Acer Aspire 5740G don't boot if HDD is connected

Ab31
Ab31 Member Posts: 5

Tinkerer
edited November 2017 in Legacy Laptops and Netbooks
Hello acer community

Recently a SSD was installed in my laptop, replacing it's HDD, and the HDD was moved to the DVD reader position, so I got no DVD reader on my laptop now.
Windows10 is installed and working on the SSD, SSD is the first boot memory in the BIOS.

But if I turn on my computer and the HDD (in the DVD reader place) is connected the computer doesn't even load windows, just shows the boot image and keeps there, the one that says "Acer empowering people".
In other words, my laptop only boots windows 10 if the HDD is disconnected from the computer, if I turn it on after starting windows it will work but if I restart the computer without removing the HDD the computer will freeze in the boot again.

How can I solve this? 

I will post some pictures of this in the comments soon



Best Answer

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    Answer ✓
    I think the laptop reads DVD bay as a DVD drive, and connecting a HDD instead makes some kind of an error. You can try updating BIOS to latest version, if you haven't done so yet and it might work.
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

Answers

  • Ab31
    Ab31 Member Posts: 5

    Tinkerer
    Images of my laptop.






  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    Answer ✓
    I think the laptop reads DVD bay as a DVD drive, and connecting a HDD instead makes some kind of an error. You can try updating BIOS to latest version, if you haven't done so yet and it might work.
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • Ab31
    Ab31 Member Posts: 5

    Tinkerer
    ven98 said:
    I think the laptop reads DVD bay as a DVD drive, and connecting a HDD instead makes some kind of an error. You can try updating BIOS to latest version, if you haven't done so yet and it might work.
    I updated the BIOS and boom! Problem solved! Thank you very much @ven98 !!!! :D


  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    Glad it worked  B)
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • TTR
    TTR Member Posts: 2 New User
    Hi,

    I also have the same problem.

    Can you share how to get the BIOS update and procedure to do the same.

    Thanks in advance
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer
    @TTR you should start your own thread rather than camping out on one that several years old. More people will see it and that means you are more likely to get a good answer. Make sure you include the full model number (5740G if you have the same as the previous poster) and describe your problem's specifics.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,165 Trailblazer
    Ab31 said:
    Hello acer community

    Recently a SSD was installed in my laptop, replacing it's HDD, and the HDD was moved to the DVD reader position, so I got no DVD reader on my laptop now.
    Windows10 is installed and working on the SSD, SSD is the first boot memory in the BIOS.

    But if I turn on my computer and the HDD (in the DVD reader place) is connected the computer doesn't even load windows, just shows the boot image and keeps there, the one that says "Acer empowering people".
    In other words, my laptop only boots windows 10 if the HDD is disconnected from the computer, if I turn it on after starting windows it will work but if I restart the computer without removing the HDD the computer will freeze in the boot again.

    How can I solve this? 

    I will post some pictures of this in the comments soon




    Ab31, I've got allot of experience with these laptops in upgrades and mods and this is my suggestion to you take it or leave it? First, what BIOS version are you running on your laptop? Is it the last BIOS for the Aspire 5740G the version 1.28 dated 2011/04/12? That is what you have to have, secondly, the old spinner HDD has to be completely formatted and no trace of your old Win-10 on it, as and if you have not formatted this drive, then either the old HDD will interfere with your new SSD boot drive and/or your laptop will boot from the old HDD. I’ve run your setup (500GB Samsung EVO 850 SSD boot drive and a WD spinner HDD as a slave in the DVD slot) on an Aspire 5750-2414 for years with an MBR/Legacy BIOS and its worked perfectly and also, I’m running the same setup on an Aspire V3-571G with GPT/UEFI BIOS and both of these laptop are running perfectly and both of these laptops have never ever had any BSOD’s and/or errors with Win-10. Btw, the V3-571G when I ran the Crucial memory scan, was the fastest that they have scanned for the V3's as I upgraded it from an MBR/Legacy BIOS to the GPT/UEFI type BIOS (which is an option for the V3-571G and its not on your Aspire 5740G) and fitted a to Samsung SSD and its got 8GB of DDR3-1866MHz RAM which has increased its performance considerably.

    Btw and also, it could be that your spinner HDD is faulty e.g. bearings, heads and/or platter and that is why you are getting this error, try another spinner HDD in the DVD drive as the way that you have this setup and the way I’ve described above should work 100% and perfectly.


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