Acer Aspire s3 - Bios Update black screen

mjaniko
mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

Hello guys i managed to update bios from ver 1.15 to v1.18, it was first time i was trying to update bios.

 

i downloaded latest bios unzipped and in windows folder i started exe, after restart the laptop got black screen.

 

Available Any known solutions for it?
Thanks in Advanced.

Answers

  • -Justin
    -Justin Member Posts: 2,362 Skilled Specialist WiFi Icon

    mjaniko,

     

    I do not see a 1.18 version listed for this system, it goes from 1.17 to 1.23. If the screen is just blank when you turn the system on, have you tried connecting an external monitor to the system to see if you get a display?

     

    If you aren't getting a display on either screens it sounds like you may need to have the notebook serviced.

  • JordanB
    JordanB ACE Posts: 3,729 Pathfinder

    The ultrathin s3 does appear have that BIOS.  But you didn't post your full computer model so have no idea what computer you're talking about.

     

    Sometimes having the wrong SATA controller mode will cause a black screen.  I know how to change the controller mode in my BIOS, but unfortunately do not know if it's possible in your BIOS.  I'm pretty sure it's possible to change things in your registry, but since you have a black screen, it would be rather challenging to alter the registry settings.  

     

    I guess you could try accessing your BIOS settings and changing the SATA controller mode.  I have no idea which mode is "correct" mode in your setup.  AHCI IDE IntelRST Raid

     

    Or you could maybe try loading the BIOS defaults????

     

    s3.JPG

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • -Justin
    -Justin Member Posts: 2,362 Skilled Specialist WiFi Icon

    I found another post by the user that was for a S3-391, I am presuming that is the model they are referring to and could be wrong. I was unable to find a 1.18 BIOS listed for it, maybe they downloaded the wrong model BIOS and messed it up?

     

    S3-391 BIOS list.JPG

     

     

  • JordanB
    JordanB ACE Posts: 3,729 Pathfinder

    I think you're probably right.  Wrong BIOS would be a likely explanation to the black screen.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    Oh Sorry i forgot to mention model

    I have got Acer Aspire s3 - 951.

    I have recovered old bios, the computer monitor and bios are functioning normally,

    Here is some picture of my acer bios

     

    [edited to comply with guidelines - removed image displaying serial number]



    Now i have problem that i cant start windows, cant install new windows and also i cant recover factory windows. its failing while installing and the current windows goes into the windows repair mode(cant start it also with safe mode).

    Any ideas ?

     

     

  • -Justin
    -Justin Member Posts: 2,362 Skilled Specialist WiFi Icon

    mjaniko,

     

    Does the Windows repair fail everytime as well? You could have a problem with your partitions, or you could be having a hardware issue (hard drive) if the recovery keeps failing.

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    windows repair fail everytime, i dont think that its Hard Drive problem cuz i tried to put there my second Hard Drive and the startup is same, it runs windows repair and nothing more after it.
    when i get home i will show you pictures on which step it fail

  • -Justin
    -Justin Member Posts: 2,362 Skilled Specialist WiFi Icon

    mjaniko,

     

    If you want to put a fresh copy of Windows on it you can blow away the drive to just raw data, the recovery media from Acer should put the hard drive back to how it was when it shipped, partitions and all.

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User
    Yeah but when i press alt + f10 the laptopnstart windows loading and after it stuck so i cant recover the data
  • glajeunesse
    glajeunesse Member Posts: 10 New User

    Can you now access the BIOS screens?

    I would check your SATA settings, could be ATA or AHCI or IDE or Legacy... try each setting you have under the SATA settings to see if that helps.

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    Yeap i can access the bios screens, everything is normal in bios thats no problem.
    I have two sata modes IDE and AHCI i have set currently AHCI, 

     

    on IDE mode i see acer logo and after it sometimes shows _ and freezez there but sometimes it goes to recovery , with ahci i can run without freeze. as i tested on IDE mode i cant run factory windows at all.

     

    eventually with AHCI mode this is the last step what windows does, cant go any further

    11774530_1162310653784847_801115657_n.jpg

  • glajeunesse
    glajeunesse Member Posts: 10 New User

    Is there a setting for secure boot in your BIOS?

    Try fiddling with that setting...  looks like it wants to load Windows 8, but can't.

     

    Can also try to put default settings in your BIOS

     

    At least your hardware isn't messed up (unless it's a bad hard drive)

     

    Can't boot in safemode?

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    Yeah actually i have win8 installed on it,

     

    nah this model has so poor bios.

     

    Nope i cnt boot with safemode.

    11774530_1162310653784847_801115657_n.jpg

  • glajeunesse
    glajeunesse Member Posts: 10 New User

    Have you tried ALT+F10?

    Right after the Acer logo on boot up, hold down the ALT key and repeatedly tap the F10 key...

     

    Do you have a boot Cd like the original Windows 8 disc?  Or maybe a copy of Hiren's?

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    yeap i have tried alt + f10 several times and i got different errors.

     

    11758907_1162337860448793_1415160537_n.jpg

    11774317_1162337893782123_90486475_n.jpg11787234_1162337873782125_1661614389_n.jpg11798206_1162337833782129_1090522528_n.jpg

     

     

    i am trying to install new windows with usb, i have ultrabook it doesnt have cd room

  • glajeunesse
    glajeunesse Member Posts: 10 New User

    alrighty then...

     

    I would test your hard drive next.

     

    You'll need to get a hold of Seatools, the easiest way is to download a copy of Hiren's and put that on a USB stick (you'll need access to another computer to create that USB stick) just google Hiren's USB

     

    No point in fighting with the thing if your hard drive is bad.  You either need to remove the hard drive and run seatools on it from another computer, or boot from Hiren's and run seatools that way.

     

    If the hard drive comes back ok, we can move on the the next step...

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    i dont think that its hard drive problem, i have removed hard drive inserted usb wich has win8 on it i tryied to boot installation, fail cant find winload.exe.

    i got also  usb external hard drive and secondary hdd for laptop but it dont load it.

     

    i will try hirens usb

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User
    I have lunched memory test with linux minit, here is the result.
    http://youtu.be/1SmgW6PULRk

    Any chance that this test can be incorrect?
    In bios i see 4048mb of ram
  • glajeunesse
    glajeunesse Member Posts: 10 New User

    Ouch...  do you have 4GB of RAm in that machine?

     

    That Memtest86 is usually the go-to utility to test RAM.  All that red is bad...

     

    That might be your problem.  Do you know if you have 1 stick of RAM or 2?  If you have 2, I'd remove one and run the test again, then check the other one by itself.

     

    If you only have the 1 stick of RAM, you'll either have to source another one for a test, or try another memory diag test like the Windows one that you can try from a Windows install CD (I know Windows 7 has the test on the disc)

  • mjaniko
    mjaniko Member Posts: 11 New User

    Unfortunatelly this series of laptop  has integrated RAM,CPU,VGA thats why its awfull, it cos too much and cant change any detail, this is weird.

    I will try some other mem diagnostic tool, in my country service center dont support changing integrated rams