Important Acer Aspire One 751h Bios Recovery

Hello dears,
I seen many 751h users encountered bad bios flash problem like me. I successfully updated my bios several times. But last time for updating to bios 3211 my netbook frozen about 1 hour and I reboot my netbook. Result is bricked netbook.
I searched net for recovering my bios, also I investigate the service manual of the 751h (the worst service manual I have ever seen), but all attempts failed.

But I found a solution and I write this massage my recovered netbook. Please share this massage other ones have 751h. This method probably work for other systems based on Phoenix Bios (systems use WinPhlash utility to updating bios).
Lets begin to recovery:

1. First of all you need wincrisis system files. I attached working one to this massage also you can download from http://rapidshare.com/files/357391707/crisdisk.rar (premium account). Note that there are several versions of wincrisis files over the net but this is the correct version fully work with 751h.

2. Download your netbook latest bios file from producer web page and unrar it. Find your bios file and renamed it to BIOS.WPH. This is extremely important. Replace the file in archive. Please note that, attached document also include the renamed latest bios file (3211). So if you are a 751h user you don’t need to replace this file.

3. Run WINCRIS.EXE file on Windows XP 32bit OS. This is also very important; this program only runs health on just this OS. I have tried Windows 7 (x86 & x64) versions but doesn’t work for recovery. Note that I also used “run as administrator” and “compatibility” modes, but successfully created USB sticks didn’t work for recovery. I used 512 MB M2 (memory stick micro) card with its own USB reader (1 GB Sandisk USB stick is also OK). I strongly recommend to use <= 2GB sticks due to FAT16 formatting issues. You can also try to use SD or other memory cards, because card reader of 751h installed on USB bus.

4. Select your USB stick as Driver. Select “Removable” option in disk format. Select “Create MINIDOS Crisis Disk” option and press start. Follow instructions. Dont change any other options.

5. Please verify that “BIOS.WPH”, “MINIDOS.SYS”, and “PHLASH16.EXE” files in your USB stick. Manual copying of these files aren’t acceptable.

6. Remove your battery and unplug power cord.

7. Insert your USB stick into your USB port. I used right one.

8. Press Fn & Esc keys at same time and plug your power cord (don’t install your battery). Don’t release “Fn+Esc” key combination. After that, press power button and wait a few seconds to see power button became flashing. After power button became flashing release all buttons.

9. At this time you must see that your USB stick led begin to flashing. This means your bios search for recovery files.

10. If everything is ok your netbook reboot in 5 minutes. If it doesn’t reboot please wait for at least 10 minutes to manual restart.

I hope that this method save your time and divert headache due to service procedures. I seen many threads Acer services don’t repair bios issues, and said that to many users warranty doesn’t include bios problems, and they want to replace your motherboard.

NOTE: Due to size limit I can't attached file to forum.

 

All good information and yet another reason (at least for now) to not be messing around with a BIOS update IF you're running Win 7 in place of XP unless there is a compelling reason to update the BIOS.

Apparently as things stand now, I would have to reinstall my 160GB hard drive that contains the original XP installation IF an new BIOS update "cratered" my trusty Acer. Rather than write over my XP hard drive, I bought a new 250GB hard drive for my clean Win 7 installation.

 

It didn't work for me.

I've tried different ways, and when I saw your method i think it will work, but it didn't.

I've used a usb drive, and the led of the usb drive doesn't blink.

Any suggestion?

 

Hi Darick,

May be problem is different. But be sure the problem firstly try different USB Sticks. If avaliable USB floppy dire is a very good choise. And one think is your power button became to flashing?

 

yes, the power button do like 3 or 4 blinks, but the usb drive doesn't seem to read... you've tried this method with a 751h and works???

 

Hi Darick,

Absolutely I did it with according to my procedure. I have tried millions of different combination with my 751h including recovery disks created on windows 7 (but didnt work).

I strongly recommend to you use different USB sticks.

 

It didn't work for me.

I'd tried in all usb ports with 4 differnts USB sticks, but i had the same problem, usb led didn't blink and nothing happen.

tonight I'll try with diskette drive ... :shock:

 

i've tried with 2 different pendrives (2gb and 256mb) and with a SD Card (1gb) and it didn't work. what brand and what size were your pendrives?

 

I've tried with a four differents usb sticks:

1 - Kingston 2Gb
1 - Dell 256Mb
1 - Sandisk 8Gb
1 - Kingmax 1Gb

 

I think that the filenames are not reconized by the netbook or something similar, cause the method it's really simply... i don't know what else i can do!

 

If the problems was just about the reconized filenames, USB stick would be read and nothing would happen, but neither this ...

i don't know what else i can do [2]
and i can't pay around of U$S 50 to a company TRY to do something.

I tried to talk direct with acer, but they didn't answer me.


Somebody has any ideia more?

 

Ok everybody,

I think we must check step by step all thinks.

1. Firstly, you must run wincris file on WINDOWS XP 32bit OS. Other operating systems didn't work for me.
2. Please check all files created by wincris have upper case file names.
3. please retry to first massage steps.

I used two different stick. first one is my 512 MB M2 (memory stick micro) card with its own USB adapter. Second one is 1 GB Sandisk USB stick. Both of them was sucsessful.

And last thing is may be you can start to formating your USB stick with "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" many threads people start with this utility, but I didn't use it.

 

I use WXP 32 bits, and i've checked all the filenames and are upper case.

Today i've tried also formatting the usb drive with hp usb tools and the result is the same, nothing...

I'm thinking on send you my laptop to revive it...

 

I tried to use a USB Floppy, but same happened ...

When i use my sandisk usb stick, the led blink once when I plug the power cord and once when a press the power button, but nothing more happen ...

May be there is something more wrong ...

 

Hi all,

Dear Darick I am living in Ankara, TURKEY. If you are living in Turkey, helping to you will be glad to me.

Dear andrehpedrotti, I think your problem is completly different because there is no blink on USB stick when attaching pwer cord or pressing power button. Also USB floppy is the most reliable method to recovery, may be contacting "bad" Acer service is good idea.

 

a lot of thanks lightt for your attention ...

I'm still waiting an answer by acer about my problem....

I don't think that my problem was about something like usb contacts, but I don't know what more can i do ...

I will wait for them :|

 

Thanks, it worked for me, my AO 751h is living again !
Thanks

 

Nice thread.
How do you install a BIOS update when you do not have Windows on your A0751h?
I run Ubuntu 9.10 on my A0751h. Thanks

 

Thanks very much lightt. USB sticks didnt work but I got a USB Floppy and now the machine is alive again.

 

Thanks so so much!!!!! It worked!
I tried to install new bios, but winsplash did some ugly mess with my 751h, netbook just froze and only thik that worked was touchpad. Keyboard wasn't responding, even the power button didn't work, so I could'n turn it off. So I did the worst mistake in my life. I unplugged the battery. And here it was - Black Screen Of Death. (black screen, nothing worked, only led on power button.)

I tried a lot of ways to flash the BIOS, but the way that it worked was the way you explained.
Here is how i did it:
(-- Computer part)
1) Downloaded files you provided
(1.5a Installed vmware)
(1.5b installed win xp in vmware)
(-- on computer i have Win 7 x64, so i needed xp for working crisdisk --)
2) downloaded 3212 BIOS from acer site
3) renamed the ZA33212.WPH in "Rom file" folder to BIOS.WPH and copied to crisdisk folder
4) ran wincris.exe and followed instructions for my usb flash disk Voyager Mini 8GB
(-- Netbook part)
5) Unplugged power adapter and battery
6) plugged the flash disk into USB port on the right side of netbook
7) while holding both fn+Esc keys I plugged the adapter cord and pressed the power button for a few seconds
8) ! I noticed the bluetooth icon went on - that is probably sign that system is looking for some media with BIOS
9) The power button LED was blinking for like 15 seconds, then it stopped, but Bluetoot LED was still on, so i waited another few seconds and there it was! It rebooted and my good, old Acer Aspire One 751h was back!

Just for information i used 8BG usb stick - it formated only onto 4GB - that should be FAT16 disk size limitation. Don't worry that you will lose the capacity, you can format again with another file system to original size.

The important information is the Bluetooth icon - that says that you are on right way.

Thanks one more time, I hope that this post will help other people with this problem.