Bios Screen Decided to change

[gtalarico]

Hi everyone.

Something happen today that I cannot wrap my head around.

I bought a Gateway Desktop SX-2800 last year - running Windows 7.

Now all of a sudden, when I restarted my computer today, I saw an ACER bios splash screen....

I know that Gateway and Acer are the same company, but that doesn't mean my gateway bios splash should change to an acer on all of a sudden, after one year...

I have not done any updates recently..

Has anyone experienced anything like that?
How would I go about changing it back?

Thank you in advance

 

[Pusspa]

did you flash your BIOS?

 

[mckillwashere]

A bios flashing could have done it.

Have you installed any kind of software that you were unsure about?

 

[gtalarico]

Hi Thanks for your responses.

I am not sure what "flashing" the bios mean.

I have not done any updates, and I have not installed anything recently (that I can remember anyway..

I have also just noticed that the System Setting (msinfo32) now shows:
"System Manufacture: Acer
System Type: Aspire X3810"

 

[mckillwashere]

did you install any kind of activation hack or allow anyone to use your pc un attended?

 

[gtalarico]

I doubt anyone has accessed it. I always keep my screen locked when I am aways, and I have a persistent bios password when you boot. Haven's installed any hacks.

I checked the "system restore points" to remind me of recently installed software:

There was a windows critical update done on 11/30, and I would be surprised if I haven't restarted my computer since that day.... but would a windows update change any of the bios settings?

Bios info on the system settings shows last update on 4/3/2009.

?

 

[mckillwashere]

The last update was when that bios was released.
Can you look and see if any gateway or acer drivers were installed?

 

[Bill2]

The most likely explanation is that an installed automatic updater downloaded and installed an update that changed the splash screen. As for the display in msinfo32, the bios info is derived from this registry subkey.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System

So, theres nothing to get paranoid about, after all Acer does own Gateway. OTOH, if it was an HP splash screen, it would be interesting.....

 

[gtalarico]

I just checked the windows update history and the only item installed was a windows defender definition... so no, no drivers were installed.

Bill2, regarding the registry address you gave me, that's interesting... According to the entry, the last bios update was in August of the year 32 AC.... :shock:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5358/biosinfo.jpg

In all honesty, I don't care to much that I now have an Acer splash screen, but it pisses me off not knowing how or why it happened... I like to think I have control over what happens in my computer..

 

[Bill2]

See this.

first screen picture on boot up has gone back to default picture

Wonder if its our own Brianzion.

 

[gtalarico]

Thanks guys
I guess I will have to live with it.

 

[gtalarico]

Thanks guys.
I will learn to live with it, even though I really liked the splash screen with the gateway cow-in-a-box logo.