Acer Aspire 5740G Owners Lounge

Thanks for the support. Well I dunno if it's too much or not but from what I read so far the main problem is on Sleep mode on windows.
It will draw power from USB and I will get one keyboard always on. But i think I can manage that by disabling USB on power settings (I guess).
If I pull the 5v from D19 will I have the same problem? Does your USB3 mod get always on in Sleep mode?

 

The place D19 is power rail to HDD, so it will be on in S ? .(screen dim, screen off )
In sleep mode S4 (suspend to HDD) it will go off after that, so in sleep mode it will be off .
USB2 power will always be on. (S0 to S4)
I never used sleep mode, only S ? but I checked it with ext. HDD.

(So what I wrote on page 514 about D19 is always S0 it's not true, saw that in schematic but I think the meant 5V at S0 state, so I correct it . )

 

I have the 5740G-434G64Mn and it's running on windows 8.1
1. My bios version is 1.22. should I update it? can you please give me a link?
2. I have a problem with the touchpad. Often when I lay my finger on it suddenly the crosser on the screen drops down, and when this problem starts it does'nt stop until I restart the computer. What can I do?
3. I never did OC in my life and I don't game on pc anymore. Should I try? Is it safe?

 

Hi navve

1. The most recent BIOS is 1.28 which can be downloaded from here. That said there's no reason to update BIOS unless there is a critical issue that it fixes (or of you are updating CPU and need new microcode supported).
So if everything is OK on your part, there's no reason to update (important battery issues were fixed in older BIOS)

2. Make sure you have the latest driver- I assume we all have Synaptics ones in 5740(G). The most recent driver from official Synaptics website is 17.0.19 although there are more recent driver like this 18.1.7.8 one (click on Télécharger to download).

3. No reason to OC just for the sake of it. If you are not a gamer there is no need to OC the GPU whereas the CPU will not give you that much even if you succeed in over clocking it. If you really need more power you might want to consider buying a faster CPU (first gen Core i5 and i7s shouldn't be that expensive)

 

That was really fast and helpful! Thanks a lot!

 

Hi guys.

I've been trying to update Catalyst driver to 14.4 from 13.12 and it's been impossible. I always get the "Package Fail" error. I even reinstalled Win7 and tried with a clean installation, no good. Same error. This is so frustrating... Did anybody face this issue or I am the only one?

My notebook has the HD5470.

 

Hi SSM

I am not familiar with graphic driver update, but AMD said on there site;

" When used with Windows Vista or Windows 7, the user experience may be limited or compromised."

But why do you want it anyway ? Have same graphic's and with new driver there will be no "advanced acceleration"
for this slow graphics card. !
I only update when there are problems.

 

@SSM

I updated to 14.6 beta with no problems on Win 7.

 

I'm curious, installing V14.4 on W7-32b and HD5470, no problems.

EDIT:

@SSM

Maybe your BIOS ? At some version there was a graphic update in it.

 

Hi.

No luck. After some research I found several people claiming that you need all critical and recommended updates from Microsoft and I spent hours updating Windows, for the same results. The drivers fails to install just as it did when the PC was updated up to March or so.

Also, I freshly installed windows and all the latest drivers, so no luck there either.

@Andy53

I have v1.28 BIOS that, as I can recall, also updates the gpu BIOS.

Maybe you see something wrong here?

 

Well, problem solved, thanks to this:

AMD Catalyst Install Manager :: Help and Tips

Unbelievable.

 

Too soon to cry victory... What I quoted only solved the Catalyst installation (it's not showing an error anymore), but when it gets to the customize installation part when you can tick and untick options all it shows is the drivers already installed and if you click on them below you can read "XXX is already installed".

I even recovered my old HDD wich I swapped for a SSD and try to install the 14.4. Nothing. I can install any Catalyst but 14.4 or 14.6. I surrender...

 

Have not much knowledge off it, did not look good, after continuing installing W7 64 (where I was start with in 2010 ! ) and a lot of updates, see that it didn't work on 32 or 64 bit.

Your right, there is a problem on HD5470

Have to stuck on V13.1

 

Hi to all, my acer gets temps around 90c with almost full load, that is after changing thermal paste. I have one question, when i removed the heatsink there where some green things over south & north bridge i assume, should i remove them and apply pase there too?

 

If those green things were thermal pads than no, you can't just replace them with thermal paste due to difference in height.
You can either replace them with new thermal pads, replace them with copper shims or not change them at all as it's usually not needed and chipset emits far less heat than CPU or GPU and is not really a part of the mobo you should be really obsessed with.

Short answer- if you haven't damaged thermal pads while disassembling, there's no reason to do anything about them.

 

i didn't remove them and they seem ok. Although my temps are ok at 90c?, i run a benchemark last reminant 4 times

 

It's not great but acceptable. It kind of depends on your room temperature too (air being the cooling agent), so considering it's July and factoring in your location (sorry, as a moderator I can see your IP ) I'm not alarmed by 90*C under full load in a stress test.

 

you cheater Mod!!! Thanks a lot, in fact, my laptop, is not placed in the best position, is in a corner of an office, behind it is a wall, although room temp is around 27c. Thanks again,in the next days i'll change the thermal pads, one of them was not in the best condition. chipset temps are around 70c at load.

but i think thats good..

 

Yeah 27*C adds to it. Most reviews report room temperature (i.e. on notebookcheck) and it's usually 22-24*C. If you were in the same situation you'd be looking at 85-87*C max and that would sound a lot better than 90*C.

 

thaks a lot for your response, nice work you've done here. great forum with lots of usefull stuff for our heroic laptops.

 

Hey guys! new to the forum here, only just became aware of its existence!

Having some issues recently with my 5740g. basically the power light goes on, the HDD starts spinning, fans turn on, but nothing. black screen. The first incident was about 2 months ago. i pulled it apart, looked for any obvious damage, nothing. Stuck it in a drawer. 2 months later, i decided id gut it for parts. before i begun i though "what the hell ill plug it in see what happens." I plug it in, it booted! ran some diagnostics, everything seemed ok. Temps normal, no hardware errors, no bsods, nothing. anyway, i had it running for about a month with no issues. Left it running plugged into the AC a few nights ago when our power was cut for some roadworks... laptop ended up going flat after a couple of hours.

next day i tried to boot it up again to no avail...

so anyway, i looked up the symptoms and i came across an issue referred to as the "Black screen of Death", and that it can be fixed using a crisis boot disk... so i downloaded the one from this forum, and have experimented with 2 different usb disks, that ive used in the past successfully as boots; a generic 2gb, and a 4gb imation.

I set up the disk using Win7 X64, then i read that you must use a x86 os preferably XP. Anyway i created an Oracle VM Box Windows XP x86 instalation and used that to create the disk. Plug in battery, plug in power, hold FN + ESC, press power button on laptop, and release FN+ESC after 10 seconds. Nothing is happening.

Tried 1.22 bios and 1.28. I also tried an ESD discharge.. I have a feeling im missing something in the Crisis boot process...

I have tried the following:

1. ESD discharge process (outlined above)
2. Restoring BIOS using a Crisis recovery USB device
3. Removing DIMMS, swapping DIMMS, ETC...
4. Many other random things.

is there anything i may have missed? also some guides tell you to format using wincrisis, others say just pop the bios file and phlash16 files on the stick... which is it???

 

It has nothing to do with BIOS so you can give up on BIOS recovery. BIOS can't get corrupted by itself and then repair itself while in the drawer.
The only way the BIOS may cause trouble is if you flash it and it fails and if that's the case you'd know immediately.

That said this might be hard to diagnose. See what happens if you run the notebook without the battery, with the battery plugged and with the battery unplugged.
Also just for the sake of it replace CMOS battery - if it goes flat it can cause weird issues.

The last possibility I can think of is that some part (usually chipset) is separating from the motherboard. If these are glued (and oddly in some cases they are) laptops have issue starting when cold - when the glue id hot, it's soft and the chipset "sinks in" and makes proper contact with mobo, but then the chipset separates and the glue gets cold it doesn't.
I know it sounds far fetched but I and this issue with my Aspire 5024 and I had to worm it up with a hair-drier and push the chipset into the mobo every time I wanted to start it (luckily new mobo got delivered very quickly )

 

cheers for the fast response downloads!

plugged in, with or without battery, exactly same symptoms. just replaced the cmos battery as well as per your advice to no avail.

doubt it needs a reflow thought that may very well be a possibility. will leave that as a last resort.

am i missing anything in relation to the crisis bios recovery? figured id have another crack at it as i dont really have much to lose at this point, but not sure if im doing things right as i cant find the service manual for the 5740g anywhere

 

Here is a service manual: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27042209/SG-Aspire 5740_5740D_5340_20091127.pdf

As for crisis disk I don't think you are missing anything although you might want to check if you've followed kizwan's recommendations exactly ( here)

 

thanks downloads... service manual is identical to the one i had.. i was under the assumption that the 5740 and 5740g models were different as the crisis instructions are completely different to kizwans instructions... specifically this part:

The 5740 bios files are WPH and you need tor ename them as BIOS.wph

 

True but kizwan's instructions say that for most Acer notebook proper procedure is:

Also here's a crisis disk with BIOS 1.22 that supposedly works - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27042209/AS5740G CRISDISK - BIOS v1.22.zip

The service manual isn't consistent - admittedly it mentions BIOS file as “XXXXXXX.FD but on pages 104 -107 it shows how to create a crisis disk and shows BIOS.WPH on a screen-shot. Sloppy copy-paste job and not the worst one I've seen either - I've seen MXM modules in service manuals that were not present in the actual machines.

That's all apart from the fact that in my opinion you won't get anywhere with BIOS recovery since nothing is wrong with BIOS.

 

thanks so much downloads. Yeah that is the crisis disk i downloaded last night. I think you're right, i may just have to suck it up and count my losses... this is a sad day..... :cry:

 

Well maybe not. I don't know why does it come back and die on you but considering it does come back to life, it's probably not a lost cause.
Maybe someone else will have an idea or maybe it's already happened to another 5740 owner. Let's see if anyone else chimes in.

 

yeah i suppose. we'll see what else pops in. So i think its confirmed, your assumption was 100% definitely not a bos issue... i though id try a couple more usb sticks, some old ones 1gb & 2gb respectively... still no joy. even tried renaming the bios file extention and setting the ilename as per the service manual on the off chance... nadda. Hopefully someone else has an idea...

 

Zetrox try to connect an external monitor and see what happens. I saw laptops with black screens only because the monitor was set to external monitor...

 

hi guys, i have problem with bios upgrade. im currently on 1.22 bios and i need 1.28 because my 2nd hdd in my caddy only works with 1.28( i read a comment in this thread that is mentoined) but i cant upgrade it, ofc i downloaded from acer homepage and i try the utility first but no luck(not doing anything), after i try the dos version, also with no lock and stop trying 'cos bios is not a firmware, if a i screw it i'll be angry someone got a good guide or tip what should i do to upgrade in safe? im on win 8.1 64bit if its relevant, lots of thanks )

 

Make sure the battery is in the notebook (not removed for safekeeping)

 

I made a crysis disk again and with battery in, a little biz freaking me out while processing but i done with success, thx

 

Did you try what I told you before ?

" You have to boot DOS (old command.com from W98 or something like that ) from USB or CD, don't use the DOSbox in Windows or Windows at all "

Then you can use dosflash and BIOS, put it on the same USB device or CD.
It works for me at the time.

Edit: Looking too fast, did not see it works.

 

Only things that I will think of it it's bad battery or RAM that go out of spec's after years, but that is wat you checked ?
Shure the HDD is good ? Maybe you are using Windows 8 ?
Try to boot something from USB or CD if it's happend, or removed the HDD to see if you will be asked for a bootable device

 

I installed a Samsung 840 EVO 256GB SSD and clean installed Win 7. The difference is speed is startling... right from boot to app start-ups. Plus the EVO has something called the rapid mode which caches a portion of RAM to speed up I/O. I find this particularly useful since it covers the slowdown caused by Sata 2 bottleneck.

The only thing now is the 4GB ram seems inadequate. But the system flies.

 

hi guys, is it possible to the something like that with our 5740g?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/633223-tutorial-how-install-led-backlit-keyboard-asus-u36.html

 

Yes it is possible - someone has done it using a backlit keyboard from another Acer model and power from USB or fan.
It must be somewhere in this thread...

 

I find it, thanjs unfurtunatelly im not a pro and it sounds too difficult to make it

EDIT: i did some digging and it become simple just have to order a keyboard from ebay, i definitly write my experience when im done with this, thanks for reply

 

Noticted that Notebookcheck has left out first gen. i-core, shame !!

 

im looking for new laptop maybe in 1 month or 2 still can't find one laptop that has optical audio output like our 2009 acer 5740g

 

Hello guys. I want to buy external display for my Acer Aspire 5740G (i5 430mn / amd radeon 5650 1gb) and I'm thinking about Dell UltraSharp U2414H. What is the best solution to connect to the laptop? Some VGA-to-HDMI cable or HDMI-HDMI?
Thanks.

 

IMHO I'll stick to hdmi cause digital vs analog seems to be an answered question by far. Also on hdmi yo can get audio too if monitor supports it.
Also it can handle better resolution and refresh rates.
The only reason I would buy vga/rgb monitor would be lower pricing.
I use my "hacked" 5740DG / i7 720m / 8gb with GNU/Linux (Ubuntu, Gentoo, Archlinux) with two monitor setup, and also can mirror/clone (can't extend desktop) the screen up to 3 monitor with lastest mesa open source driver (laptop+hdmi+vga).
Hope my opinion helps.

 

I use HDMI as well. Apart from reasons mentioned above (which are all valid) there's one more that is trivial but important. VGA port on 5740 offers no possibility of using those screws that most VGA connectors have and as a result the connector slides out if you move the notebook. HDMI connector is smaller and stays in place even if you move the notebook around.

 

Thanks guys, I just wanted to clarify that I don't find any issues with HDMI-HDMI cable and such setup because I've never used it before.

Also from 5650 specs I found out that max resolutions are:
Integrated HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio: Max resolution: 1920x1200
Integrated VGA output: Max resolution: 2048x1536

So I need to buy FullHD (1920x1080) display or with 1920x1200 resolution because 2048x1536 displays we don't have in stock, only 2560x1080 and larger.

P.S. downloads, Glory to Ukraine!

 

Hello. I've had an Acer Aspire 5740G for 4 years now and have always been very happy with it. I'd like to ask two questions, if someone can be bothered replying.
The first regards the battery, which I should now change. I ordered one on line, but the battery that was actually in the box when it arrived, instead of being AS07A31 as on the label, is actually AS07A41 and the voltage, instead of being 10.8 v is 11.1v. Is this a problem? Can I install the new battery without fear of my laptop exploding??!!
Secondly, I was reading above about the BIOS, and how it affects battery life. I have downloaded BIOS 1.16, but don't really know where to place the unzipped file, or how to execute the BIOS. Can someone give me a walk-through. Thanks a lot.

 

The battery will be fine, no worries. I'm also using 11.1V battery (mine is an extended one - 8880mAh).

What BIOS do you have at the moment? Maybe there's no reason to update in the first place.
Also if you were to update BIOS, you should go straight to the most recent one - 1.28 if I remember correctly.

 

Thanks very much for the reply, downloads.

My current BIOS version is 1.9.

I just went to the Acer site to see about downloading version 1.28. There's a warning "Upgrading your system BIOS incorrectly could harm your Acer Product. Please proceed with caution." Should I be worried?

Could you explain how to actually install the new BIOS?

Thanks a lot.

Florio

 

You can brick your notebook while updating BIOS - hence the warning.
The safer method is flashing BIOS using the crisis disk - which I never do.

Normally you just unzip the package from Acer, make sure that anti-virus and firewall are disabled (or any other apps that can stop the process for any reason - security apps mainly), make sure that the battery is fully loaded and inserted into the notebook (obviously) and then follow "readme" instructions - in case of Windows OS and 1.28 BIOS you launch JV50128.exe and wait until the notebook reboots.

 

Thanks once again for your reply. Is there some particular reason why people sometimes brick their laptops while installing a new BIOS? Why don't you use the crisis disk (which, incidentally, is no longer available at the link provided)?

I think I'll now install the new battery, wait until it is fully charged, and then try updating to version 1.28. I hope it all goes smoothly; I'd hate something drastic to happen. I'd like to think that the process is relatively risk free, and that I'm not going to brick my notebook!! Wishful thinking??