Acer Aspire 7740 Service Guide

							Chapter 223
BIOS Setup Utility
The BIOS Setup Utility is a hardware configuration program built into your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input/
Output System).
Your computer is already properly configured and optimized, and you do not need to run this utility. However, if 
you encounter configuration problems, you may need to run Setup. Please also refer to Chapter 4 
Troubleshooting when problem arises.
To activate the BIOS Utility, press F2 during POST (when “Press  to enter Setup” message is prompted 
on the bottom of screen).
Press F2 to enter setup. The default parameter of F12 Boot Menu is set to “disabled”. If you want to change 
boot device without entering BIOS Setup Utility, please set the parameter to “enabled”. 
Press  during POST to enter multi-boot menu. In this menu, user can change boot device without 
entering BIOS SETUP Utility.
System Utilities
Chapter 2 
						

							24Chapter 2
Navigating the BIOS Utility
There are five menu options: Information, Main, Security, Boot, and Exit.
Follow these instructions:
•To choose a menu, use the left and right arrow keys.
•To choose an item, use the up and down arrow keys.
•To change the value of a parameter, press F5 or F6.
•A plus sign (+) indicates the item has sub-items. Press Enter to expand this item.
•Press Esc while you are in any of the menu options to go to the Exit menu.
•In any menu, you can load default settings by pressing F9. You can also press F10 to save any 
changes made and exit the BIOS Setup Utility.
NOTE: You can change the value of a parameter if it is enclosed in square brackets. Navigation keys for a 
particular menu are shown on the bottom of the screen. Help for parameters are found in the Item 
Specific Help part of the screen. Read this carefully when making changes to parameter values. Please 
note that system information is subject to different models. 
						

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Information
The Information screen displays a summary of your computer hardware information.
NOTE: The system information is subject to different models.
ParameterDescription
CPU Type This field shows the CPU type and speed of the system.
CPU Speed This field shows the speed of the CPU.
IDE0 Model Name This field shows the model name of HDD installed on primary IDE master.
IDE0 Serial Number This field displays the serial number of HDD installed on primary IDE master.
IDE1 Model Name This field shows the model name of HDD installed on secondary IDE master.
IDE1 Serial Number This field displays the serial number of HDD installed on secondary IDE master.
ATAPI Model Name This field shows the model name of the Optical device installed in the system.
System BIOS Version Displays system BIOS version.
VGA BIOS Version This field displays the VGA firmware version of the system.
KBC Variation This field shows the keyboard 
Serial Number This field displays the serial number of this unit.
Asset Tag Number This field displays the asset tag number of the system.
Product Name This field shows product name of the system.
Manufacturer Name This field displays the manufacturer of this system.
UUID Number Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) is an identifier standard used in software construction, 
standardized by the Open Software Foundation (OSF) as part of the Distributed 
Computing Environment (DCE). 
						

							26Chapter 2
Main
The Main screen allows the user to set the system time and date as well as enable and disable boot option 
and recovery.
NOTE: The screen above is for your reference only. Actual values may differ.
The table below describes the parameters in this screen. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested 
parameter settings.
NOTE: The sub-items under each device will not be shown if the device control is set to disable or auto. This is 
because the user is not allowed to control the settings in these cases.
ParameterDescriptionFormat/Option
System Time Sets the system time. The hours are displayed 
with 24-hour format.Format: HH:MM:SS 
(hour:minute:second) System Time
System Date Sets the system date. Format MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/
year)
System Date
Total Memory This field reports the total memory size of the 
system.
Video Memory Shows the VGA memory size. 
Quiet Boot Determines if Customer Logo will be displayed or 
not; shows Summary Screen is disabled or 
enabled. 
Enabled: Customer Logo is displayed, and 
Summary Screen is disabled.
Disabled: Customer Logo is not displayed, and 
Summary Screen is enabled. Option: 
Enabled or Disabled
Network Boot Enables, disables the system boot from LAN 
(remote server).Option: 
Enabled or Disabled
F12 Boot Menu Enables, disables Boot Menu during POST.
Option: 
Disabled or Enabled
D2D Recovery Enables, disables D2D Recovery function. The 
function allows the user to create a hidden 
partition on hard disc drive to store operation 
system and restore the system to factory 
defaults.Option: 
Enabled or Disabled
SATA Mode Control the mode in which the SATA controller 
should operate.Option: AHCI or IDE 
						

							Chapter 227
Security
The Security screen contains parameters that help safeguard and protect your computer from unauthorized 
use.
NOTE: Please refer to “Remove HDD/BIOS Password” section if you need to know how to remove HDD/BIOS 
Password.
The table below describes the parameters in this screen. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested 
parameter settings.
NOTE: When you are prompted to enter a password, you have three tries before the system halts. Don’t forget 
your password. If you forget your password, you may have to return your notebook computer to your 
dealer to reset it.
ParameterDescriptionOption
Supervisor Password Is Shows the setting of the Supervisor password
Clear or Set
User Password Is Shows the setting of the user password.
Clear or Set
HDD Password Is Shows the setting of the hard disk password.
Clear or Set
Set Supervisor Password Press Enter to set the supervisor password. 
When set, this password protects the BIOS 
Setup Utility from unauthorized access. The 
user can not either enter the Setup menu nor 
change the value of parameters.
Set User Password Press Enter to set the user password. When 
user password is set, this password protects 
the BIOS Setup Utility from unauthorized 
access. The user can enter Setup menu only 
and does not have right to change the value of 
parameters.
Set HDD Password Enter HDD Password.
Password on Boot Defines whether a password is required or not 
while the events defined in this group 
happened. The following sub-options are all 
requires the Supervisor password for changes 
and should be grayed out if the user password 
was used to enter setup.
Disabled or Enabled 
						

							28Chapter 2
Setting a Password
Follow these steps as you set the user or the supervisor password:
1.Use the up/down keys to highlight the Set Supervisor Password parameter and press the Enter key. The 
Set Supervisor Password box appears:
2.Type a password in the “Enter New Password” field. The password length can not exceeds 8 
alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, not case sensitive). Retype the password in the “Confirm New 
Password” field.
IMPORTANT:Be very careful when typing your password because the characters do not appear on the screen.
3.Press Enter.
                After setting the password, the computer sets the User Password parameter to “Set”.
4.If desired, you can opt to enable the Password on boot parameter.
5.When you are done, press F10 to save the changes and exit the BIOS Setup Utility.
Removing a Password
Follow these steps:
1.Use the up/down keys to highlight the Set Supervisor Password parameter and press the Enter key. The 
Set Password box appears:
2.Type the current password in the Enter Current Password field and press Enter.
3.Press Enter twice without typing anything in the Enter New Password and Confirm New Password fields. 
The computer then sets the Supervisor Password parameter to “Clear”.
4.When you have changed the settings, press F10 to save the changes and exit the BIOS Setup Utility.
Changing a Password
1.Use the up/down keys to highlight the Set Supervisor Password parameter and press the Enter key. The 
Set Password box appears: 
						

							Chapter 229
2.Type the current password in the Enter Current Password field and press Enter.
3.Type a password in the Enter New Password field. Retype the password in the Confirm New Password 
field.
4.Press Enter. After setting the password, the computer sets the User Password parameter to “Set”.
5.If desired, you can enable the Password on boot parameter.
6.When you are done, press F10 to save the changes and exit the BIOS Setup Utility.
If the verification is OK, the screen will display as following. 
The password setting is complete after the user presses Enter.
If the current password entered does not match the actual current password, the screen will show you the 
Setup Warning.
If the new password and confirm new password strings do not match, the screen will display the following 
message. 
						

							30Chapter 2
Boot
This menu allows the user to decide the order of boot devices to load the operating system. Bootable devices 
includes the diskette drive in module bay, the onboard hard disk drive and the CD-ROM in module bay.     
						

							Chapter 231
Exit
The Exit screen contains parameters that confirmed or discard the changes made to the parameters in the 
BIOS Setup Utility.
The table below describes the parameters in this screen.
ParameterDescription
Exit Saving Changes Exit System Setup and save your changes to CMOS.
Exit Discarding Changes Exit utility without saving setup data to CMOS.
Load Setup Default Load default values for all SETUP item.
Discard Changes Load previous values from CMOS for all SETUP items.
Save Changes Save Setup Data to CMOS. 
						

							32Chapter 2
BIOS Flash Utility
The BIOS flash memory update is required for the following conditions:
•New versions of system programs
•New features or options
•Restore a BIOS when it becomes corrupted. 
Use the Flash utility to update the system BIOS flash ROM.
NOTE: If you do not have a crisis recovery disk at hand, then you should create a Crisis Disk (See “Steps for 
BIOS Recovery by Crisis Disk” on page 108) before you use the Flash utility.
NOTE: Do not install memory-related drivers (XMS, EMS, DPMI) when you use the Flash.
NOTE: Please connect the AC adapter power supply when you run the Flash utility. If the battery pack does 
not contain enough power to finish BIOS flash, you may not boot the system because the BIOS is not 
completely loaded. 
Follow the steps below to run the Flash utility:
1.Rename the BIOS file as “XXXXXXX.FD”
2.Copy the “XXXXXXX.FD” file to a bootable USB device containing the Crisis Disk.
3.Turn off the system power.
4.Insert the USB device containing the renamed BIOS file and Crisis Disk to any USB port.
5.Make sure the AC adapter is connected to a power outlet and plugged in to the system.
6.Power on the system from an off state (i.e. cold boot) while holding down the Fn + ESC key.
7.After POST, release Fn + ESC key. The system should boot from the USB device and perform crisis 
recovery action.