I upgraded my AZC-606 to Windows 10 without updating the BIOS last year

It's a step I completely missed, as far as I knew at the time Acer didn't have the information regarding the update and it's the first time I installed a Windows OS - no one I relied on for the specifics of installing it said anything about the BIOS (and it wasn't anyone at Acer). Windows 10 has been running smoothly on the machine. The only problem I've been having consistently (and not always, but most of the time) is when the computer restarts it stalls at the Acer screen. I generally don't bother using the restart option. All that said, my Windows 10 experience has been pretty good, and the machine its running on has most of the time been reliable, but I'm at a point where I want to go back and do another clean install of Windows.

Now, I've used the Media Creation Tool to make an ISO. But last time I used the MCT to stick it straight on a flash drive, so maybe I'll do that again. About the BIOS, I am a total n00b, so I don't know anything about that. I presume it's something I can still do/have done for me before the install of Windows if I haven't already messed things up enough. I'm kind of fishing for answers that I don't yet have questions for.

What are my options, and what's the best option for me at this stage? As I said, the Windows front-end runs in tip-top condition as is, and anything back-end that may go on is just invisible to me. Just the restarting of the computer seems out of whack.

Sorry for being longwinded, and vague.

Accepted answers

IronFly

Since you still have a working windows installation, you can update now and then do the clean install.

BIOS update is very simple and you just need to follow instruction on the readme file inside the zip package.

but first check you actual BIOS version:

windows logo key + x

Run

type

msinfo32

check BIOS DATE/version

the latest BIOS is P11.A4

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_P11.A4_A_A.zip?acerid=635513517099228329&Step1=ALL-IN-ONE&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE%20ZC-606&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

All comments

IronFly

Since you still have a working windows installation, you can update now and then do the clean install.

BIOS update is very simple and you just need to follow instruction on the readme file inside the zip package.

but first check you actual BIOS version:

windows logo key + x

Run

type

msinfo32

check BIOS DATE/version

the latest BIOS is P11.A4

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_P11.A4_A_A.zip?acerid=635513517099228329&Step1=ALL-IN-ONE&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE%20ZC-606&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

LkNolan

Thank you IronFly, the Readme makes it amazingly simple.

I'm running on version P11-A2 - is that a version that this machine should have or may have shipped with - I don't see it listed on the ZC-606 support site? I've only had this PC just over a year now, the only time I can think I'd do the BIOS is when Windows 10 came out. Chances are it shipped that way, I'm thinking. My memory isn't good so it's not out of the realm of possibility that I've messed with the BIOS when Windows 10 came out and I've forgotten about it - but probably not.

I know the BIOS update is suggested on the Acer Windows 10 support site, and clearly I don't have the latest version. It's easy enough to follow the instructions, and hopefully it solves the issue on restarts. Does it sound like something a BIOS update would fix?

A few small questions:

Can I update straight to the latest BIOS, or must I get there incrementally by updating to P11-A3 (if it exists) beforehand?

Also, is it suggested that I allow Windows to power up after I flash the BIOS, or should I boot straight into the Windows installer?

I'm hoping to get this all done by morning. Does it take long to complete what I need done with the BIOS or is it a quick process?

IronFly

P11-A2 is the factory BIOS, so it was shipped with this version

a BIOS update can fix your restart issue but i'm not 100% sure, since the restart issue can be also a driver problem but i would update the BIOS since it's recommended on upgrading to windows 10

you can update to the latest

always let your system reboot to windows automatically, so you will be sure that BIOS is upgraded and working

BIOS upgrade takes about 2 minutes or even less

LkNolan

I have gone into Device Manager, and there is a driver missing. It says it's a PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller. That sounds generic to me. Windows hasn't seemed to be able to find it I guess.