Acer Aspire M5100 R01-A3

[NightDarkfold]

Just wanted to bump this thread and make sure its not dead. I have a couple boards that have similar bios chips but dont want to scrap the one I have accidently so I am waiting on the all clear for a bios mod that wont crash me and this info is good for anyone that happens to have this board so it would be a shame to have this thread die.

[pawelekk24]

Hi guys I have a problem w. my m5100 will not turn on the BIOS
so I put the bios foxconn 697F1P45 A690GM2MA-RS2H AMIBIOS and works but the cpu fan not working properly
how to recovery orginal bios
acer R01-A3
does not detect the flash controller can not only write the AFUDOS bios.rom
HOW TO CONWERT ORGINAL BIOS.BIN TO BIOS.ROM

[pawelekk24]

up please help

[NightDarkfold]

might have to do a flash from another board, I dont know much about hot swapping but, I do know that this has been encountered by others on this thread, read back and see if anything can help you. I am just hoping someone finds that old bios that was modded so I can try it some time soon.

Best Regards

[NightDarkfold]

Still hoping from a visit by TheWiz. So this is only a bump in hopes of his return and to keep the thread open.



Best Regards

[vernaides]

If the Foxconn is an award bios like the original Acer, you can try:

awdflash (filename of original acer bios) /f

[mattrice1]

Just to let you guys know I tried to flash my computer with this bios and actually bricked my board, tried recovery process, but didn't work out. Not a big loss anyway. I might try hotflashing later on.

Matt

[NightDarkfold]

Just a Bump, I am still running this board with standard Bios till something comes along that works. I am happy with the board the way it is but I sure would like to have an unlocked bios I could upgrade to.
Blessed be
Joseph

[antoniob]

I have one of these M5100, shipping with the R01-A1.
As many here before, I wanted the virtualization feature. Have been looking around for data and tips, and this thread is the more informative. I was hesitating with using a modded BIOS, so thinking I'd play it the safest way I registered ( some 30 USD) on http://biosagentplus.com/ , downloaded and ran their detection utility (motherboard and BIOS ids) and ordered a BIOS update. What I got was simply the last BIOS provided by ACER on its support site, the R02-B1 , from here for instance:
ftp://ftp.work.acer-euro.com/desktop/aspire_m5100/bios/
so much for 30 US dollar.... Anyway I expected that the reprogramming utility and instructions would be failsafe. They provide the bin file as is and a bootable iso image. I burnt the iso image, which upon reboot loads DOS and autoexec the flashing with AWDFLASH. It didn't work, AWDFLASH exiting with the error:
"The program file's part number does not match with your system."
Searching the online help and faq of biosagentplus.com I found they recomment to force AWDFLASH with the /QI switch.
So I created an USB DOS stick with the latest AWDFLASH and the R02-B1. Boot on it, launch AWDFLASH /PY /CC /CD /SN /QI and /WB (= reprogram BootBlock). I was hesitating about /WB, but in some large BIOS data gets into the bootblock zone, so I was wondering if it is the case with this one, maybe omitting /WB could end in a botched BIOS. And biosagentplus uses that switch. So I went for it.
The flashing went smooth, no warnings, no write errors, and completed with a successful message.
I reset the peecee and .... black screen and silent. Nothing. As others here have experienced with modded bioses.
It's not completely dead because removing memories brings a looping long simple beep. But keyboard shows no activity, and that M5100 doesn't come with floppy, I have none avail. so can't try a blind automated DOS recovery (in case bootblocks are still there...).
I also removed CMOS battery, jumpered on|off the clearing jumper without success.

So there's really something with that M5100 box.
I have ordered a new BIOS PLCC chip programmed with the original R01-A1 to get the peecee living again.

[mestre01]

hi,
why is everybody using the R01-A3 bios ?
mine is the M1100 and I have R01-A1 bios.
I've unlocked all features in the bios and reflashed it and everything is ok for me now.
I've used winflash and unlocked boot in the bios prior though
can't flash with usb stick or floppy with this mobo.