bios upgrades

Does eMachines offer bios upgrades for their products? Ever? I'm getting a lot of freezes running the latest SP2 pack for Windows XP. After I filled a bug with MS's SP2 bug reporting tool, I received ananswer back from them saying they're aware of the issue with the m6807 laptops, and that it needs to be fixed in the bios of the machine and that eMachines will release one.

Then I contacted eMachines support about the bios. They say that there's no new Bios in the works planned or whatsoever. They also said they only support XP Home as it is out of the box with out any upgrades (like any of the service of bug fixes!). I think I could almost hear the CSR laughing on the inside when I asked if they're going provide any support for Windows64 when the final version is release. God forbit for me ask if they're going to offer any support on their 64 bit laptop for one of the only 2 64 bit end user OS's, and the one people are mostly likely to get.

I just bought the laptop a couple of months ago. I like the hardware a lot, but the conversation I just had with eMachines support is starting to make me scared about the purchase. More insufferable and nonsupportive "support specialists" I've never talked to before.

Has anyone any actual information about the questions I asked the support guy? Or any actual good experiences with eMachines support?

Thanks
Radu

 

Hi Radu.

I have the M2350, which is the Athlon XP-M 32-bit system, not the AMD64 system that you have. I have gone into WIndows Update several times now and have downloaded all the latest security patches and windows XP updates. So far I have not had any software or hardware problems. Hopefully, it will stay that way. Did you install the beta version of SP2? Has the final version been released yet?

Scott

 

One more thing:

I urge everyone who owns a 6000 series eMachine to try out the new Windows XP Service Pack 2 Beta and see if you share similar problems. If you do, we must then all band together and demand that eMachines do something about this and make us a proper BIOS update because SP2 is due to arrive soon!

 

Hey, I seem to have the same problem as you do. After installing the XP SP2 beta I have been getting complete freeze-ups when using my machine. This only seems to occur when I use "notebook features" like adjusting the brightness, closing the notebook lid, switching between AC and battery power, and etc. Other things like the volume up and down buttons no longer work and shutdown never works. It always hangs at Windows is now shutting down... but I have to force shutdown the system as it will not shut down on its own.

Does anyone else experience similar problems? Windows XP SP2 is due to arrive soon, and when it does everyone owning an M6807 must update to SP2... If eMachines doesn't provide us with an adequate BIOS that's compatible with SP2 then we've gotta give them hell. Honestly we should all ban together and see what we can do... Let me know if you have any more news on this front.


<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by raduma

 

Has anyone experienced these problems with the M6809 yet?

By the way, the beta version is not the version that will be released for the general public. This might be a Microsoft problem as the beta may only be for the desktop versions.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by momos

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by momos

 

New update.

After chatting with an eMachines rep, I understand that the full release of SP2 will be supported. My suggestion, stop downloading and installing a beta version on a laptop...wait until the full version comes out. Betas have bugs, that is why they are betas.

 

Also, on an unrelated topic, I was advised that eMachines plans to support Windows XP 64 in the future when the full version comes out. They also have plans to support Windows XP Pro in the future, but without a specific date.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by raduma

 

They plan to support Win64 when it comes out, but they don't have a date for when the plan to support XP Pro, which has been out for 2 years now, and is essentially the exact same thing as XP Home as they do support? I won't holding my breath for 64 bit drivers. Thank god that I can get them from other sources. All I need is a 64 bit driver for the wireless Broadcom card, it's the only thing missing.

 

Okay good, so at least eMachines does plan on support SP2 when it comes out? That's a relief I guess. I think people with M6809 or M6805 should also give SP2 a try. In general it's a pretty stable OS. The only thing is that eMachines' BIOS doesn't seem to support it. I don't think MS could do anything about it as it's all the "notebook features" that causes the lockups. People owning other notebooks can use SP2 fine... It's just the eMachines model that doesn't seem to cooperate. We need to consistently bug eMachines about this. Go to their support site, the only things they have there for the 6000 series are a bunch of specs and manuals. It's about the most useless support site I've ever seen. No driver updates or BIOS updates or anything! But the hardware in this machine is great though.

 

Amen Reverend!

 

Why is everyone so anxious to upgrade to a beta or prerelease version? Why is no one content to wait until the full version comes out so that, if there are any problems, at least they can be narrowed down a little easier? What is the point of getting a prerelease version when you will have to go through hell to make it work, just to replace it with another version that will work?

I understand having cutting edge stuff is cool, but for the OS? Come on!!!

Don't get your panties in a twist. Wait until the full, approved version comes out, and, if it has problems, I'll knock on some doors myself.

 

Why? I'll let you know then:

My previous install of Windows XP (updated to the latest SP1) seemed to have ****ed up magically for really no logical reason I can think of at all. Just one day it said a system file was corrupted and I doubt it's a virus since I was using a dialup connection and wasn't connected when it happened (even if I were connected I was using a firewall and auto-protect virus scan). The system would just randomly restart for no reason at all. I've tried everything from system restore to scandisk to virus scan to updating my chipset and processor drivers to cleaning my registry with Registry Medic to unistalling recently installed programs to even working in safe mode (yes, it randomly restarts in safe mode too). Later on I thought it was the Sasser worm but that wasn't detected either.

Since eMachines was too cheap to provide us with the Windows XP Home Edition CD but rather a crappy 3 disk "system restore" tool that completely reformats your harddrive, I had no way of repairing Windows XP system files. My last resort (short of a complete reformat and clean install) was to install SP2. And, amazingly, it worked. The system was stable again. No more random restarts. However the incompatibility between SP2 and the M6807 soon became evident.

My dilemma is that if I uninstall SP2, I will be back to SP1, and things will be all screwed up again. This doesn't seem to be a problem on part of the beta SP2 copy, I think the final release will still present us with the same problems. I think this is very likely a problem on part of the eMachines BIOS. But whatever, those are just my two cents based on my experiences; take it however you like it.

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ReverendDC

 

So in other words Momos, you want us to muck up our perfectly good running computers so all of us will complain and hopefully you will get a faster resolution to your problem? I don't think so!

Without getting into a long discussion on how to fix your laptop, here is a suggestion. Next time you get a computer that wants to reboot randomly, goto System Properties, Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings button, check "Write an event to the system log" and uncheck "Automatically Restart".

This will do two things. First, when your system crashes, instead of rebooting it will go to a BSOD and give you a clue what program or device caused the crash. Second, it will write to the system log the information that the corresponding tech support needs to determine why that program/device caused the crash.

You may still have a difficult time solving the problem, and maybe not, but it will at least give you a direction to go in, and help keep you from causing other unrelated problems on your computer. My 2 cents, fwiw.

 

First of all, you are using an OS update incorrectly. God created DVD burners and system restore points for a reason.

Before any update is installed, including service packs, a backup should be created to a DVD on the included burner, or create a system restore point to go back to your previous settings. Even Microsoft recommends creating a restore point, just in case, with full release versions.

I was also wondering if your CPU was overclocked. This would also cause the problems you are experiencing.

Lastly, if you had used the restore disks, you might stop the problem. Yes, you will lose your information and settings (again, unless you burn to disk), but you might stop the problem. Then you can start to install your programs again, one at a time, to determine if any of them are the cause. Then, if you are satisfied with the results, try SP1, and see what happens.

I am curious to see what happens if you get desperate and choose the latter.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, although you tend to enjoy putting me under a completely selfish light. I urged people to try SP2 because it will be released within a month's time and seeing how eMachines has a compatibility problem with it, if we all complain eMachines may act now as opposed to later. Whatever, heh. Worry about SP2 later then. Your choice really.

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mecdave

 

Nope. CPU wasn't overclocked. Niether was the GPU. I have many many system restore points, and while running SP1, system restore would cause a restart half-way during the bootup. I am currently planning on completely reformatting and doing a clean install. I'll let you in on the details later. Meanwhile I just reported what I've observed from using SP2, and thought I'd offer my 2 cents. Thanks for the help nonetheless though.

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ReverendDC

 

Ok, my characterization of your motives as selfish was unfair. For that I apologize. I'm still having a problem with your logic though. Encouraging us to download a beta update with known problems so we can hurry to complain to eMachines since the full release will be out soon.

Shouldn't you be sending Microsoft problem reports with error logs so they can determine where the actual problem lies and then work with the appropriate vendor(s) to correct them before final release?

If the problem lies with eMachines then I'm sure MS will work with them to clear it up, and likely already are. It seems to me complaining to eMachines directly would be a waste of time.

At any rate, I hope I've provided a strong enough argument that folks not download SP2 until it at least goes final. You and the OP have already demonstrated it's not ready for our laptops. Why rush into potential disaster?

 

All I am saying is that where the problem lies should first be determined before attacking anyone. The true problem cannot be understood untill all software involved is the full release. When that is done, then the company with the problem software (or hardware) can be contacted.

Good Luck!