# Problems updating BIOS on Acer machine



## carnatic (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi, I'm having difficulty knowing what to do to update my BIOS, due to confusing instructions from Acer; and wondered if anyone else had encountered Acer's BIOS instructions before, or knew what was going on.

I'm updating my BIOS because I'm having problems with my battery, and the BIOS was mentioned as one possible cause in this thread:

http://www.computerforum.com/185806...cers-bundled-e-power-management-software.html

I have an Acer Aspire 3610 with BIOS version 1.07.

Acer's website is divided into a European site, and a US site. So since my computer was bought in the UK, I figure I need to use the European site. The latest BIOS upgrade is version 1.09. However if you follow a link on the same page to an FTP site to download the latest upgrade, you find an even later version 1.13. There is no guidance whatsoever from Acer as to which version I will need.

The instructions that come with version 1.13 say I need to install 'SOPiG', however no file called SOPiG comes with the download. There is just a batch file. The instructions may be wrong, but I don't want to risk just running the batch file and ruining my computer because I didn't follow the instructions properly.

Version 1.09 has no instructions, just a batch file, however part of that batch file points to a folder ALVISO, which isn't included in the download. So I worry that running the batch file (which I assume is how you update the BIOS) will crash the computer and risk ruining it.

So in short I have no idea which version I should be installing and how to go about installing it. When I contact Acer, they just say I shouldn't attempt to do this myself and should instead send it back to them; and since it's out of warranty, doing this will be ridiculously expensive.


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## linkin (Feb 5, 2011)

You'll need to put the batch file onto a thumbdrive, reboot the machine, center the BIOS and run the BIOS's flash utility. Here's a guide:

http://www.computerforum.com/175224-flashing-bios-tech-guide.html


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## carnatic (Feb 7, 2011)

linkin said:


> You'll need to put the batch file onto a thumbdrive, reboot the machine, center the BIOS and run the BIOS's flash utility. Here's a guide:
> 
> http://www.computerforum.com/175224-flashing-bios-tech-guide.html



Thanks for the guide, but my question was more about whether or not anyone had encountered this specific problem before. i.e. an Acer upgrade where the batch file points to a non-existent directory.


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## linkin (Feb 8, 2011)

Not sure, I don't deal with OEM systems much.


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## vinmillion (Feb 8, 2011)

Thats true... "TOO EXPENSIVE" to be proper you don't have to modify your BIOS just simply replace your CMOS Battery with a newer one..


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## carnatic (Feb 9, 2011)

Could you elaborate please? Are you suggesting my original problem could be caused by a bad CMOS battery or that somehow replacing the battery will have the same effect as updating my BIOS. I've never heard of this as a solution to anything before.


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## tremmor (Feb 9, 2011)

The cmos battery is on a few bucks at any store. If its been 3 or more years you might want to. If your loosing setting like the date and time is wrong that is a good sign of bad battery. If its been to long you could loose some settings. Its a good place to start and cheap if that was it.

Becareful about flashing. Make sure its going to fix your problem or you will be down if something goes wrong. Flash is usually associated with maybe critical updates and specific hardware. Make sure the flash will help


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## carnatic (Feb 16, 2011)

Oh sorry, maybe I hadn't explained my problem fully. When I said at the top of the thread that I was having difficulty with my battery I specifically meant the main laptop battery, not the CMOS.

As far as I can tell there are no CMOS related problems, in that the date and time are always correct.

Someone in response to my original problem with my main battery (the thread about this is linked in my original post) had said the problems I was having might be fixed by updating the BIOS.


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