BIOS upgrades - reflashing the BIOS

[EJ]

i purchased an ACER notebook, model 5420, and there is a known problem of
Black Screen that appears during use which freezes the computer. apparently,
the solution is to "flash the bios". i have never done anything like this
before. is this a process i can do without terminal consequences? i have
downloaded a zip drive that supposedly contains the fix for this problem. can
someone refer me to a link or instruction of how to flash the bios and how to
apply the information in the zip drive? much appreciated. i am using vista.
--
EJ


"Bill in Co." wrote:

> Franc Zabkar wrote:
> > On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:03:27 -0600, "Bill in Co."
> > <not_really_here@earthlink.net> put finger to keyboard and composed:
> >
> >> Also, sometimes it appears that *after* a flash is done, one may have to
> >> first load its defaults BEFORE trying to reconfigure it for your system.
> >
> > The "extended" CMOS RAM (byte 65 and above) contains various chipset
> > register settings, eg memory timings, FSB settings, peripheral
> > configuration info, etc. Any RAM location can have any function as
> > defined by the BIOS code. For example, there is no guarantee that BIOS
> > version 2 will store the SDRAM memory timings at the same CMOS RAM
> > location as BIOS version 1, so one could expect a black screen during
> > the first POST after a BIOS flash. Clearing the CMOS RAM and reverting
> > to defaults circumvents this potential problem.
> >
> > - Franc Zabkar
>
> Thanks for that info, Frank. I think I should take a look into it a bit
> more.
>
> And I also need to figure out how to get back to Ultra DMA Mode 5, since
> that option wasn't available in this current BIOS. (Ultra DMA Mode 4 was as
> high as it goes, or at least as it shows up in its config list). I'm not
> sure if that means I'm stuck in Ultra Mode 4, or just that the BIOS doesn't
> know any better, since I *do* know I was able to get it in the other BIOS
> (i.e., the HD's support it). But this is the only BIOS version I can use,
> for this specific microprocessor upgrade.
>
>
>

 

[MEB]

"EJ" <EJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9A0AB702-1300-40FE-811E-B891E2FA6F83@microsoft.com...
| i purchased an ACER notebook, model 5420, and there is a known problem of
| Black Screen that appears during use which freezes the computer.
apparently,
| the solution is to "flash the bios". i have never done anything like this
| before. is this a process i can do without terminal consequences? i have
| downloaded a zip drive that supposedly contains the fix for this problem.
can
| someone refer me to a link or instruction of how to flash the bios and how
to
| apply the information in the zip drive? much appreciated. i am using
vista.
| --
| EJ
|
|

Tried the European ACER FTP site and the main, I find no files or
information for the 5420.

There is a 5220, 5520, 6520, 5720, 5920, 6920, 7220, and up, and no 5420.

I do, however, find a number of suggestions [forums discussing the 5420]
that the panam site may have one, though that requires FLASH, so you will
have to try that site for your self.

AS for the zip drive, do you actually mean a zip file, if so unzip with a
zip file tool, or within VISTA. Check the file for viruses first, and LOOK
at the supposed file before using it. MAKE sure it is ACTUALLY for your
motherboard/notebook or you WILL have a new hunk of plastic and parts.

Not necessarily for systems which use an IN Bios flash tool..Make sure you
get the proper flash tool for the specific need/chip
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/ref/gen/windows/bios_flash.htm - general
BIOS flash page
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/ref/gen/windows/flash_keyboard.htm - BIOS
autoflash disk for problem systems

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________
| "Bill in Co." wrote:
|
| > Franc Zabkar wrote:
| > > On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:03:27 -0600, "Bill in Co."
| > > <not_really_here@earthlink.net> put finger to keyboard and composed:
| > >
| > >> Also, sometimes it appears that *after* a flash is done, one may have
to
| > >> first load its defaults BEFORE trying to reconfigure it for your
system.
| > >
| > > The "extended" CMOS RAM (byte 65 and above) contains various chipset
| > > register settings, eg memory timings, FSB settings, peripheral
| > > configuration info, etc. Any RAM location can have any function as
| > > defined by the BIOS code. For example, there is no guarantee that BIOS
| > > version 2 will store the SDRAM memory timings at the same CMOS RAM
| > > location as BIOS version 1, so one could expect a black screen during
| > > the first POST after a BIOS flash. Clearing the CMOS RAM and reverting
| > > to defaults circumvents this potential problem.
| > >
| > > - Franc Zabkar
| >
| > Thanks for that info, Frank. I think I should take a look into it a
bit
| > more.
| >
| > And I also need to figure out how to get back to Ultra DMA Mode 5, since
| > that option wasn't available in this current BIOS. (Ultra DMA Mode 4
was as
| > high as it goes, or at least as it shows up in its config list). I'm
not
| > sure if that means I'm stuck in Ultra Mode 4, or just that the BIOS
doesn't
| > know any better, since I *do* know I was able to get it in the other
BIOS
| > (i.e., the HD's support it). But this is the only BIOS version I can
use,
| > for this specific microprocessor upgrade.
| >
| >
| >