How to Update my BIOS?

giovy · 17 Mar 2014

Hello!
Since last week I have a problem with my USB port....

In short my laptop (ACER ASPIRE 5738G, running W7 Ultimate 32bit as OS) no longer manages to detect both an USB drive and an external HD of mine. Both devices are pretty old but work perfectly on another older PC of mine running VISTA. All my drivers are updated, including the USB ones.

So I went to the BIOS manufacturer (Phoenix) of my laptop and after running this tool (see link below) it urged me to flash my BIOS (Phoenix v.1.05):

Download BIOSAgentPlus

Problem is that I have to pay money for that!

So I decided to visit the ACER website:

Acer | Download

But, as you can see from the link above, there are 3 BIOS updates there: do you know which one I should use?

Alternatively, how can I flash my BIOS for FREE?

Can't wait to hear from you.

maxie · 17 Mar 2014

Hi there .. So your USB Ports are working apart from two Devices ? Do you have any error Codes ? I have looked at the BIOS updates on the Acer Website .. The most recent one is over three years old .. I do not recommend doing a BIOS update i do not see it improving any thing .. In some cases it can make things worse ..

giovy · 17 Mar 2014

Hello!

Yes, everything works fine except two devices (Usb Drive PNY ATTACHE' 4GB and LACIE External HD) .

Both devices were working in my main laptop till a few days ago.

My BIOS is pretty old (2009) and Phoenix recommended me to flash it!

So if the BIOS is not relevant, what's the cause of this annoying issue?

And how to solve it once and for all?

maxie · 17 Mar 2014

Hi again .. I do not know any thing about Phoneix but any thing that is asking you for money in my books is a con .. There is nothing on the Acer Website that states that a BIOS update would improve performance to your USB Ports .. It might be that the Devices are just to old for Windows 7 .. As you stated in your first post ..

Mark Phelps · 17 Mar 2014

BIOS updates are not a miracle cure; instead, they are distributed to address specific problems and/or to add specific features. Since, as already indicated, none of the updates address your problem, doing a BIOS update is not going to solve the problem.

PLUS ... any time you do a BIOS update, unless you have a way to both save off the current BIOS and restore it (should something go wrong), you are risking disabling your PC by doing such an update.

Sites that want your money don't care what happens to your PC, they only want your money.

madcratebuilder · 17 Mar 2014

Phoenix recommended me to flash it!

That's a sales pitch, nothing more.

Have you been in to Device Manager to see if the USB drivers are OK?

giovy · 17 Mar 2014

Hello!

Yes all my device drivers work fine and are updated to the latest version.

Maybe both devices are not working now because they were working with the old drivers I recently updated to the latest ones....LOL!

Weird thing is that whenever I plug my 2 devices in Windows issue a sound as if it was able to recognize them, but then nothing happens and both device icons are not displayed.

Someone in another forum suggested me to use a free tool called "Ghostbuster": ever heard it before?

GhostBuster Free Download

I also found this interesting thread about this issue:

USB DEVICES - How to delete all (resolves some USB problems) - Windows Made Easy - XP - What the Tech

What do you make of it?

maxie · 17 Mar 2014

I would leave well enough alone if i was you .. But its your Laptop so your choice .. You could end up with nothing working

Torah Lishmah · 17 Mar 2014

I agree. I do not recommend flashing a BIOS unless under the most dire circumstances. Good advice, gentlemen.

ReaperWarLord · 19 Mar 2014

if you want to upgrade the bios you can just look around the web for a site that provides free bios updates however this can be risky as you may know as they could be unstable. i would agree with Torah Lishmah.