[SOLVED] I changed graphic to discreet in bios and now there is no display in laptop

[himagarwal]

My Nvidia graphic card on laptop wasn't working. So, without knowing what discreet means, I changed my laptop's graphic settings to discreet in bios.

Now, while opening the laptop, I see nothing. I after research came to know the discreet means to use graphic card other than that on processor.

I removed the CMOS battery which is connected through a wire for around 5min+. Removed the laptop battery for the same time. And removed and reconnected the RAM. But BIOS didn't reset.

Is there a way to solve this issue?

 

[himagarwal]

I have a Acer Aspire 5745G laptop and BIOS is password protected.

 

[himagarwal]

Okay. I did a weird way to get this back. CMOS battery removing didn't work.

So, I removed the harddisk and now laptop cannot boot into Windows.

Then I pressed, F2 for a minute, typed password, pressed F9+enter, pressed F10+enter. And it worked. All in black screen.

 

[LordVile]

Okay. I did a weird way to get this back. CMOS battery removing didn't work.

So, I removed the harddisk and now laptop cannot boot into Windows.

Then I pressed, F2 for a minute, typed password, pressed F9+enter, pressed F10+enter. And it worked. All in black screen.

Personally would just force a BIOS reset by turning it on and off a lot while booting

 

[himagarwal]

I believe my problems will not end.

Since, my laptop (windows 10) isn't detecting graphic card. I updated the bios.

It was 1.11 earlier, so I upgraded to 1.19.

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/IN/content/support-product/2128?b=1

And unfortunately, I am now seeing the same black screen.

However, interestingly, I think, system has booted to windows, as when I remove my laptop-mouse USB, I can hear the removing sound and then connecting sound.

Any ideas guys, how can I get the screen back. :-(

 

[himagarwal]

Can I change back to older bios version 1.11 even when laptop screen is black?

Is there a way for this?

 

[hang-the-9]

When you removed the COMOS battery to reset the BIOS, did you have the laptop battery connected? If you did, unplug both batteries, hold in the power button for about 30 seconds and see if it reset then.

 

[himagarwal]

@hang-the-9 thank you so much for your reply.

i was able to solve my first issue i.e. i was able to get the screen.

but after that, i upgraded the BIOS to the latest version in a hope that it will detect graphic card (maybe graphic card is dead)... and since the upgrade it is showing black screen... i think BIOS is now using discreet mode by default.

i am not sure if there is a solution for this.... i will appreciate any help here!

 

[himagarwal]

This forum has helped me a lot in the past.

I will appreciate if experts here can help me out again.

 

[himagarwal]

What I did just now was, I flashed old BIOS 1.02 and it worked.

1. I downloaded the oldest windows version from https://www.acer.com/ac/en/IN/content/support-product/2128?b=1

2. Extracted the windows version and renamed ZR7x64EC.fd ---to---> ZR7X64.fd

3. Formatted a USB drive with FAT and copied ZR7X64.fd to its root.

4. Now I turned off the laptop while battery & power cable still connected to it.

7. Connected the USB drive to a USB socket in the laptop and then pressed Fn+ESC. While keeping Fn+ESC pressed, I pressed the Power Button ON.

8. I kept Fn+ESC pressed for a 5seconds, until I see the power-led in laptop start blinking.

9. Left the laptop as it is for a few minutes, and it was still turned ON.

10. After a few minutes, I turned off the laptop and turned it ON.

11. And to my wonder-and-surprise, it had the oldest BIOS v1.02 flashed/installed into it.

12. And I am able to see the screen now.

I hope this helps someone out there, in case of a need.

 

[dotas1]

The problem might have been that you upgraded from 1.11 to 1.19 without installing in between versions. BIOS are not to be upgraded like that. It needs step by step version upgrades. It's like trying to give to an elementary kid, university knowledge.

 

[himagarwal]

@dotas1 yes, i upgraded from 1.11 to 1.19 directly... never read anywhere that it needs to be upgraded in step by step manner... thank you for enlightening me on it.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

It’s times like these that I love my little GTR pro because it has a BIOS reset button right on the face of the computer

 

[hang-the-9]

The problem might have been that you upgraded from 1.11 to 1.19 without installing in between versions. BIOS are not to be upgraded like that. It needs step by step version upgrades. It's like trying to give to an elementary kid, university knowledge.

This it not correct, unless some firmware actually specifies you need to install something else first. I have upgraded many versions ahead with no issues.

 

[Nemesia]

If you were able to go to the BIOS why did you not change the option you switched back to what it was before?

 

[dotas1]

This it not correct, unless some firmware actually specifies you need to install something else first. I have upgraded many versions ahead with no issues.

MOST of the time they specify it. There ARE times that they don't. It's a safe practice to do it step by step.

 

[Nemesia]

MOST of the time they specify it. There ARE times that they don't. It's a safe practice to do it step by step.

It's a real time waster if you do not have to do it. You open the BIOS page from the motherboard website and if you do not see any "Please do this before flashing this BIOS" you don't have to do it.

 

[hang-the-9]

MOST of the time they specify it. There ARE times that they don't. It's a safe practice to do it step by step.

It's the opposite, when I run any BIOS update utility from Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc... they go right to the latest version. Same thing for my ASUS gaming laptop and any desktop computer I remember.

Where do you see that PC vendors want you to go through each version in order?

 

[dotas1]

It's the opposite, when I run any BIOS update utility from Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc... they go right to the latest version. Same thing for my ASUS gaming laptop and any desktop computer I remember.

Where do you see that PC vendors want you to go through each version in order?

To be honest, I remember reading it in gigabyte's and asia's page some years back and then again from a distinguished member here that said those exact words.

I will search more and see if I can find it again.

In any case, if I am wrong, I apologize, I have been updating BIOS like that since I read about it and has become something like an obsession for me to do increment updates.

 

[hang-the-9]

To be honest, I remember reading it in gigabyte's and asia's page some years back and then again from a distinguished member here that said those exact words.

I will search more and see if I can find it again.

In any case, if I am wrong, I apologize, I have been updating BIOS like that since I read about it and has become something like an obsession for me to do increment updates.

Many many years ago there was some things about doing the updates in orders, but I'm talking decades and not sure if that was a thing for all of the motherboard BIOS versions. It's pretty much a dim memory for me that this was ever a thing.

Some devices that use firmware do want you to do updates in specific orders, we have a tool that is used to work on the car TPMS sensors in our tire stores that you had to update in two steps.