Acer Travelmate 7730a Service Guide
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Chapter 4: Troubleshooting151 Keyboard and touchpad Modem Note: If you cannot find a symptom or an error in this list and the problem remains, see “Undetermined problems” on page 153. Symptom / ErrorAction in Sequence The keyboard (one or more keys) does not work.• Reconnect the keyboard cable. • Test or replace the keyboard. • Test or replace the system board. The touchpad does not work. • Reconnect the touchpad cable. • Test or replace the touchpad board. • Test or replace the system board. Symptom / ErrorAction in Sequence The internal modem does not work correctly.• Test the modem phone port. • Test or replace the modem card. • Test or replace the system board.
152Chapter 4: Troubleshooting Intermittent problems Intermittent system hang problems can be caused by a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with a hardware defect. These reasons include: cosmic radiation, electrostatic discharge, or software errors. FRU replacement should be considered only when a recurring problem exists. To analyze an intermittent problem: 1Run the advanced diagnostic test for the system board in loop mode at least ten times. ❑If any error is detected, replace the FRU. ❑If no error is detected, do not replace any FRU. 2Rerun the test to verify that there are no more errors.
Chapter 4: Troubleshooting153 Undetermined problems If the diagnostic test may not identify which adapter or device failed, which installed devices are incorrect, whether a short circuit is suspected, or whether the system is inoperative. Use these procedures to isolate the failing FRU (do not isolate a non-defective FRU). Note: Verify that all attached devices are supported by the notebook. Note: Verify that the power supply being used at the time of the failure is operating correctly. (See “Testing the power system” on page 138.): To isolate a failing FRU: 1Turn off the notebook. 2Visually check FRU parts for damage. If you identify any damage, replace the FRU. 3Remove or disconnect all of the following devices: ❑Non-Acer devices ❑Printer, mouse, and other external devices ❑Battery pack ❑Hard disk drive(s) ❑SO-DIMM ❑Optical drive ❑PC Cards and Type 54 ExpressCards 4Turn on the notebook. 5Determine if the problem has changed. ❑If the problem does not recur, reconnect the removed devices one at a time until you find the failing FRU. ❑If the problem does recur, replace the following FRUs one at a time: ❑System board ❑LCD assembly Important: Do not replace a non-defective FRU.
155 ❑System board top connectors ❑System board bottom connectors ❑Clearing password check and BIOS recovery Jumper and connector locations Chapter 5 TravelMate 7730/7730G
156Chapter 5: Jumper and connector locations System board top connectors LCD connector Power board connector Keyboard connector DDR3 connector MDC connector ExpressCard board connector Bluetooth connector PCMCIA connector
Chapter 5: Jumper and connector locations157 System board bottom connectors Battery connectorCPU socket DC jack RJ45 jack Docking connector VGA connector HDMI connector USB jacks SPDIF audio jack Audio jack Audio jack MXM (video card) connector Hard drive connector Memory card reader Hard drive connectorOptical disc drive connector DDR2 connector PCI-E mini card connector
158Chapter 5: Jumper and connector locations Clearing password check and BIOS recovery This section provides you with the standard operating procedures of clearing password and BIOS recovery for Travelmate 7730/7730G. The system board has one Hardware Open Gap for clearing the password check, and one Hotkey for enabling BIOS recovery. Clearing the password check Hardware Open Gap Description: Locating the hardware gap on the system board Gap name in Travelmate 7730/7730G is G71 Steps for Clearing BIOS Password Check If users set the BIOS password (Supervisor password and/or User password) for a security reason, BIOS will ask the password during system POST or when the system enters the BIOS Setup Utility. To bypass the password check, users need to short the hardware gap to clear the password. To clear the BIOS password: 1Disconnect the power adapter and remove the battery from the notebook. 2Turn off the notebook and remove hard disk drive. For more information, see “Replacing the primary hard drive” on page 64 and “Replacing the secondary hard drive” on page 73. 3Open the cover of the machine. 4Locate the hardware gap. 5Use the blade of a flat screwdriver to short the two points of the gap. Hardware Default Setting Operation Description Gap Open (Normal) Short (Clearing Password Check)
Chapter 5: Jumper and connector locations159 6Plug in the power adapter while keeping the screwdriver on the gap, and press the power button to turn on the notebook. 7After the BIOS POST has finished, remove the tool from the gap. 8Restart the notebook. Press the F2 key to enter the BIOS Setup Utility. If are not prompted for a password, then the BIOS passwords have been cleared. If you are prompted for a password, repeat the procedure. Note: This procedure only clears the BIOS password (Supervisor password and User password). It does not clear a hard drive password. 9Reassemble the notebook. BIOS Recovery by Crisis Diskette BIOS Recovery Boot Block BIOS Recovery Boot Block is a special block of BIOS. It is used to boot up the notebook with minimum BIOS initialization. Users can enable this feature to restore the BIOS firmware to a successful one once the previous BIOS flashing process failed. BIOS Recovery Hotkey The notebook provides a function hotkey: Fn+Esc, to enable BIOS Recovery process when notebook is powered on during BIOS POST. If this function is enabled, the notebook forces the BIOS to enter a special BIOS block, called Boot Block. Important: To use this function, it is strongly recommended that you have the AC adapter plugged in and a charged battery in the battery bay. Creating a Crisis Diskette Before completing this procedure you should prepare a Crisis Diskette. The Crisis Diskette could be made by executing the Crisis Disk program in another notebook with Windows XP OS. BIOS Recovery using a Crisis Diskette To complete a BIOS Recovery using a Crisis Diskette: 1Turn off the notebook. 2Connect a USB diskette drive to the notebook, then insert the Crisis Diskette into the drive. 3With the notebook turned off, press and hold Fn+Esc, then press the power button. The notebook should start with Crisis BIOS Recovery process running. BIOS Boot Block restores the BIOS code from the Crisis Diskette to the BIOS ROM on the notebook. 4The notebook automatically restarts after the Crisis flashing process is finished. The notebook should have a working BIOS. At this point, a user can update the BIOS to the latest version using the regular BIOS flashing process.