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    Acer aspire 7720G

    Discussion in 'Acer' started by peauke, Jul 30, 2012.

  1. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    Hello,

    I have got a problem with my laptop. I try to keep the story short.

    My GPU was almost dead (8400m gt) so i was looking for a new one. I gor one of ebay a 9300m GS. Checked if it was compatible and it was so i bought it.

    The new GPU came put it in the laptop and pressed the power button. Picture came and windows started. When windows vista completly started he said there was new hardware and installed the drivers.

    After this the laptop did a restart, that is when the trouble begon. He couldn't start windows and it hold down the power butten to schut down the laptop. After a reboot he was adking for windows in safe mode or last known config etc. So dit safe boot. Windows started, then windows asked me to put in the windows dvd for a repair session, so i did.

    After this i never came in to windows. Not safe mode, not regulair mode, not last know configuration. I can't make a new installation of windows because it hangs on windows logo screen after reboot (when installation is complete).

    Next i have formated one drive on a different pc and out this one in the laptop. After startup it said something like ther was a thing not connected please start form dvd or something. So tried to start from dvd, no succes. So i reboot.

    After this even after reboot the screen is totaly black no acer screen, not possible to go in the bios screen.

    So back to google. Looking for a bios flash with black screen. Saw the FN+exc method.

    Tried it with usb and cd with the modified filename. Laptop starts fan full speed no light on power button. But after half an hour no reboot on its own. So manualy shut down and reboot and guess what Acer sreen on start up is back.

    so you guess problem solved no not yet, beceause after reboot screen is again black onlu when i do the FN+esc method and reboot after i get teh Acer screen. So tried to install windows again, but again after reboot not goning further then windows logo.

    So you see i dont know what to do how to fix this.

    Replacing the old GPU didn't work either.

    Any suggestions are welcome

    best regards
    Peauke
     
  2. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    Download the latest drivers from Nvidia run them and let them exctract on c:\ then download and replace the nvwi.inf with the one from LaptopVideo2Go: Drivers
    Boot to safe mode and remove the windows driver, reboot let it install the windows driver and when it asks for restart press NO,then run the modified nvidia driver and after that reboot as usual.
    If the problem remains contact me, i fixed mine before 3 days with a 9600m GT so i have a couple solutions.
     
  3. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    The problem is i can't get into safe mode anymore so can't remove or install drivers. The only thing that i can do is when i start a new windows installation i can choose to install drivers before i installing windows, but when i select the driver it gives an error.
     
  4. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Sounds like the new card is awol!

    Does your other card at least work? if so, install it again and try that. If it works, then you know the new card is either, not working correctly or not compatible. Look at the 7720 upgrade page here, may have some information that may help you as well...
     
  5. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    You don't even see the post screen????
     
  6. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    The card is compatible i saw it in the list

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/396320-acer-mxm-models-cards.html

    If the card was faulty then i wouldn't have any picture.

    The old card (8400m gs) isn't working anymore, so can't change it.

    I only get the acer sreen (F2 for Bios) after i use the FN+esc method and i can enter the bios.

    When i put the hdd with the old windows i get a startup screen where i can choose 3 windows (tried to install windows 3 times) after this everything is black and nothing happens. If i try the go with safe mode windwos says the installation wasn't complete and can't continu so it reboots and everythings starts over.

    I think my acer is bricked or partly faulty gpu (9300m gs). What else could it be ?
     
  7. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Not entirely true....if you have a peice of ram thats bad, or a capacitor thats screwed up, then you may get an initial picture until that component heats up enough, or it may not come into play until the video needs it. I would try your other video card again if that worked before pulling it..Opps, just read again the OLD card is not working anymore.

    I still think its the new card not working correctly.
     
  8. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a idea.
    Insert again your old card, boot to windows and upgrade to black edition 1.45 bios (provides more compatibility for mxm cards)
    Then insert again the new card and boot to windows.
    If you want the flasher and the bios let me know.

    P.S : I just read that your old card is dead, we can try to fix it if you want.I have a way to fix faulty GPU's and you can do it on your home too if you want :)
     
  9. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    Hi AndreasBest,

    Could you help me with the BIOS and the flasher and how to fix the old card, thanx.

    is there a dos flash version available
     
  10. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    One good thing, once you find out if its the video card or not, parts are a plenty on eBay for the 7720. So you should be able to get what you need cheap. I can't wait to get mine finished up.

    Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2
     
  11. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    To help you with the bios you must at least boot to post screen.
    If this happens let me know to provide you download details for the flasher & the black edition BIOS.
    If not then we have to fix the old card to boot to post.
    Let me know of the situtation now.
     
  12. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    Hi

    I was able to flash the bios to the black edition but still no luck. Sometimes it boots (only until windows logo) and sometimes it doesn't.
    I have installed several times a fresh windows installation (vista and 7) but the installation can't complete because when te laptop needs te restart there is a black screen or the cursur is blinking on the top left of the screen. When i reboot manualy the laptop doesn't goes beyond the windows logo.

    Now i am testing something else. When a remove the battery and ac and hold the power butten (30 sec), put in the ac the laptop starts with screen, but still not into windows. I have tested my ram in several slots (2x 2GB) but no success.

    Could it be the mobo or the new card is faulty. I don't think the card is faulty becaus when i first put it in it started just fine. The trouble started after a reboot and e recovery installation of windows.

    Anybody else has any suggestion.
     
  13. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Was the same thing happening with your other video card? it still sounds like a fault in the video card.

    Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2
     
  14. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    ok.
    I assume you have a heat oven on your house.
    Here are the instruction to fix the old card>upgrade to black edition?enter the new card and play.
    Take some aluminium foil and make 4 little balls of it, place the card into the plate like you see in this photo http://cloud.addictivetips.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/BakingGraphicCardinOven.jpg be sure the chipset looks down.
    The oven MUST be preheated on 195 Celcius, once the preheat is complete take the plate and place it to the oven.
    After 10 minutes open the oven and remove the plate very carefully, let the plate and the card to cold for about 30-45 minutes.
    Then appl;y thermal paste on the chipset and insert it yo your notebook.When you boot let me know to tell you the rest.
     
  15. downloads

    downloads No, Dee Dee, no! Super Moderator

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    I'm pretty sure the chip should be looking up otherwise it won't be "sinking in" but rather will be pulled off by gravity.
    Quick check on the net seems to confirm it.
     
  16. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    All the cards that i have fixed were with this way exactly.All photos on the internet show the chip on the downside too...
    The heat at 195celsious is enough to melt only a small amount of solder but enough to "bridge" small cracks.Also don't forget that all cards have components on both sides so if melting occured the smd's of the one side will fell down to the plate :p
     
  17. downloads

    downloads No, Dee Dee, no! Super Moderator

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    I beg to differ but I might be wrong. I'm curious about other opinions on that matter.
     
  18. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    I will try to reflow but i also think the card is a little bit damaged on the buttom when i removed the plate that holds the screws of the heatsink. We will see. Thx for the help
     
  19. AndreasBest

    AndreasBest Notebook Enthusiast

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    Upload a high res photo of the damage, perhas all the above procedure will be a waste of time in case of damage to circuit or components.
     
  20. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    8400m GS.jpg

    the 2 joints (look at photo) aren't connected anymore. I think this happend when i removed the bracket under the card that holds thescrews off the heatsink.
     
  21. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    If you know which way the traces are supposed to go, you can use a low power soldering iron to reconnect them, just be very careful. We replace bad caps on motherboards, video card and other things all the time. Saves a lot of money for people who's machines are crapped out on them.

    Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2
     
  22. peauke

    peauke Newbie

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    Believe it or not my laptop is fixed (hope it will for the days to come). i was so hopeless that i had decided to sell it and a buyer was coming to pick it up today. So was making things ready formatting hdd and so on. Then i saw that the backplate that connects the heatsink to the old gpu with some kind of silicon material. After i took the new card out of the laptop i saw the backplate could make contact with some soldering joints and short the card at some point.

    So i put the new card back in without the backplate but with the heatsink. power up and i got a picture so reinstalled windows and the installation completed and every restart i got a picture no black screens. The only thing that happened was when the laptop was on quite some time the gpu git warm and shut the laptop off. This was because the heatsink wasn't complety connected to the gpu core so a lot of heat wasn' t going away. after i put back the backplate and a non conductive material in between it worked great no shut downs so far no black screens. I hope that this was the problem.

    Thnx everyone for helping and thinking about my problem.
    this topic can be closed
     
  23. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Congrats. awesome to get your 7720 running correctly!