[ProgramGeeks]

Hello,

     I have an Acer Aspire 7551 series laptop. I got the laptop from a person that works at my school. She said she got the tech person to look at it. the tech guy said it needs a new cpu. I got the laptop and bought a cpu for it and the problem is still there.

 

     The problem with the laptop is that when I press the power button to turn it on, the screen is completely black. It does not have a HDD in it. I do not hear any beeps or sound, and the fan will run for a second or so then shut off.

 

     I have tried removing the battery and unplugging the charger and holding the power button for 60 seconds. I did this 3 times. I have also let the laptop charge all night and it was fully charged, yet still nothing. I also connected an external display to the laptop (the screen was black on both the screens). I have to get this laptop fixd because my current laptop will be going to my mom. Please help me. Thank you.

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    ProgramGeeks,

 

Couple of questions if I may,

 

Have you tried accessing the BIOS by tapping the F2 key when you start the notebook.

 

When you tried the external screen did you try pressing down the Fn and the F5 key both at the same as this is how the display is toggled between screens.

 

When you hear the fan turn off is there still power going to the notebook, this can often be checked by opening and closing the optical (DVD/CD) drive.

 

 

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[phillpower2]

    ProgramGeeks,

 

Couple of questions if I may,

 

Have you tried accessing the BIOS by tapping the F2 key when you start the notebook.

 

When you tried the external screen did you try pressing down the Fn and the F5 key both at the same as this is how the display is toggled between screens.

 

When you hear the fan turn off is there still power going to the notebook, this can often be checked by opening and closing the optical (DVD/CD) drive.

 

 

NB: So that I can confirm that you have received notification of my reply to your topic please click on the Follow this topic tab at the upper right corner of the page. 

[ProgramGeeks]

I just tried entering the BIOS, nothing happened. I dont see how that would have worked either way because I cant see anything on my screen.

 

I did try that when I connected it to an external display.

 

When the fan shuts off, there is still power to it (power button's light stays on and optical drive opens (wont when power is off))

[phillpower2]

If tapping the F2 key had gotten you into the BIOS it would have suggested that the video chip was ok, as you do not get a BIOS screen you cannot be sure if this is a CPU or a GPU (video chip) problem.

 

FWIW, motherboards are more likely to fail than CPUs and in the case of most notebooks the GPU is integrated into the MB and if the GPU expires the MB is basically scrap as a repair would cost more than a replacement MB.

 

You mention that you hear no error beeps, do you know for sure that the notebook normally emits a single beep when it boots up successfully, if yes, remove the Ram and then power up the notebook to see if you get any error beeps, if you do it suggests that the Ram and the MB are good and that the video chip has failed, if you do not get any error beeps it suggests a MB problem which btw includes the CPU socket.

[ProgramGeeks]

I dont actually know if my laptop does, I have never had it running, I was gaven it after the librarian got it checked by the IT person at my school. I have no clue if it ever beeped. Although I did give it a shot and tried removing the RAM. I still heard nothing, but like I mentioned, I have no clue if my laptop does beep when it boots succecfully.

 

The only reason to why I mentioned I had heard no noises was because some computer I have worked on, beeped when there was a problem with the computer (examples: I worked on a dell that beeped when there was no ram installed, or it was the wrong ram)

[phillpower2]

Just looked at a couple of MBs for your notebook online and did not see a BIOS speaker on them, pity as they are a helpful tool 

 

Not sure of the capabilities of the IT person at your school so can you find out how they determined that this was a CPU issue, there are many threads to be found on the net with your same issue and a failed GPU is the most common cause, not suggesting that you use the service but here is one such repair service for "no video"

 

As an asides, in one thread that I read the OP was advised by Acer to replace the HDD but luckily enough they post on a tech help forum where it was suggested that they remove the HDD to see if the issue was the same, it was to further prove that the Acer advice was bad the person tried the HDD in another computer and it worked fine, I mention this as you have no HDD in the notebook and wanted to make sure that you were aware that any guidance you may receive from Acer may not be the best.

[ProgramGeeks]

Well that really sucks ........... I wonder why Acer didn't include the MB speaker.

 

It is really hard for me to get in touch with the IT guy. He rarely checks his email (either that or doesn't email students back), which is strange considering its using FirstClass. The service I will not be able to use as I do not have an extra $60, also I live in Canada, and the services states that it may not ship to Canada.

 

I understand why oyu would bring that up, but I do have a broken laptop (HP Compaq) (my mother spilled coffee all over the computer and now it gets green and white streeks all over the screen and sometimes if it doesnt do that on start up, it does it when the laptop is moved a certain way). Anyway, my point is that I removed the HDD from that, still works cause I tested it on a desktop that I have sitting around. I can easily put that HDD into the Laptop.

[phillpower2]

Best cause of action is to address one issue at any one time, start a new thread with other computer issues and we will address them there 

[ProgramGeeks]

Wasn't asking for hel with that one yet haha

 

I did a lot more research on Acer laptops and a lot of them seem to have this problem. The main fix people do is flash their bios. I think I will give that a try, although the video I am learning on how to do this from says to format the USB to FAT, do you think that FAT32 would work for this? 

[ProgramGeeks]

Update: I did a bit more research and found that FAT32 will work, I will update what happened after I am done flashing the bios

[ProgramGeeks]

I flashed the bios and it worked! My laptop is fixed now. This bios problem is common with all Acer Laptops 

 

Thank you for the help that you provided!

[phillpower2]

A job well done and a brave decision flashing the BIOS ProgramGeeks 

 

It is possible that you read the same information as I did when I first researched your notebook and honest answer is that I never thought for one minute that flashing the BIOS would resolve the issue, that is normally a last resort and only required to allow for a major upgrade such as a higher spec CPU, the present CPU needs to be working to do this though, the thread that I read is here

 

BTW: I make that + one to you and nil to the IT person at school     well done.

[ProgramGeeks]

I just randomly ran into a problem. I stopped working with the computer for a bit and the laptop turned the screen off as usual, but now it wont boot again like last time. I tried to flash the bios, but i dont know if I am doing it right this time. Can you help me

 

 

The Laptop ran flawlessly for 2 days, but some reason it decided to stop working this time. Some times the fan will continue to run, others the fan will run then stop. There is power always going to it.

 

This just completely puzzles me. I dont know if maybe i am not doing it right now, or something, but I need help with this.

Edited by ProgramGeeks, 02 November 2014 - 08:03 PM.

[phillpower2]

Flashing the BIOS the first time may have kick started something else and therefore not been the actual solution I`m afraid.

 

While you are trouble shooting this remove the main power brick and use only the AC adapter to power the notebook, this will help to rule it in or out as being the cause.

 

You say that there is always power going to the notebook, do you mean from the AC adapter, if yes then that does not mean that when you press the power on button that the MB is getting power, the power button could be faulty or have a loose connection etc which could be effectively turning the notebook on and off when pressed.

 

How much trouble is it to remove the CMOS battery from the MB, the guides that I find are showing a partial strip down.

 

NB: What happens when you only use the main power brick, are the power lights and the fan behaviour the same.

[ProgramGeeks]

Well that really sucks.

 

When I say there is power to the laptop, I dont mean the AC connector. The disk drive opens and shuts, the fan runs, sometimes, and the power button light is on.

 

For removing the CMOS battery, I have no clue, I have never looked at that, or even into it. What is the point of removing the CMOS battery may I ask?

 

I really hope I can get this laptop back up and going because it's what I use to get my school work done on. My other laptop I already gave to my mom, although she is letting me use it for now, so then I can get mine back up and going.