Acer 1640Z BIOS upgrade failure AND repair

Don't ask how to hack password. (BIOS Passwords)
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jagu
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Dear all,

I also posted this one under "Notebook Bios Problems" which might not be the correct place. Anyway here it is for you to see and maybe you can learn from my experience.

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Have done a VISTA upgrade with Acers upgrade DVD.
It recommended to upgrade the BIOS - after doing this notebook is dead.
(1 long and 2 short beeps).
If I want to flash a new BIOS with Crisis method which BIOS should I use i.e. how do I know if I need the AT or UMA version - how to verify this on the notebook (my version is 1642 ZWLMI)?

I would very much appreciate some help on this - thank you

LATEST NEW - it WORKS AGAIN:
I was a little bit worried when I started :( but later I was all smiles :D :D

So a BIG thanks to everyone who posted possible solutions here in this forum:

1: I bought a NEC model UF0002 USB floppy Disk Drive Unit.
2: Downloaded the zip file from the ACER homepage with the BIOS
(chose the one that should be the correct version for VISTA:
It contains 2 WHP files: ZL9A3A24.WPH and ZL9I3A24.WPH as I
learned from NoClaim's post I chose the ZL9I3A24.WPH.
3: Downloaded the zip files with the Crisis recovery zip-file (See d0gi's
post: http://www.rechner.org/b1800.html ).
4: un-zipped the files
5: copies the file ZL9I3A24.WPH into the crisis directory - deleted the
BIOS.WHP that was allready there. And renamed ZL9I3A24.WPH
to BIOS.WHP.
6: ran the WINCRIS.EXE program (did an unbootable format of the floppy)
7: I now had a recovery floppy.
8: all steps above obviously done on my desktop PC.
9: removed battery from my ACER 1640Z laptop
10: unplugged powercable.
11: inserted the USB floppy in one of the USB ports on the laptop
12: pressed the <fn> and <esc> keys
13: plugged the powercord
14: Turned on the laptop
15: waited a bit - lights came on on the laptop (no beeps)
16: waited a little longer and the light on the floppy came on
17: waited still a bit longer until I could hear the floppy was working
and then I let go of the keys <fn> and <esc>
18: after a while there was no activity on the floppy any more and
shortly after the laptop shot down.
19: the laptop started up again on its own and IT WORKED
20: THE LAPTOP IS BACK AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU I SAVED A LOT
OF MONEY :lol:

BEST REGARDS
JAGU
coox
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Ok, not a member here before today but I've just joined simply to say thanks to Jagu for taking the time to post his findings.

I've just used the exact same method on a 1640z and... worked first time. This after I'd called Acer who said they'd want £50 just to collect and evaluate.

Points that I thought wouldn't matter but did:

* It only works from a floppy - I burned several CDs but no dice
* You MUST remove the battery for this to work
* I bought a cheapie USB floppy drive from eBuyer (own-brand) and that worked fine

So a big THANKS to Jagu and all those who helped him!!!

p.s. So how is it that a third party can fix and Acer machine in five minutes but Acer themselves can't?
edwin
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they can but they charge you 50 quid...
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
Osterberg
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First i would Thank Jagu for all the help THX!!

This is How i Recovered my BIOS on a Acer Aspire 1690wlmi DDR2

1: you need a USB floppy
2:Use the B1800_crisis_recovery_disk util found below
3:format the floppy
4:I created a minidos crisidisk (nothing else)
i did not change any files , no other bios files on the floppy other then the ones created by crisis
5:connect the floppy to the damaged Laptop
6:Hold the Fn+Esc for a few sec then release
7:i got out of the room and when i got back it was fixed ;D
8:i got my Lap top with windows XP to boot again
now both me and my daughter is very happy .
skyrat1991
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Hi there
I have an aspire 1640z with the very same problem. (blank screen after bios update, 1 long beep 2 short).
I tried all of the steps you've suggested, but it hasn't worked, its still dead.
The floppy drive reads for a few seconds but then stops.
I am wondering if it is because of my keyboard, 1 key is constantly stuck down, so i am wondering if this is causing it to bypass the Fn + Esc step.
I removed the harddrive so that it has no choice but to boot from the floppy, but it still just reads for a few seconds then stops.
I have also tried removing the keyboard and using a usb one. only problem is there is no Fn key on it, so i've been trying Ctrl + Esc istead.
Nothing... Dead,
Can any help me please!
edwin
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I am wondering if it is because of my keyboard, 1 key is constantly stuck down,
yes
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
skyrat1991
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Well thanks for that stunning amount of information.. lol jokes :lol:
Buyin a ZL7 - AEZL7TNE018 acer keyboard shortly. I hope it works, already wasted money i dont have on the floppydisk drive.
if it fails with the new keyboard thats it, i give up. I'll be breaking down the 1640z and selling the parts on ebay. Better than shoving it in a bin.
Can save the harddrive i supose, convert it into a usb one.

When i get the keyboard i will try all steps again... with fingers crossed... :!: :?: :!:
skyrat1991
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ITS ALIVE!!! it was the bloody keyboard that was causing it to fail..
weird fing is though the xp bios didn't work.. the vista one did.... its operating system is xp... weird..
Thnk you all for the information. i love you all lol :lol:
edwin
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it is just a version number, sometimes they will try and fix things in the bios that should be done in the OS anyway... Leave it to Mickeysoft to scr*w their own OS multiple times...
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
skyrat1991
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Its original bios was 3a19, but the one that worked was 3A24. It may be the right one after all, I am typing this on the aspire laptop atm. It had been dead for over a year, when the first floppydisk failed i thought that was it. gud job i tried the second one. All i know is this forum has saved the old bugger :lol: . its performing better now than before the failed flashing
wouter1640z
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Hi all, great fix! It worked for me too! my 1640z was dead for over a year, tried to fix it with a cd but nothing worked. Still a black screen, 3bleeps (1long 2 short)..

First tried it with a usbstick, but that didn't worked.
Today i bought a usb floppy disk (first i went to saturn, they looked at me if i came from 1990 with my timemachine...) second store still had them!
Also used the 3A24 file and followed the discription. I had to be quick, when i turned on my acer (already had my fingers on fn+esc) the disk already went writing so i had to release the keys quick, after 1 min the acer turned off and on again...

there it was! i was nerver so happy to see a acer logo!! wow it worked! It went installing windows again maybe because that was the last thing i tried before it went black(?) anyway, the acer works great now, it even can read my kingston usb now!

Thanks for the good discriptions!

ps.. anybody needs a usb floppy disk? :P

[this message was typed on a acer aspire 1640z]
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