy, and you have to keep the power adapter connected to the unit while doing that, otherwise the unit will go to irrecoverable state.

     

    In this case, you may need to contact a local techncian as the unit needs to be physically accessed by a local technician to fix this issue.

  • RoyJ
    RoyJ Member Posts: 3 New User

    There were no power interruptions, I believe the file on the Acer download website is corrupt or something, and because of this I just bricked a perfectly good machine. Reading through some of the threads many others have encountered the same problems and the least Acer should do is REMOVE the update or provide a better method of installing it.

  • RoyJ
    RoyJ Member Posts: 3 New User
    Answer ✓

    Got my laptop working again but its on BIOS version 1.11, I'm kinda scared to use the version 1.45 update on the Acer website seeing it caused all this trouble in the first place. The recovery steps I used are listed below.

     

    First clear the CMOS by removing the Laptop's rechargable battery, then short circut the CMOS battery by connecting something metal against the two soidered leads holding the CMOS battery to the motherboard (I used a paper clip). With the power cord connected, and the metal connection to the CMOS battery in place, press and hold the power button for 30sec then let go and remove the metal connection.

    The rest of the steps I found in the knowledge base.
    INSTRUCTIONS::


    FORMAT A USB THUMB DRIVE use FAT, or FAT16 as the file structure when you format it!
    use a small capacity thumbdrive if possible,, large thumb drives may require FAT32 to format properly(and no floppy ever required FAT32 so that might cause the recovery to fail)

    then put the FILE (Click here for file ICL50HW.fd) ON THE BLANK THUMB DRIVE

    ICL50HW.fd (important FILE from the actual CRYSIS FLOPPY DISK IMAGE)


    download and copy it to the formatted thumb DRIVE

    go to the 5315,,

    (1.) REMOVE CD or DVD if possible (you may have to press the power button the quickly press the CD EJECT button)

    (2.) REMOVE ALL USB DEVICES, NETWORK CABLES, (anything hooked to the laptop)

    (3.) PRESS AND HOLD the POWER BUTTON DOWN FOR 5 secs to shutdown the laptop

    (4.) REMOVE BATTERY

    (5.) REMOVE AC CORD

    (6.) PUT the USB THUMB DRIVE IN USB SLOT ON RIGHT SIDE OF LAPTOP (the one i used anyway)

    (7.) PRESS AND HOLD the POWER BUTTON down for 10 secs... release

    (8.) while holding FN + ESC plug in AC POWER CABLE, (KEEP HOLDING FN+ESC the whole time)

    (9.) NOW PRESS POWER BUTTON & HOLD IT DOWN... THE FAN SHOULD SPIN UP (keep holding FN+ESC) ONCE FAN SPINS UP, RELEASE POWER BUTTON

    (10.) eventually the fan will shut off.... (seemed like 30 seconds,, but could have been 5 minutes... i was freaking out)

    when fan shuts off i unplugged my AC CORD... REMOVED THE USB DRIVE,,,, and then plugged the AC power back in,,,

    then pressed power and my the miracle of technology and my preserverance... i got a green power light followed by an ACER POST SCREEN!!!

    (BIOS VERSION IS GOING TO BE OLD AND TIME IS WAY OFF)... but atleast it should boot.. Be sure to change your computer date and time manually.