# [SOLVED] acer aspire 5100 will not boot



## dtownsend (Oct 30, 2008)

I am working on an acer aspire 5100 that will not boot. I did at 1 point get the restore screen and restored the system. Then when re-booted it came back to 2 beeps then black screen with message f1 to continue or f2 to go into setup. If you continue the windows screen comes up then freezes. and if you go into setup to change boot sequence the system does not take the change, just keeps going to black screen. I see lots of things saying if you get 3 beeps it's probably the mother board. but this is 2 beeps. I know the hard drive is good because I removed and attached on external cable to my other laptop and I could see the drive and all documents. The acer does not do a post beep if I start without memory in system. I tried different memory chips and that didn't do any good. I read somewhere about re-seating the cpu, that is my next test but I see there has been a lot of post regarding this system and was wondering if anyone had come up with anything else?
I have downloaded the new bios version, but I can't get it to load in the laptop. Not sure if this has anything to do with problem but has vista home premium on it.


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## Mikhalkov (Jan 23, 2009)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

Is there any particular rhythm to the beeps? For example, is it 2 short beeps or 1 short, 1 long? Usually I think 2 short beeps indicates a parity error, which is a RAM problem. 1 short, 1 long is associated with a motherboard problem.


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## dtownsend (Oct 30, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

It is 2 short beeps. Thanks for the info because everything I read has definitions for more than just the 2 beeps. And I couldn't find beeps on acer site either. Do you think the ram slots are defective? Since I don't get a post beep if I boot without memory?


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## Mikhalkov (Jan 23, 2009)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

If it does not beep without memory, it's likely the motherboard.


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## dtownsend (Oct 30, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for your imput. I have to try some other things this weekend. If I end up getting it to work I will post the solution.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

If I may suggest, put a good/working RAM to rule it out and make troubleshooting a bit easier.


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## dtownsend (Oct 30, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

Well I put the memory back in and then ran a memory diagnostics and the laptop didn't find anything wrong with it. So I rebooted and I was right back to f1 or f2 with 2 short beeps. So I put another hard drive into laptop that already had vista on it. Booted (F8) and selected to boot with no confirmation on device drivers and it came up. Tonight I will try booting the same way with the old hard drive. When I get my screen with the f1 or f2 option, it says something about pci slot 03, bus 06 ... so I am thinking it may have something to do with the dvd drive, because when I finally got the thing to come up with the other drive, I am not seeing the dvd drive listed. I find Acer pc's to be the strangest pc's/laptops that I've ever had to work on. And I am not a big fan.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

Can you boot from CD/DVD drive using a bootable CD/DVD disc (using BartPE or Linux LiveCD)?


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## Weanuts (May 4, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

Along similar line. I have an Aspire 5100. Power lite comes on with the symbol next to that lite (appears to be an icon of a processor), that lite stays on and does not blink. The fan in this unit sounds terrible. This unit belongs to my grandson, so any questions about previous operation would have to be answered in time by relay. 


thanks in advance for any input


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## Weanuts (May 4, 2008)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

I hope this falls within forums rules, beause mine also wouldn't boot. 

I tried this: Tried no ram, no processor lite, tried 1 stick and it worked, recognized 1 stick, tried the other stick and it was recognized, tried 2 sticks and they were both recognized all in bios, previously nothing but solid processor lite, now it, processor lite is acting on commands from cpu.

Question as it appears as though I had dirty contacts at memory slots, could someone please tell me of a good cleaner, or?? 

Anther problem (?), I found a piece of metal floating in the case. I don't know if it is my doing or my grandsons doing. It is shaped like this: two flanges, 90 degrees to one another, 1 hole in a flange that is rounded, that flange is bent at 45 degrees to the other , the second flange is half as thick as the first, and is approximately 5/16 long. the longest distance between two points is approximately 1/2 inch. I will try and post a picture if this description is not good enough and the forum will allow it.


thank you TriggerFinger for the input from earlier posts on this thread. 

I will also add that my Acer Atom crapped out and Acer repaired free of charge under warranty (motherboard and hard drive) thank you very much Acer.

And thank you to this forum.


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## Barrels41 (Jun 6, 2009)

*Re: acer aspire 5100 will not boot*

I have had an Acer 5100 since December 2006. I had the wisdom to buy a three year Acer warranty. It has had two hard drives and two motherboards. Two weeks ago I sent it for service since it stopped booting Memorial day. It was returned Thursday and I sent it back Friday. I upgraded to Vista two years ago and was reverted to XP when it came back from service. I stayed with XP which is enough for this feeble notebook. It is one of the most inferior products I have ever had. As long as the warranty is in force I will keeps sending it back. Reminds me of the 1998 Taurus with the 100,000 mile factory warranty I bought that must have lost Ford $5,0000.

If this is representative of Acers in general I don't see how they stay in business.

I believe wasting time trying to make this laptop work for is foolish. If money is tight take any second job you can get and save for a decent computer rather than waste time on hopeless junk. Sorry but it is true.


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