Bios update problem

So I decided I was going to install Vista onto my MX3416 laptop. Getting all the drivers together off the website I saw a BIOS update. So I updated my BIOS to version 79.10. No noticeable problems as I booted back into XP until everything came back up. The screen is stretched below the bottom of the monitor. The whole taskbar is "under" the screen. Changing resolutions didn't help and I even went into the BIOS settings to see if it was windows or not and it still was the same. Everything at the bottom was off the screen. It is normal around the rest of the screen. Now the main question is that if nobody has a solution can someone provide 79.06 version software so I can downgrade. I cannot find it on the gateway website. Thanks for any help

 

I was also wondering if someone knows of a program I can use to just push the bottom part of the screen up some. Windows XP is what I am running. I messed around with the keystone option with the Nvidia software but that distorted it too much. Thanks

 

what do you mean...push the screen up?

 

I have attached a screenshot of what I mean is the problem. I don't know if you can really see it but I have to double the size of the start menu to be able to see it. I can't really explain it any other way. And it is also this way in the BIOS setup and DOS. If I can only find a software solution for Windows that will be fine.

 

can u just lower it with the mouse? by putting it on the top of the task bar until the cursor changes, then just drag it down.

 

yes i can do that but then I can't see it. I had to pull it up to be able to see it.

 

you can use a regular carmera to take a picture....

 

right click on the tool bar and check your settings, like auto-hide make sure its off.

 

It is not on autohide. This only happened after I updated the BIOS. Everything has updated drivers. I have included two pictures and I apologize for the poor quality. But you can get the idea of what is going on. Thanks for the responses.

 

Anybody got a software recommendation?

 

why don't you contact gateway and ask for the original bios file ?
explain what you done and try to be more clear about the result.
something like the desktop is stretched out side the viewable screen even in bios, and no matter what resolution u try it stay like that (i don't know if that is true- just throwing words).

don't say anything about installing vista etc, its not relevant, just the bios thing.

last thought, maybe you download a bios for the wrong laptop ?
if you download the correct one it should fix that.
send a link which one u downloaded and how u updated.

 

poking around in the gateway site,
is this the one you used ?

http://support.gateway.com/support/...ndows Vista BIOS version: 79.10&uid=198927617

do you know the version you had before you updated ? the number i mean
if you do maybe you can find it here :

ftp://ftp.gateway.com/pub/hardware_support/drivers/win_vista/bios/

make sure that before you click on second link, start downloading the first file and cancel the download once u get to the ftp directory.

worked for me

 

Yes that statement is correct about the viewing area. I contacted Gateway and they said the only way they can help me is having me send in the laptop plus 150 and they will restore the original. I already went through the entire ftp area looking at every single txt file looking for another one that was compatible. I currently have bios version 79.10 installed. I had 79.06. That link is correct to the file I downloaded. I even double checked, downloaded again, and reflashed just to make sure I didn't make a mistake.

 

this is outrageous, call again and shout.

they should find it and mail it.
and surely there is no reason for you to pay 150USD for using a file they put on their ftp as an update for your machine.

one more thing if anyone reads this and have same laptop, please leave a message maybe you can help by making a copy of your bios and sending it over.

i guess the only acceptable reason for them to say such a thing is that they don't have the file but they do have a chip that they can install for you.

 

The laptops listed below are also exactly compatible. Thanks for the help

Gateway MT3418
Gateway MX3416
Gateway MX3422
Gateway MX3417
Gateway MX3410
Gateway MX3414
Gateway MX3412
Gateway MX3410h
Gateway MX3412h

 

So does anybody have a software solution for my problem in the meantime? I just mainly need that area of the screen in Windows. I thought Powerstrip did that but I was wrong. If worse comes to worse is physically replacing the BIOS chip as easy as a desktop?

 

you can forget about replacing the bios chip. not happening.

still checking on the bios issue...

but you can go into nvidia control panel and change flat panel scaling to do not scale. and see if that will give you the whole screen to see for now...then kind of mess with stuff from there.

 

Yeah I have tried that before and the most I can get on the screen is about 1/4-1/8 of an inch more.

 

and you then changed the screen resolution to something like 1024x768?

 

Yeah. I tried every resolution really. Including the ones that it said my monitor didn't support.

 

ok...last thing...lol

when you flashed the bios the first time..did you back up the old bios to a file?

 

Well see what happened was......lol. Simple answer no. It didn't give me the option as I was booting with the cd that i burned from the iso. But come to find out there is a nifty little utility called Winplash that I should have used to flash it but didn't.

 

did you try contacting the guy i send you in the PM ?

 

yeah, that was the program i was hoping you used....

 

Yeah just waiting for an email back. Yeah I even tried reflashing with that to see if there were different results. But still nothing

 

I know this doesn't help you much, but I learned this from experience when it comes to the bios of a pc...

If its not broken, don't fix it.

 

But I have always done that and never had an issue before. When I get a new computer or laptop I make sure the BIOS is up to date. Just this one screwed up.

 

its a good rule never touch your bios unless u have a good reason.
i saw quite a few motherbords who became unusable just because an innocent and completely unneeded bios update.

but lets hope you can get that file.

 

So no software solutions?

 

It looks like a re-flash with your old BIOS is your only option. What did the new BIOS fix over the old in the read me files? Not counting your new screen option.

I would suggest you do a LIVE tech support e-mail. The reason is you can save and log the whole incident in a text file. If there is a bug in the new BIOS, Gateway should help you get the problem solved with no fees. This is going to open a bag of worms on your end but document just what you did to flash new BIOS and type same in LIVE session for your logs.

Has any other same users updated BIOS???