Unable to Boot from USB(AN515-52-50VR)

LarryD · August 2018

I have an AN515-52-50VR, which I upgraded the HDD to an EVO 970 using the Samsung clone tool and it works great.

I am now trying to reinstall Windows 10 32bit (yes there are reasons for doing this) but I just can't get the laptop to boot from the USB.

* Using the official Windows 10 ISO 32bit
* Using Rufus 3.1 set to GPT, UEFI (non CSM), FAT32
* Using latest 1.19 BIOS

If I use that USB in another non Acer laptop it boots fine. Only on this Nitro will it not boot.

I have entered the bios, set a security password and then tried all of the following:

Disabled Secure Boot
This just does not see the USB at all

Enabled Secure Boot
For this I selected the .efi from the USB stick, labelled it USBBOOT. In boot order section I increase the priority so that USBBOOT is booted first.

If I select F12 I can see the USBBOOT file listed first and the EVO second. I press enter over the highlighted USBBOOT

Nothing happens - it just goes straight to the installed Windows on the EVO.

Other Things To Note
I have tried all three USB slots. I have tried two different brands of USB sticks. As stated earlier the USB sticks boot fine on a different brand laptop.

What next?

Wha2222 · January 2020

ivoaprilofff said:

Guys....see here the only way which I.found and work

osts: 18,013 Trailblazer
April 2017 Accepted Answer
1) download a windows 10 iso using Microsof tool:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209
select the proper windows 10 version (the same installed on your laptop) and choose to save it as iso file when prompted
2) download Rufus:
http://rufus.akeo.ie/?locale=en_US
plug your USB flash drive, run Rufus then:
select ISO image from the dropdown menu near "Create a bootable disk"
click on the little icon on the right and browse to the windows 10 downloaded iso file
as Partitions scheme select "GPT partition scheme for UEFI"
as File system select "FAT32"
click on Start
wait until it finish, then uplug your USB flash drive
3) with the USB flash drive plugged to your PC, boot to BIOS pressin Del key
4) look if F12 boot menu is enabled, if not, enabled it
5) check if UEFI is the selected BIOS mode (no launchCSM)
6) press F10 to save and exit
7) reboot and press F12, choose the USB flash drive as bootable device
8) choose to do a custom installation and then delete everypartition on your main HDD/SSD
9) then continue with windows 10 installation
Thank you !

Only ivoaprilofff got it right! Thanks
Just follow his steps and run smooth like butter! Cheers

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

1) Go to the cmd as administrator and type these commands and convert the pendrive to mbr with the following commands giving enter on each: diskpart, list disk, sel disk x (x is the pendrive number), clean, convert mbr (conversion that works in legacy mode, windows 32 bit), create partition primary, format fs = fat32 quick, assign and active! Download and paste the windows 32bits into the pendrive!

2) Go to the bios and create a password in setsupervisorpassword so you can disable the secureboot and then select legacy mode! Put the pendrive first!

3) In the windows installation, press shift + f10 and type: diskpart, list disk, sel disk x (x is the ssd number), clean, convert mbr and close cmd!

LarryD · August 2018

Nice suggestion but it still fails at 2)

When I goto Boot section of the BIOS menu I can set

Secure Boot: [Disabled]

But I can not change

Boot Mode: [UEFI]

to anything other than UEFI. Pressing enter on that option only shows UEFI. There is no facility for selecting Legacy.

I have tried this on two USB sticks.

I have also created a Macrium Reflect WinPE boot disk. It will boot on successfully the other laptop and a Z370 desktop but not on this Acer.

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

To be able to permanently disable secureboot, create an easy password in setsupervisorpassword! When creating the password, press f10 to save when exiting and enter bios again! Now the option to disable the secureboot should be blue!

See if the legacy option appears!

What is the version of your bios? Check this in cmd as administrator by typing wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

LarryD · August 2018

Yep. Already done that. I set supervisor password, save, reboot. I set Secure Boot to disabled - successfully.

The issue is that I can not change

Boot Mode: [UEFI]

There is only one option for it.

Could this be a BIOS fault (possibly version 1.19, which I am using)?

Can anyone with a Nitro 5 confirm that they can actually Select Legacy BIOS and if yes what version of bios is this?

How do you escalate these things to Acer support?

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

Is there any option like "launch csm" in this bios? Can you take a picture of these settings?

LarryD · August 2018

No option that I can find.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/gi/3ybvcs5f4u6b.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/eh/iwlpizqhquuz.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/4g/22063wwwt2fv.jpg

The following screen is the problem. When you press enter on Boot Mode: you can only select UEFI. There is no option for Legacy or anything else. This happens with or with a USB inserted and with our without a GPT or MBR version of the USB when inserted.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/51/71mn4ckrliyp.jpg

(Side Note): To prove that the laptop is not faulty (as in has faulty USB) I downloaded the Windows 10 32/64 BOTH ISO. That boots successfully!

However, when running the install I can see 'Install Win 10 64 bit' and 'Install Win 10 32bit' but selecting 32bit will eventually fail with a dreaded 0x0000359 error due to winload.efi missing. That itself - I believe - is a Microsoft issue.

Back to the point in hand. Why won't my Nitro allow me to select Legacy BIOS? Does anyone's Nitro allow them to select Legacy BIOS? If not then either this is a flaw with the BIOS or Acer have deliberately dropped support for this.

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

This is not a Microsoft problem! This problem is occurring because uefi mode does not accept the mbr and windows format in 32bits! Let me give you a brief explanation!

1) Legacy = windows 10 32bits or 64bits, with ssd or hd converted into mbr!

2) UEFI = only accepts windows 64bits, with ssd or hd converted to gpt!

The problem is occurring because ssd must be in mbr to install windows 32bits, but bios is not allowing you to select legacy mode!

As the bios is marked in uefi mode, it is not possible to install windows 32bits!

Verify that in the sata mode option there is the ahci option and change from rst to ahci and then click save on exit to see if the legacy option appears!

Can you tell me why you should install windows 10 32bits on this notebook?

LarryD · August 2018

OK, there is no joy here.

1. I set AHCI mode, save, restart no Legacy option.

2. I remove the NVME drive so there are no drives in this laptop at all. No Legacy option

3. I put in an old spare blank Intel 330 SSD. No Legacy option.

So I can not even get Legacy mode with no disks in it at all. This leads me to wonder if Acer have removed Legacy mode and / or have cut back on the bios so that you can not boot or install any 32bit software.

---

32bits is required because of old legacy applications that I have. They just don't work with 64bits. Also note my usual reposte though is: Why are Microsoft still developing 32 bit versions of Windows XX if we should not be using it

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

I asked one of the site moderators about the possibility of putting your notebook in legay mode! I even added you to the conversation!

LarryD · August 2018

Nothing heard yet. This is getting very frustrating. This is my first Acer after buying major labels for decades. I don't wish it to be my last Acer.

Here's an update.

I just purchased an external USB DVD drive so that I can boot up with official Windows DVDs. All the 64bit versions of the O/S boot fine. The 32 bit versions do not.

I can only suspect that either there is a flaw with Acer's BIOS or they have deliberately disabled any kind of 32bit booting / installation on this range of laptops. If the former and they can fix it ASAP that's great. If the later and they don't want to know then that's just not on. There was nothing on the website, in the reviews, on the box that states "YOU CAN NOT RUN ANY 32BIT O/S ON THIS DEVICE". If there was a warning I would not have bought the laptop.

I just wasted 20 bucks on an external drive. But worse still I have wasted three solid days on this.

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

Unfortunately there is a lock on the bios! I'm also waiting for an answer! I added to the conversation you and one more moderator! When they respond you will see!

LarryD · August 2018

Just tried contacting Acer Premium Support via the support section of the site. The link just 404s

Next I tried the Chat facility (UK). That gives a certificate error and the browser refuses to continue.

What the hell have I done! Why did I switch to Acer! I love the trees but not the company.

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

Since some time, all programs will be x64! Intel itself has already said that uefi mode will not have legacy mode, ie uefi class III, will no longer accept the image in legacy mode! The motherboard of your notebook should already be in this version of uefi, so there is no legacy mode! But I'm also waiting for a response from the moderator!

It seems to me that from 2020 there will be no more programs in 32bits!

http://www.uefi.org/sites/default/files/resources/Brian_Richardson_Intel_Final.pdf

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

Click the uefi mode and press f5 or f6 to see if the legacy mode appears!

LarryD · August 2018

No it makes no difference with F5, F6. The only option in the blue box is [UEFI]. Pressing F5 or F6 does not change it.

JackE · August 2018

Just saw this thread after all the earlier PMs. Aside from the legacy and VM things, seems like something's wrong with the USB ports. Can you get anything to boot from a GPT FAT 32 bootstick? Like Mint? Ubuntu? They're fairly bulletproof so be good for testing. Jack E/NJ

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

What did you see wrong at usbs ports @JackE?

JackE · August 2018

Larry sez >>> I just can't get the laptop to boot from the USB.>>>

Jack E/NJ

Commodore_1995# · August 2018

That is the question! He wants to install windows 10 32bits! However this version only works in legacy mode and with ssd converted to mbr! The pendrive should also be converted to mbr and formatted in fat32 so that it can be read in legacy mode! However the legacy mode option does not appear in the bios and consequently it can not install the 32 bit version of windows!

The installation does not proceed because uefi mode does not accept 32bit, so the pendrive is not read!
Sorry for my English!

LarryD · August 2018

OK, I have now tried Linux. I tried two different flavours on two different USB sticks, on two different platforms (this Acer Nitro and a Z370 desktop).

32bit Mint 19 Cinnamon

This did not work on the Acer. It does not show up in Boot Order

This does work on a z370 desktop

32bit Ubuntu Server 14.04.5

This did not work on the Acer. It does not show up in Boot Order

This does work on a z370 desktop

64bit Ubuntu Server 14.04.5 LTS amd64

This DOES work on the Acer. As soon as I enter the BIOS to check the settings it is listed in Boot Order 1. I proceed to boot and the installation works.

As I said previously there is nothing wrong with the ports, USB sticks (4 different types tried) or the O/S isos. All 64bit versions work. It's just 32bit that the BIOS will not recognise (presumably because it will not enable Legacy mode).