Cannot Install Windows XP on Acer machine [AHCI Problem]

If you bought an Acer bundled with Win Vista or Seven, then you want to install Win XP, you may meet a problem like HDD not detected, or bluescreen during installation. This happened not only with Acer but also every machine with old BIOS version need to be updated.

These symptoms indicate HDD driver issue on the XP area since XP don't have driver for newer HDD technology such as AHCI.

Try these steps : 

1. Log on to your BIOS and find AHCI 
2. Change AHCI to IDE (If you unable to change to this mode, then you need to update your  BIOS version)
3. Save and restart
4. Try to reinstall your XP again
   

Hopefully this can help :)

Acer Aspire 4736 WiFi Problem

If you can't install driver on your Aspire 4736 machine, it's probably about driver problems.
Aspire 4736 use Intel Wifi Link 1000 and somehow, few Acer websites (ex: acer.co.id) attached wrong driver for this product.

It was happened with the CD drivers too.


So if you have this type of acer machine, download this driver

For Windows XP here

For Vista 64-bit here

For Windows 7 64-bit here

Hopefully this can help.. :)

How to Reset Acer eRecovery Password

Are you forgot your eRecovery password when you need to recover/re-install your Acer machine while your Windows totally crashed and you can't even boot to your OS?

Read this first?

eRecovery How it Works

Acer has a software named eRecovery. This software dedicated to their customers in order to get Windows OS recovery process a lot more easier and faster even a kid able to do it.

Acer created a hidden partition labeled PQSERVICE

You wouldn't able to see this partition in Windows explorer. If you want to see this partition existance, right-click My Computer -> Manage -> Disk Management


PQSERVICE partition contain an image of Windows OS (XP/Vista/Seven) and this partition will be load to recover anytime when your Windows OS crashed, unstable, or infected by virus.

By pressing ALT+F10 before entering Windows boot process, you will access Acer eRecovery menu and asked the location where the backup will restore (ussually C: Drive). After few simple clicks (as easy as click Next) you will have your Windows back as 'factory default' state (State when you bought your Acer machine)

But how if there are password required for eRecovery? The windows is crashed and unfortunately... you don't know the password?

Here are the tricks!


Try the default password  000000

If it's not working, let's go to the next tricks to see your forgotten password.

If you are familiar with Linux OS

Try Ubuntu live CD and

1. Boot with Linux/Ubuntu live CD
2. Mount PQSERVICE partition
3. Open file aimsdrs.dat on first depth of PQSERVICE partition
   
4. Write down the password or edit the file to change the password (find PD="xxxx" and the password is xxxx)
   
5. Restart and try the password
   

Is there another way without using Linux Live CD ?

Yes, but only if you still able to login to your Windows!

Download Partedit32 launch the program and change the type of the partition pqservice from X values to 07. Usually X values is in the first row on the partition sequence.

1. Restart the computer press F2 on boot to enter the bios, and then disable the option (d2drecovery).
   
   
2. Restart and press F8 several times until you reach the Windows recovery menu, choose the option : command prompt. The windows open and now there is a letter for a new drive, x for example.
   
   
3. Type "dir" and seek the file "aimsdrs.dat". Then type this command at the prompt : "Copy aimsdrs.dat C:"
   
   
4. Restart your computer normally, open a notepad browse for your file open it and recover your password. Do not forget to restore your partition pqservice in its initial state with partedit32, and to reactivate the D2D recovery option in the bios.

Hope this will help :)