Acer Laptop Hardware Problem

I have a huge problem! When I turn my computer on the keyboard doesnt work and neither does anything I attach to the usb ports so I cant use the mouse and therefore cant log on! Any help plz!

 

try factory restore F10 at splash screen.
or take battery out and start laptop.
and try take battery and power out and hold down power button for 30 seconds and then replace battery and power and restart.
this is the start point.so keep checking back.

Phil

 

well i cant do the F10 thing at the star since my keyboard doesnt work, and i've done the take the battery out thing already but i don't really get what you're trying to say with the 30 second thing so could you re explain it plz

 

Still got the warranty..? If you do I'd suggest to call ACER..no kbd working no usb kbd can't be attached because of non-working usb..not much to do here..

 

Im trying to do as much as i can b4 caling acer

 

i can understand that... but they are gonna try to walk you thru the same things suggested here... and then tell you to ship it to them...

they want me to ship my laptop back due to a BIOS problem,, but by flashing to an older version of the BIOS i resolved the problem myself...

unfortunately in your case you seem to have a hardware issue that REQUIRES service or motherboard replacement


later.

bigO

 

I'm almost sure that it can be fixed For example, my keyboard can get my computer out of standby and when i plug in a laser mouse it glows. what could be wrong it was fine the other day but i found it completely frozen.

 

do u have a bootable windows disc..??

 

U need the keyboard to boot from a hard disk

 

have you tried what @hoggie said..??
and why do you need the keyboard to boot from the hard drive..??

 

I don't understand

its just how my computer works...u need to access the bios to do it

 

He meant that take out all sources of power, such as battery, ac supply, usb devices, etc and press the power button for 20 seconds, then boot again..!!

why do you need to access the BIOS, what does it boot to if you dont access the BIOS, is it some password..??

 

ya i did all that. if i dont access the bios it just continues to boot up. I need the bios so that i can change the boot order so that the dvd drive boots first

 

does your mouse touchpad work..??

 

nope. well seeing as u need the keyboard to activate it, it wont work

 

can u boot to windows that u have pre-installed on your hdd..??
did you deactivate the mouse pad..??
It sounds more of a BIOS issue since the keyboard doesnt work at POST....did you upgrade or play around with the BIOS settings recently..??

and btw which laptop have you got..??

 

How you fix a computer with no kbd working and no usb port to plug in a usb kbd..? Really, I can't think of ONE thing that I could suggest at your laptop's state..
You can't do recovery coz you don't have kbd, you can't update your BIOS coz you don't have kbd...you can't boot from CD/DVD coz you don't have kbd..the 'power method' doesn't work..

You can ONLY try to reset the CMOS with that jumper trick..Assuming it's a BIOS issue..

 

Yeah you are right @atthegaes, that laptop is really screwed up..
But the laptop should boot straight to the OS (if it doesnt have a BIOS password), then the mouse pad should work.. ..?!

@kaze25 did you try pulling out the cmos battery..?? do u have any experience in opening laptops or you want to leave that work for acer..??

 

ok whats that jumper trick

 

Yeas it should..And if the touchpad doesn't work and it's not disabled from BIOS so it's definitely BIOS/motherboard issue. I need the laptop model, I could try to find where is your Clear CMOS Jumper is located, coz it's your only chance in my opinion...

We really NEED your laptop MODEL.

 

dont do the jumper trick, it is too technical....
anyway if u can tell me the model of your laptop, i can see if i have got that service manual..!!
the jumper is normally near the ram sockets, and that is where the CMOS battery is..!! u need to short that jumper and start the laptop to POST, so that the CMOS is cleared and washed out..!! it ll be like two triangles aligned alongside their bases at some distance away..!!

 

it does boot to the os and yes ive tryed to take the battery out btw my laptop is an acer travelmate 2451

 

you have tried to to take the CMOS battery out and it still doesnt work..
ok i had this problem in an old desktop and I had to reset the cmos via the jumpers everytime to get the keyboard functional..!! but those jumpers had pins..

 

its the TravelMate 2451WLMi

 

Check this thread..you can find photos that I posted there, it's for a different model, but apparently your laptop has the same motherboard..so just read the thread.

 

You can try (at your own risk) this method to update your BIOS if your keyboard/touchpad/usb does not work:


1 - Download the latest Bios (or the version you are after) from the Acer website. ( http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/notebook/tm_2450.html if I´m not wrong)

2 - Extract the files from the archive that are for the dos update (Bios 1.30\CL51130A.zip).

3 - Next, write a small autoexec.bat file using notepad containing "flash.bat", which is the ".bat" file for flashing included in the previous download. Make sure you save it as "autoexec.bat" and not as ".txt"

4 - Using nero express (or any cdr program that can create bootable cd's) and start a new project to make a bootable disc.

5 - Put all the files from the bios archive (as explained in no2) and the autoexec.bat into the root of the new disc

6 - Click "burn disc" and use the native boot image within nero. I used english US Boot Locale.

7 - Finalise the disc.

8 - Put disc in affected Laptop. Reboot and check if boots from it (just in case you have switched optical drive as primary boot unit at Bios options). If not, continue with the following.

9 - Switch off Laptop and remove battery and AC/DC Power cable.

10 - Whilst holding down "Fn + Esc", plug in the power cable, and switch on the laptop but dont let go of the keys yet.

11 - Disc will begin to spin, fans will come on full speed, but no lights.
Release the buttons, wait a couple of seconds and press the buttons "Fn + Esc" again breifly, then wait for a good 5 - 10 mins.

12 - The laptop should shut down by itself, then once you switch it back on, it should recover itself and boot normally.


Hope it helps. Good luck and Regards

 

Do u still want me to have the disc in the drive after step 8?

 

Yes, continue with step 9 with disc inside the drive.

Good luck and let us know how it went. Regards!

P.S: Handle this procedure with the most care, your flashing your BIOS so check you have the right version. Later

 

my computer still hasent turned off...its been about 13 min

 

if the keyboard doesnt work....how will the keys Fn+Esc work..??

 

good point! but like i said before, the keyboard seems to be able to wake my computer up from standby so its not from the keyboard...

 

anyway...its been 20 mins and my comp is still on...

 

standby..?? that means you are able to logon to windows without the keyboard functioning right..??

 

If it does not work, you can try this very similar procedure (it´s intended for usb fdd, but I´ve read once it works also with optical drive)

1-2. With same CD as before inserted.
3. Remove the battery of your defect unit.
4. Pull the AC adapter out,
6. Keep Press Fn+Esc and hold it, not release. then plug AC adapter in
7. Press power on button to boot the notebook, then, release release Fn+Esc and power key immediately, then fan will run in hight seed, hdd led will enlight, optical drive will reading and reading, system boot from drive to do crisis recovery.
8. Wait 2~6 minute (the time it take is depends drive/media speed), During this period, LCD will show nothing, drive will working, Fan will run.
9. After finish the process. HDD/optical LED will off first, then Fan will stop, and notebook will be in off state. You have to turn notebook on by yourself.
10. Crisis process completed.

If it doesn´t work neither I´ll post a method via USB Key. Good Luck!!!

PS: Is your optical drive still working after 20 minutes???

 

well i can go to the login screen but since i have a password i cant really type it to log on

nope

 

do you have a warranty on it....
if not can you open up the laptop without any problem..??

 

I'm not sure but if you don't reflash to your original BIOS that the laptop came with, your warranty is screwed..

 

I agree, if you are sending it to Acer try to reflash to your original Bios version, otherwise they will have one more lie to tell you (the failure is your fault)

Regards and Good Luck, let us know how it goes.

 

my warranty is long expired so ya i can open it. BTW re flashing the bios didnt work, my computer never shut off

 

I guess you might have to do the jumper trick to make it all work....!!

 

i can't understand why a usb keyboard won't work.
unless the key board connection under the laptop keyboard is shorting out.
but even then a legacy (usb) keyboard should work.

edit: and you have tried the remove all power and holding down the on button ?

 

but acer tell you on there download page to "update to the latest bios" so they are by saying/posting that voiding your warranty for you

 

http://support.acer-euro.com/

 

I think that there is a conflict in the chipset, since the chipset controls the keyboard and usb and stuff like that, so maybe he may have fiddled around with something in windows or some program might have had a conflict with the chipset drivers..!!
but since his warranty is out, he should go for the jumper trick..!!

 

how do u do it

 

You checked this post? And the thread?

 

yea i've read it but i'm not trying to do something that involves short circuiting. Im 100% sure that this is a motherboard issue because nothing responds only when windows starts up.

 

just a bit of information,, but pressing a key on a keyboard also involves short circuiting a connection...

 

well i can some what use the key board for a couple of seconds, but only for Fn related commands like Fn+F6 (which blacks out the monitor) but thats a bout it. nothing else has worked

 

power down the machine.... remove battery and ac plug

pull the HDD out... then plug the AC back up... see if you can get into the BOIS then....