acer travelmate 4101lmi

[mini tehnicus]

Hi Mr Ahmed Hossam

My wife has an Acer TravelMate 4101lmi notebook and yes it is an old notebook.
I’m not so good at pc’s but I managed to upgrade as hi as possible this one, and to restore and modify the hidden partition with customised image, so far so good.

Next step will bee to access some hidden menus in bios the only problem is I don’t know how to back up the bios, modify the files and flash the bios without destroying the machine, and is the only one at the moment.

How I see you are good at modifying bios files and if I’m not to much trouble could you help me with this problem?

Question:

1 Witch program should I use to backup and restore bios files?
2 How is the safest mode to do it?
3 Do you have time for a noob like me?

I Goggled a lot and end up here, Acer support is not willing to help (without paying a lot of money)

The advance menu has only IrDA setting accessible and I want to be able to set the CPU fan to run at hi speed, or to low down the temperature to make the system run cooler, tried some software but no joy.

The spec’s are:

Property Value
Manufacturer Acer, Inc.
Model Crane
Version Not Applicable
Serial Number LXT670500350904244EM01

North Bridge Intel i915PM/GM Revision 03
South Bridge Intel 82801FBM (ICH6-M) Revision 03

CPU Intel® Pentium® M processor 2.26GHz
Cpu Socket Socket 479 mPGA

System Slots 1 PCI

Memory Summary
Maximum Capacity 3072 MBytes
Maximum Memory Module Size 1024 MBytes
Memory Slots 2
Error Correction None

Warning! Accuracy of DMI data cannot be guaranteed

Property Value
BIOS Vendor Acer
BIOS Version 3C29
Firmware Version 101.114
BIOS Date 05/13/05
BIOS Size 512 KB
BIOS Starting Segment E799h
DMI Version 2.31
Characteristics - supports ISA
- supports PCI
- supports PC Card (PCMCIA)
- supports Plug-and-Play
- upgradeable (Flash) BIOS
- allows BIOS shadowing
- ESCD support is available
- supports booting from CD-ROM
- supports ACPI
- supports legacy USB
- Smart Battery supported
- BIOS Boot Specification supported

Property Value
Number of CPU(s) One Physical Processor / One Core / One Logical Processor / 32 bits
CPU Full Name Intel® Pentium® M processor 2.26GHz
Vendor GenuineIntel
CPU Name Intel Pentium M 780
CPU Code Name Dothan
Platform Name Socket 479 mPGA
Revision C0
Technology 90 nm
Instructions MMX, SSE, SSE2, XD, EST
Original Clock 2266 MHz
Original System Clock 133 MHz
Original Multiplier 17.1
CPU Clock 2266 MHz
System Clock 133.0 MHz
FSB 532.0 MHz
L1 Data Cache 32 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache 32 KBytes
L2 Cache 2048 Kbytes

Property Value
Display Adapter ATI MOBILITY RADEON X600
Video Processor MOBILITY RADEON X600 (0x3150)
Video memory size 64 MBytes
Adapter DAC Type Internal DAC(400MHz)
BIOS Date 04/12/02
Display Drivers ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.6490
Driver Date 2004-11-09 21:34:02
Inf File Name oem12.inf
Inf Section ati2mtag_M24

Sorry for the long post the newest version for the bios on acer site is:
BIOS Acer BIOS For DDR memory 3C29 4.7 MB 2009/12/3
Link: http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers

http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/...6743008448&Step1=Notebook&Step2=TravelMate&Step3=TravelMate%204100&OS=X01&LC=en&BC=Acer&SC=PA_6


Thank you Keep the god work

[1234s282]

Only hidden menu was for Intel Video optiosn. See screenshot:



Hope thats a help but there wasnt anything else

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/747181/Acer%20Tr...34s282.zip

Try at your own risk!
Regards
Admin

[mini tehnicus]

Hi

That was fast, actually I didn’t updated to that yet and I didn’t know how is the menu but if you don’t mind cud you tell me how to save my current bios and to flash this one?

And most important what software to use and safest way to do it?

Thank you

---

Hi again

On the excitement I forgot wend I looked to the pictures I cod see that it’s seem to be for intel video card so will not work for ati X600 witch is my case

Thanks a million

[mini tehnicus]

Hi there

Managed to backup my bios (I used WinFlash and Universal backup tool) don’t know which is the best but any way I attached both files.

Could someone to have a look for hidden options the previous post was with a link two Acer site and was the newer version than mine and I didn’t updated yet, I appreciate the quick response however these two files are the original bios on this machine and either one it’s the same thing but made with different programs.

What I want is to access cpu settings especially temperature and fan control don’t know if is there, I tried Pheonix Bios Editor but I have no idea what to change.

Any help on the matter is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for the good work on this forum and good info.

[kizwan]

I see 1234s282 already mod the BIOS for you & they based on the latest version for TravelMate 4100 series notebooks. Based on the picture of unlocked options, look like CPU settings you're looking for are not available. If it's available I'm sure 1234s282 will already unlocked for you. If you worried, do not use the modified BIOS.

[mini tehnicus]

Hi kizwan

Not that I’m worried but after a deeper research I realized that Acer has many versions of bios for this model which are equipped with different video cards and different lan and wifi cards and could easily damage your machine if you do not know the right version for you and if you read my first post I did not done any bios flashing till now, I managed some work around with Acer recovery issue when you change the hard drive that Acer support said is not possible. These days I contact Acer support to ask for a bios update and the right way to do it and they misunderstood my email and in the second reply I had from them they just gave me a phone number for a repair shop in UK while I ma in Sweden. So, I know that 1234s282 modified the bios for me but at that time I only asked to have a look in advanced menu settings to see if it any hidden options and he did what I asked and I thank him for this, but now I managed to back up my bios, I do not know if it correct or not, I used two different programs just to make sure if by any chance something will go wrong , at least one of them will be able to make me a good bios image.

Anyhow I know that the people here are doing all of this, because they love it and I admire that they could understand hoe the bios is written, for me is just a mystery, you could see I tried using phoenix bios editor program but I could not get a hang of it and to be sure that I have the right bios I rather have my own version being modified than to take the chance with what acer provides because in the zip file from acer you do not see any release notes or instructions and in that file if you follow the link and download the zip you will find 3 different VPH files with different names and after I looked on the internet I found out that each one it is a different version for different machines with the same name. I do not want to be rude and I do not want to upset anybody but when you do not know how to do it and you do not have a spare machine in case that something goes wrong you cannot take that chance in not being sure which one is good to mess the machine up, as then you will not be able to not even open the files you have on it to try a different approach.

So yes, I know I wrote a long post but my English is not that good and I want for the people willing to help to know what I did so far and what the problems are to not spend their time with a novice who asks for help and some things will be too easy and will take too long to explain to me to be able to understand them, but still if anybody is willing to help I will try to follow the instructions and keep you posted if everything is alright.

What I am after is the thermal and fan settings for the CPU because my machine is throttling the CPU at 100% even if I will open the Office or any other applications well is an old notebook and I do not expect too much of it, but if I will be able to set the thermal settings lower than they are, that will trigger the high speed on CPU fan (or if I will have the option to do it manually will be even better), as the fan is set through the power manager control to always on but runs at low speed until the CPU is reaching 72 degreesC and I had the mother board changed once because of that and caused the video card to fail and is an on board one.

Thank you for your reply and that you brought to my attention that the new version of bios has been already modified and I download it and save it cause I do not want that time to be spend for nothing I will save this just as the last resort just in case my own cannot be modified or adjust it.
Thanks again and keep up the good work

[kizwan]

When I wrote "If you worried, do not use the modified BIOS." I only means that, nothing else. I'm not being sarcastic. I did my own research before posting. What I found from Acer support website, unlike BIOS version 3A45, there is only one BIOS version 3C29 for TravelMate 4100. So, the BIOS should be for all TravelMate 4100 series notebook. Furthermore, from the BIOS image alone, we unable to determine which notebook the BIOS image is for. We only know it is a BIOS image, that's all. It is your responsibility to give us the correct BIOS image for your computer. Providing full computer model name is also important (just like you did at first post).

In most cases for Phoenix BIOS, Universal Backup Tool will unable to backup a full & flashable BIOS image. So, avoid using this tool. I can't comment on the WINPHLASH/WINFLASH though since I didn't use the backup function often. Always use original BIOS from manufacturer. Only use backup tool when there is no option left.

Flashing BIOS, even with original BIOS, more or less is dangerous. In most manufacturer support forum, you can find small percentage of owner bricking their computer by bad BIOS flash, using original BIOS image. The cause or source of the problem is unknown. BIOS chip is programmed "block" by "block". Basically it "erase" & "write", "erase" & "write" & so on ("block" by "block") until finish. So, tiny anomaly happen during BIOS programming can caused corrupted BIOS which can bricked your computer. Again, the cause or source of the problem is unknown. Corrupted BIOS can be recoverable using special programming tool. It is a piece of hardware like this. Other solution is using Boot Block BIOS recovery. Unless specified using special parameter, the Boot Block is usually untouched during BIOS programming. Boot Block support basic computer functionality. The only problem is to know how to activate the BIOS recovery. This is usually undocumented & not known by end-user. If not all, for most Acer notebook, to activate Boot Block BIOS recovery is by pressing the FN+ESC keys & followed by plugged in the AC adapter & finally pressing the power button. The FN+ESC keys are not released until after the power button is pressed. During this process, the screen always blank since computer is working in basic functionality. Boot Block BIOS recovery do not require special hardware except a CRISIS disk which is created using CRISIS/WINCRIS tool. The CRISIS/WINCRIS tool can be found here. Just need to change the BIOS.WPH with target notebook BIOS. AFAIK, Boot Block BIOS recovery only works on Acer notebook computer.

1234s282 is very thorough when unlocking any BIOS. Look like the options you're looking for, is not available.

[kizwan]

Since your notebook BIOS already updated to latest BIOS, BIOS version 3C29, I can use the WINFLASH backup BIOS as reference. After comparing backup BIOS with all three BIOS in 3C29 package from Acer support website, I found BIOS L2243C29 is the right BIOS for your TravelMate 4101lmi. Please observed the below pictures. If MOD_XXXX.ROM and/or OPROMX.ROM are/is different, it means the BIOS definitely not the same (which means the BIOS is for different sub-model). Also as you can see here backup BIOS always a bit different than the original BIOS image. In my opinion, the way all three BIOS put in the same package is bad strategy by Acer.

WINFLASH backup BIOS vs. L2243C29


WINFLASH backup BIOS vs. L2263C29


WINFLASH backup BIOS vs. ZL2I3C29

[iJo09]

Let me explain the difference in this three BIOSes
Simply look at the file name:

L2/ZL2= Motherboard

24/26/I3= Video BIOS:
24-->ATi M24-->ATi X600 GPU
26-->ATi M26-->ATi X700 GPU
I3-->Intel Integrated GPU

3C29= System BIOS Version

[mini tehnicus]

Hi Kizwan

I apologize for the late reply but as you could imagine I was kind of busy searching and trying different solutions for the problem.

Not once I considered you sarcastic sorry again for my bad English.

Thank you for all support and patience, I did not find any solutions for the problem so still machine is pretty warm and sluggish.

An other question is possible to modify the bios to have some kind of ACPI menu to access thermal settings and fan settings?? And cud somebody help me, I tried different programs but no luck noting will let me modify thus settings.

I suppose hat notebook’s are like this and no chance to find one with a bios that will let the user to modify CPU,ACPI, and so on, or is there?(I plan to change this one because is too old and will not last much longer but I need windows Xp so I will try to find something)

Thank you

This is bios file untouched (latest version relies date or posting date is 2009/12/31)is only file for my machine.

Tank’s again