[brycrip]

I fire up this notebook a couple of times a day. About every seven or ten days, I have to go to "set up" and reset and save the defaults. Then it runs fine for a while. One time booted from my Restore file that I keep on a thumb drive and that worked fine but didn't solve the problem. Is my computer slowly giving up the ghost?

Thanks as always, Geeks...

Bry

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Hello Bry,

 

Can you tell us which particular model name or number the Acer is + when the issue occurs what actually happens when you power up the notebook, for example do you get an onscreen message saying "no boot device found" 

[phillpower2]

Hello Bry,

 

Can you tell us which particular model name or number the Acer is + when the issue occurs what actually happens when you power up the notebook, for example do you get an onscreen message saying "no boot device found" 

[brycrip]

Sure, and thanks.

 

It's the Ascer Aspire One (3 years old) with Win7 Starter. I plug in and see the charging light. Power up and that light comes on too... then nothing; screen remans black. I reboot and start pressing F2 for the Setup. I may have to do this many times before Setup finally opens; takes an hour sometimes. Same with SafeMode.

 

Once I set and save the defaults, the machine runs normally for a week or so. This has been going on for about two months. I have backed up all my files!

 

Appreciate any ideas,

Regards,

Bry

[phillpower2]

Best Answer

Thanks for the additional information 

 

Couple of questions if I may;

Does your Acer One have an SSD or a mechanical HDD.

When the issue happens is the time and date reading as correct when you access the BIOS to restore the defaults.

As above, when the issue occurs have you tried connecting the Acer One to an external screen to see if you get a display on that, this in case of a loose MB video to screen cable.

 

If this was a HDD/SSD problem it would not stop you from accessing the BIOS, you would get an onscreen message such as what I mentioned earlier ( "no boot device found" ) if it was a BIOS battery problem you would get a checksum error message so this may point to a screen or Ram issue, there are many versions of the Acer One so we need to know the exact one so that we can look for a user manual, this to check out how to remove the Ram and blow out the slots, list of Acer One models here

[brycrip]

Its the Acer Aspire One, model 257. ($240 at WallyMart!)

A couple of other issues since you brought it up: I recently had to adjust the clock; it gained an hour somehow and my wife was wondering what I was doing home so early. And I just looked now and see I'm an hour ahead, again!

 

On start up, some of the keys don't function right away: N and Y are the ones I remember, plus one of the number keys.... maybe another issue. I live on a boat and the saltwater enviornment is hard on computers.

 

And no, I don't get any on screen messages. Just doesn't power up until I can access Setup and set the defaults.

 

Don't have access to a monitor, but good call! I'll have to ask around and see if I can find one for the next time the issue comes up.

 

Thanks for all this, looking forward to hearing from you....

 

Bry

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update Bry 

 

RE: The time issue;

 

Courtesy of Microsoft;

1. Open Date and Time by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock, Language, and Region, and then clicking Date and Time.

2. Click the Date and Time tab, and then click Change date and time.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. In the Date and Time Settings dialog box, do one or more of the following:

   • To change the hour, double-click the hour, and then click the arrows to increase or decrease the value.

   • To change the minutes, double-click the minutes, and then click the arrows to increase or decrease the value.

   • To change the seconds, double-click the seconds, and then click the arrows to increase or decrease the value.

4. When you have finished changing the time settings, click OK.

5. To change the time zone, click Change time zone.

6. In the Time Zone Settings dialog box, click your current time zone in the drop-down list, and then click OK.

   Note

   • If your time zone observes daylight saving time and you want your computer's clock to be adjusted automatically when daylight saving time changes, make sure the Automatically adjust clock for Daylight Saving Time check box is selected.

7. Click OK.

On start up, some of the keys don't function right away: N and Y are the ones I remember, plus one of the number keys.... maybe another issue. I live on a boat and the saltwater enviornment is hard on computers.

 

 

To see if this is a problem with the keypad itself try using a USB keyboard.

 

 

Don't have access to a monitor, but good call! I'll have to ask around and see if I can find one for the next time the issue comes up

 

 

Fully understand that not everyone has one available but if you can source one it would be helpful.

 

Removing and reseating the Ram involves a fair amount of work, take a look at the video here and you will see what I mean.

[brycrip]

I think I can handle the reseating of the ram if necessary. Should add a gig while I'm in there.

 

And I wanted to mention the indicator lights: When I plug in, the charge light comes on. I press the power button and that lights up and the corresponding power light along with the fan. Then, under normal cercomstanses, after about 15-seconds, the third light comes up when the computer boots. That light is not coming on when the computer can't find the boot sequence. To me, that would indicate that the problem is NOT a bad connection to the screen. Still like to get a monitor and a keyboard to check it out.

 

Anyway, corrosion is a real problem with any electronics on a boat. Contacts just go green!

 

Thanks for all your help,

Bry 

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, considering the environment, it may just be as you say faulty connections and one suspect comes to mind due to the failure to find the operating system, and that is the hard drive.

If you can access the hard drive, pull it out (Power off and battery out first) check the connections and if looking fairly clean push them back together by refitting the hard drive and removing a few times. Doing that will hopefully scrape off any slight corrosion and make good contacts again.

 

Nev.

[phillpower2]

The reasoning behind my suggestions Nev 

 

I had the same thoughts regarding the contacts on the Ram, the screen is staying black from the outset + the computer gaining an hour to the RTC, neither can be caused by a failed HDD, as post in my reply #4

 

If this was a HDD/SSD problem it would not stop you from accessing the BIOS, you would get an onscreen message such as what I mentioned earlier ( "no boot device found" ) if it was a BIOS battery problem you would get a checksum error message so this may point to a screen or Ram issue, there are many versions of the Acer One so we need to know the exact one so that we can look for a user manual, this to check out how to remove the Ram and blow out the slots, list of Acer One models here

 

 

 

If an external screen and USB keyboard had been readily available it would have taken only a few seconds to try them both out, it also involves less work and risk than removing the Ram and/or the HDD and that was the reason I suggested the two checks be done first, keep in mind that the Ram is also tested before the HDD as part of the power on self test and when having such issues as a black screen removing the Ram to see if error beeps can be heard is one way of determining if the Ram and memory slots are ok and that it is the graphics solution that is bad, no harm to remove and replace the HDD while the Ram is being removed and replaced though.

 

Bry

Have you tried using battery power only and vice versa removing the battery and using only the AC adapter, if so what was the outcome in both instances please.

Have you reset the time by following the steps that were provided, if yes how has that worked out.

 

NB: I don't feel that the black screen and RTC setting issue is/are related btw.

[brycrip]

Once again, thank you.

 

I got the time re-set and am waiting to see if it sticks.

 

Switching between battery and AC adapter does not appear to make a difference but please understand, this problem is intermittent, only occurring every ten days or so and therefore difficult to diagnose.

 

I am hoping to travel to the City this week and will buy a can of Contact Cleaner and one of compressed air. I will then take the Acer apart and hose it down! Stand by!

 

Many thanks,

Bry

[phillpower2]

You are welcome Bry and thanks for the update 

[brycrip]

Well I did get to the City and picked up the contact cleaner but opened up the computer one last time to back up some files. Upon start up the computer crashed. I got the window about Windows shut down to save the world and that I should run system diagnotsic utilityand memory check. So that's where I'm at. Crashes on start up. Have it running presently in Safe Mode.

Thanks for any ideas...

Bry

[phillpower2]

It running in Safe Mode would normally suggest a driver conflict, back up your data, do the clean out and post back with an update for us.

[brycrip]

Already have things saved to an external hard drive but could use a little help with what you call the "clean out." How do I go about that? Are you suggesting that I go back to the original factory settings?

 

Regards,

Bry

[Plastic Nev]

I hope Phillpower means to clean in the physical sense and get the dust cleaned out.

 

Only in extreme cases do we mean going back to factory condition as that means hours of work, especially putting back all the Windows updates if more than a year or two old.

 

Nev.

Edited by Plastic Nev, 28 October 2014 - 02:55 PM.