Acer aspire a515-54-708W BIOS CORRUPT

learntech92
learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
edited October 2023 in 2020 Archives
My bios got corrupt somehow when i restarted my laptop. All it does is stay on black screen. Keyboard is lit up. 

I wish to learn from mistakes if this is caused by me somehow. Could someone provide me with a link to download a bios version? I have no access to another machine. But i do have a USB flash drive. And a usb C to A adapter (usb otg). So i can actually place files into the usb. 

I know the fn esc together and press power. But i just need to have a USB drive ready. I may be able to use the library computer for very small basic things. 

Does anyone know an image? 


My laptop is acer aspire 5 a515-54-708W. I hear this is common in these. 

I just spent $1500 on this thing brand new. Including a 2tb nvme ssd drive. And i wish to fix it myself. Not ship it in to acer. 

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,891 Trailblazer
    >>>I just spent $1500 on this thing brand new.>>>

    Corrupted firmware can rarely be fixed via the FN+ESC cold boot method. However you can download a zip copy of the firmware from this link. Decompress the zip and run the executable on another laptop to try to extract a bin, rom, wph or fd extension with the first 3 letters of the filename ZAW. It should be the only file on a FAT32 USB stick with an LED activity indicator. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • learntech92
    learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
    So i have done the FN +ESC with power. Should the light (blinking light beside the battery light) be flashing? 
    I also held fn esc for 6 sec after powered on if that helps. Will update if this works. May take 1-60 min
  • learntech92
    learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
    Should i rename the file?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,891 Trailblazer
    What's the FD filename now? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • Commodore_1995#
    Commodore_1995# ACE Posts: 98,322 Trailblazer
    Do you know if windows installed this firmware update?

    If windows update has installed this driver, it is possible that windows update has updated the bios. Did an Acer logo appear, with a green progress bar, similar to this photo?
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  • learntech92
    learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
    None. I keep my machine on 24/7. Only reboot when i have updates. When i turned it off because of a bsod (it got warm) i thought the fan needed a cleaning. Which in turn it did. Plugged everything back in (not hard because ive built a few machines and took some apart before). When i turned it on. Only the keyboard stayed on

    When i tried to flash the file. I realized the usb i have doesn't have any led activity light. But the laptop did flash the process light (hdd activity light). When i had no usb in to test (fn esc power method both ways) it didn't flash.

    So I'm guessing it's the wrong filename because i left it for 10 min nothing happened


    Also the firmware filename is default. ZAW2_multi.fd. Anyone know the actual filename i should use? Id like to fix it myself rather then send it in. But after everything i could do if it doesn't work. I'll definitely send in the junk. (this is my last acer laptop). That was the only one the stores here had at the time for the capability. 

    I do a lot of virtualization working with Windows installs. But also since i keep it on lockscreen when not using it. And because of the really fast login process of Windows and ssd drive. It could have rebooted on its own. 
  • Commodore_1995#
    Commodore_1995# ACE Posts: 98,322 Trailblazer
    Before cleaning the fans, did you disconnect the lithium battery? Have you tried to reset the battery?

    Regarding the bios recovery crisis, I suggest you do not do it because the problem is not in the bios.
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    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
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  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,891 Trailblazer
    >>>Also the firmware filename is default. ZAW2_multi.fd>>>

    Try the default name twice using a USB with an activity LED. The HDD activity LED doesn't tell you anything. Then try renaming it to ZAW.fd. As mentioned earlier. Then try ZAW2_x64.fd. Then ZAW2_xxx.fd where xxx is the firmware version you loaded. Could be any of these names. As mentioned earlier, even if the correct name is chosen, the FN+ESC method fails more often than it succeeds. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • learntech92
    learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
    egydiocoelho said:
    Before cleaning the fans, did you disconnect the lithium battery? Have you tried to reset the battery?

    Regarding the bios recovery crisis, I suggest you do not do it because the problem is not in the bios.
    I've disconnected the small battery and the big black battery before i attempted to remove the fan to clean it.
    JackE said:
    >>>Also the firmware filename is default. ZAW2_multi.fd>>>

    Try the default name twice using a USB with an activity LED. The HDD activity LED doesn't tell you anything. Then try renaming it to ZAW.fd. As mentioned earlier. Then try ZAW2_x64.fd. Then ZAW2_xxx.fd where xxx is the firmware version you loaded. Could be any of these names. As mentioned earlier, even if the correct name is chosen, the FN+ESC method fails more often than it succeeds. Jack E/NJ

    Alright thanks I'll try that when i get home later. 
  • learntech92
    learntech92 Member Posts: 7 New User
    What does it mean. When i do plug it in. Then press fn esc power. The Blue activity light beside the battery light flashes. But doesn't stop

    Does it mean my mobo may now be a lightweight toss away?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,891 Trailblazer
    You're looking for the USB activity LED to start blinking/flashing, not the laptop's blue power LED next to the battery charge LED.  Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

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