Computer Repair - Gateway ZX4250G

[marty]

I volunteered to repair a computer. Gateway ZX4250G this is a all in one. Everything is inside the monitor.

Here goes

Turn computer on. See this.

Press F1. See this.

Then

Then

This is a spinning wheel loop. Press del to enter setup, Preparing Automatic Repair, Diagnosing your PC. This spinning wheel loop takes about one minute and goes on forever.

Tap Del key till I see...... Press del to enter setup. Goes to Enter Password screen.

After 3 failed attempts to guess password, see Invalid Password. Did try password that's not it.
View attachment 2

What I tried to fix this. Windows 8 on a DVD, Ubuntu on a CD, and SeaTools for DOS on a CD.

Windows 8 is a operating system that I don't like. This is what the computer came with when it was new in 2012.
Ubuntu is a free operating system that will sometimes install when Windows is all buggered up.
SeaTools for DOS is a wonderful free program that runs off the RAM and erases the hard drive.

I have a external DVD drive that plugs into a USB port. Tried the same 3 disks that I used in the internal DVD drive. Hear spinning but nothing happens.

There is nothing to save on the hard drive. A clean install of Windows 8 would be great.

Think that I need to change the BIOS boot order to boot from the DVD drive. Can't do that because no one knows the BIOS password.

Here are my findings from researching this on the internet.

Motherboard Chipset AMD A45 FCH This number takes me to Gigabyte GA-E350N motherboard. Download Motherboard User's Manual. See diagram with 2 pins labeled CLR_CMOS.

Now I STOP. Dr Marty wants a second opinion. Am I on the right track? Is there a way to get this computer working with out taking it all apart to look for the Clear CMOS jumper? What is the BIOS password?

 

[Simonvtr]

Either you have to open it to clear the cmos or try one of the f12-f10 keys while posting to see if you can get to the boot device option.
If not then clearing the cmos is the only way around it.

 

[marty]

Tried f12-f10 keys. Nothing happens.

Removed the back panel, black plastic that snaps into silver ring, and mother board cover. Prying it apart was tricky. Used plastic prying tools. Surprisingly I didn't break anything. Please see pictures.



Something has gone wrong with the battery holder. There was a piece of tape holding battery in holder. Battery was not in holder securely. Removed tape and nothing holds battery from popping out. As a temporary repair I used a piece of paper wedged between battery and holder to hold it in there. Suspect problem is 2 small pieces of plastic that cracked off battery holder. I found them floating around in the battery holder.

Nothing is disconnected. Fired it up and problem is exactly the same as it was before. Wedging the battery into the holder did nothing.

I was wrong about this being a Gigabyte GA-E350N motherboard. Looks nothing like that one. Don't see any clear CMOS jumper. Don't see any clear CMOS button. There is a good chance that I am not seeing because there is a lot of hard to see stuff on this mother board.

Gateway is NO help. I called.
Marty - I need a service manual for Gateway ZX4250G computer.
Guy from India - We don't share service manuals. You have to take the computer to a computer technician.
Marty - I am a computer technician.
Guy from India - No service manual for you.

Measure battery voltage with battery out of motherboard 2.06V


What to do next?

 

[Ykick]

Try new battery.

 

[Simonvtr]

Here is a link that might help.

http://www.justanswer.com/computer/8u8l7-zx4250g-uw308-customer-forgot-bios-password.html#re.v/327/

If there is no jumper then just remove the cmos battery for 20-30 sec should reset the bios.
But from my reading it seem like gateway has a default password setup in the bios.
Try one of these.

admin
administrator
owner
gateway
cmos
password

In the link after the guy installed his gateway recovery he was still asked to insert the recovery disc.
I am not sure if he fixed his bootup option to bootup on primary harddrive after the recovery.
You might want to check that after you install the OS.

Good Luck
Simon

 

[molybdenum]

Very little information is out there regarding the mainboard. It's manual does not mention a default password, so you will probably be prompted to input a default password after clearing the cmos (hopefully). It may be the battery that is causing the time/date error and simply replacing it will allow normal function. You will still need to set the time/date in the bios. According to your mainboard manual, it has a jumper for clearing the bios. Removing the battery won't clear the bios if the info is stored in flash RAM.

If the password is still present after clearing the cmos, I know that some similar mainboards have a jumper for clearing the password (though this isn't mentioned in your mainboard manual); if this is the case, you set this jumper to pos 2-3, turn on computer, wait for notice password is cleared, turn off machine, return jumper to original position and turn on computer for normal operation with cleared password.

Other passwords to try:

0000
1234

As for the battery, it will need replacing; they are expensive in stores but I've purchased them in bulk on amazon for a fraction of the cost.

Good luck

 

[marty]

Tried a new battery. It's 3.3V Tried removing battery for about 10 hours with power off. Tried all those passwords. Problem is still the same.

Gateway ZX4250G looks identical to Acer Aspire Z1100 Here is a Acer Aspire Z1100 service manual.
http://www.manualslib.com/products/Acer-Aspire-Z1100-2759457.html

Look at page 153
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/445234/Acer-Aspire-Z1100.html?page=153#manual

You can save the whole PDF service manual in your computers by clicking on download at the top. I am a service manual collector.

Problem now is that my motherboard is similar but not exactly the same. According to eBay adds both motherboards are interchangeable. I can't find those 2 triangle blobs of solder.

Who makes my motherboard? See picture a few posts back DAQK3AMB6E0 REV:E
I get my Os and 0s mixed up.

There is a 10 with a circle and arrows around it printed on the motherboard. Thought that was the manufacturer. Its not
China RoHS

 

[molybdenum]

That really sucks about the MB and terrible support. A couple things I'd try out of desperation:

The battery might need to be removed for up to a week before the password clears due to power retained in the capacitors. This can be sped up by removing the battery, holding down the power button for 30s, and then shorting the offending capacitor (usually the one nearest the CMOS battery). Unfortunately, this would require removing the MB from the computer to approach the capacitor soldering from underneath.

 

[Simonvtr]

I remember when I purchase the very first dell 1ghz computer.
It had issues posting and removing the battery for 30sec or clearing it with the jumpers did not reset the bios.
I had to remove it and let it sit overnight.

 

[marty]

We need Amberwolf here. He fixed, or gave the death sentence to a old XP computer back in 2012. The problem then was bad caps.

Motherboard is out.
View attachment 2

On motherboard top I see 9 blue capacitors and 2 purple capacitors. I can read the writing on them if anyone wants.

2 purple capacitors near the battery say:
241
SEPC
560
6

Cropped image from:
http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/315/SEPC_OS-262388.pdf

What to short? Capacitors? Battery + and - terminals? My goal here is to fix this computer. Not make smoke.

 

[molybdenum]

I'd only short these if you definitely don't have time to let it sit for a week.

Unless you can trace the circuitry to the CMOS chip, it's impossible to tell which cap. I think you're fairly safe to short the 4 closest caps to the battery (definitely the two purple ones). The caps need to be shorted on the opposite side of the mainboard by connecting the two capacitor leads together where they are soldered into the MB; they should read a similar voltage to the battery with a multimeter prior to shorting and 0V afterward. They don't contain much power and shouldn't cause major havoc like bigger caps can - no fireworks.

Great care needs to be taken to avoid shorting one side against an adjacent circuit on the MB.

 

[amberwolf]

The problem with passwords is that some of them are not stored in the NVRAM that's backed up by the battery--some of them are stored in the actual BIOS chip, in flash memory, and you can't clear them without reflashing the BIOS (which often requires the password to get into the BIOS to start the procedure). It's supposed to make for bettery security...and it does, in that it makes the computer useless to the average person that acquires it "unconventionally", shall we say.

But it also makes it really hard for legit owners to fix an otherwise simple problem, without knowing what the password was.


Back when I was a service tech, none of these GW / Acer types had flashed-in passwords, but there were some Dells that did, mostly the integrated units with LCD and computer built into the same case, and a number of laptops from various manufacturers--mostly because these are the types that are theft targets, I guess.


Anyway, if the password is not a Gateway-default-installed one, then reflashing the BIOS would clear it. But if it is one installed by the manufacturer, then it can't be cleared that way, because it would simply put the password back in during the reflash.


More thoughts later.

 

[r3volved]

Are you sure it's a bios password and not a HDD password?

Typically you will see a BIOS password prompt right around POST. If it's a HDD password, you will see it after it attempts to access the MBR off the disk.

If the CMOS battery and jumpers tricks didn't help then it sounds to me like HDD...obviously I am incorrect if you get a prompt when accessing BIOS from POST (F2 probably).

Edit: How long did you have the battery removed?

If it's a HDD password, you can remove it and connect as a slave to a secondary machine. Format the drive with the secondary machine, reinstall into old machine, reinstall OS.

 

[marty]

Are you sure it's a bios password and not a HDD password?

Typically you will see a BIOS password prompt right around POST. If it's a HDD password, you will see it after it attempts to access the MBR off the disk.

Press del to enter setup. Goes to Enter Password screen. Think that "setup" is BIOS. So yea, think this is a password to get into the BIOS.

If the CMOS battery and jumpers tricks didn't help then it sounds to me like HDD...obviously I am incorrect if you get a prompt when accessing BIOS from POST (F2 probably).

Edit: How long did you have the battery removed?

Battery holder was broke and battery was half in, half out. So battery could have not been making contact for as long as since 2012. There was not much dust inside computer so i am guessing that it didn't get much use before it broke. I could get a timeline from the owner. Removed battery from motherboard yesterday. There is no hurry to get this computer running. I have not shorted any capacitors because I am afraid of something bad happening. There is a lot I don't know about how computers work.

 

[marty]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Think that calling the guy in India is a waste of time. Could try?

Try new battery.

Did try a new battery.

Progress report -- Measured voltage of all capacitors. Meter set for DC. See 0.000V at all capacitors. Battery has been out for 5 days.

Like the idea of "put the HD in another PC, format and install a linux variant" Whats your favorite linux variant?

Here are instructions to install Ubuntu on a hard drive with a working computer.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromImageLoadedOnHardDrive

It will be a miracle if this works.

 

[molybdenum]

If the password isn't stored in flash, it should be cleared with the caps at 0V, which I would have given a 50/50 chance.

I'm not sure how installing Ubuntu on the hard drive on another machine would get around the cmos password or the time date error, which happen at Post.

I'd try to boot the machine and see if the password is cleared.

If you can identify the bios chip by go googling chip numbers, it may be possible to find a cheap compatible replacement bios chip with no password set.

 

[r3volved]

There might be some confussion here between passwords and where they're located:

A BIOS password is the lock and key to get into BIOS settings. This sounds like what the problem is.

A BOOT password is the lock and key to pass POST and check boot sequence. This would be very rare, specially on a generic home-PC.

A HDD password is the lock and key for a particular HDD. If it's the HDD with the master boot record (MBR) then it will show a password screen similar to a boot password, but after hitting the boot sequence.

----
By installing linux on the drive via a secondary machine, you should be able to boot the HDD in the Gateway. The Gateway should already have the HDD in boot sequence and you shouldn't need to edit the BIOS to boot it.

The only way you're going to clear that BIOS PW is to jumper correctly or get an OS booting with a BIOS tool - the battery is clearly not affecting the flash and you probably won't be able to reflash without the actual PW.

 

[marty]

Bought this at local computer store $25. Marty got a new toy
USB 2.0 to SATA / IDE Cable
http://usb.brando.com/usb-2-0-to-sata-ide-cable_p00002c32d15.html


Wire at left goes to a AC adapter. Wire at right goes to USB.

Remove hard drive from broke computer. Hook it up to a working Windows 7 computer as shown in picture. Box pops up.

[You need to format disk in drive F: before you can use it] OK I do that. I can see the empty disk over at the left where you see files, disks, etc. Forget what ya call this? Libraries? Hard drive is empty and seems to be working normally. Put my ear on it. Normal happy humming sound.

Downloading Ubuntu 14. ISO file. It's got a few hours to go. We got slow internet here. I will be back.

Next step is to follow the instructions as shown here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromImageLoadedOnHardDrive

To let it be known, I have never been successful installing Ubuntu from anything other then a CD :?

 

[r3volved]

You can burn that iso to disc if you prefer. Or you can use a sub drive. http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows

You will need to boot again and set your sub or cd to primary boot and then follow the instruction. Just make sure you're installing it to the right (old) hdd and not your windows hdd...you can get into boot settings on this machine right?

 

[Ykick]

I wonder if there are any instructions which accompany a new replacement MB like these -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZX4250-Gateway-Motherboard-ZX4250G-UW308-ZX4250-UB308-ZX4250-MO308-ZX4250-MO318-/272023879109?hash=item3f55e2fdc5:g:x1MAAOSwI-BWKPhK

Might not hurt to ask the seller if there’s any included directions for installation and/or clearing CMOS PW?

Reaching for the long-shot but that’s where it seems to be headed?

Any particular reason why this PC’s worth the trouble to restore as opposed to any other used PC worth similar money? I understand if it’s for the challenge and it’s not costing much to try but I wouldn’t bang my head on the table for something which might not even be all that great when 100%?

 

[marty]

I wonder if there are any instructions which accompany a new replacement MB like these -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZX4250-Gateway-Motherboard-ZX4250G-UW308-ZX4250-UB308-ZX4250-MO308-ZX4250-MO318-/272023879109?hash=item3f55e2fdc5:g:x1MAAOSwI-BWKPhK

Might not hurt to ask the seller if there’s any included directions for installation and/or clearing CMOS PW?

Reaching for the long-shot but that’s where it seems to be headed?

Any particular reason why this PC’s worth the trouble to restore as opposed to any other used PC worth similar money? I understand if it’s for the challenge and it’s not costing much to try but I wouldn’t bang my head on the table for something which might not even be all that great when 100%?

Sent question to seller.
"Does motherboard come with documentation, directions for installation and clearing BIOS passwords?"

Thanks for finding that eBay add.

Why fix this computer? Because it's broke? Challenge? I was asking myself the same question? I am not sure why I am wasting time on this?

 

[marty]

Couple questions.
Did you attempt a boot with the hard drive dis-connected?

No - You were a little late in the repair. Computer was all taken apart when you made the request.

You got windows repair messages before the password

No

Read the OP again.

OP is Original Poster? I hate acronyms!

Did you try pressing DEL and NOT the F1 key, after initial power up?

Yes. After press DEL key, goes to Enter Password screen. Note that on power up computer usually goes to Gateway repair screens. White letters on black screen comes on at random. White letters on black screen seems to come on at the first power up in the morning.

Did you wait an hour or two on the repair?

Don't remember?

Also what happened when you tried the three bootable disks with the internal optical drive?

No boot from disk on start up.

Hard to tell from the picture but that tan-colored piece at approx 2 o'clock from the battery looks like a likely candidate.

It's a little box with 4R7 printed on the top. If I have time I will set up my photography studio. Good lighting and a tripoid. Take a bunch of close up pictures of the mother board.

I'd short all them babies in sequence

I've never killed a baby. I have destroyed computers. No I have not tried to short anything.

Did you try the model and serial number as passwords? Also Gateway?

Tried gateway. Maximum number of digits is 11. Guessing a password is like winning the lottery. I never lost on a lottery ticket. I never played.

 

[marty]

Put on my Ubuntu hat. I have a little Ubuntu laptop Eee PC 1000. I am not really a Ubuntu person, just use this laptop to learn about Ubuntu. On the subject of Ubuntu, I believe that hardware should be manufactured to work with the operating system. This ends the Ubuntu problem of why don't some features of the hardware work?

Here is a list of Ubuntu Certified hardware.
Ubuntu Certified hardware
My old laptop is not listed because it works with Ubuntu 10. Only see 12. and 14. on Ubuntu's web site.

What I did - Remove hard drive from broke Gateway computer. Using my little Ubuntu laptop and hard drive connected with USB cable I showed a few posts back, format and make new partitions with http://gparted.org/ GParted Live seems similar to SeaTools for DOS. Use https://unetbootin.github.io/ to get the Ubuntu ISO image onto hard drive. Followed instructions here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromImageLoadedOnHardDrive
As expected IT DON'T WORK

Everything is that same. See:

Press F1. See this for a second or two.

No more loop. Now I see this:
View attachment 2
Every time I press any key the words repeat.

Rebot and Select propor Boot Device
or Insert Boot Media in selected device and press a key

Rebot and Select propor Boot Device
or Insert Boot Media in selected device and press a key

Rebot and Select propor Boot Device
or Insert Boot Media in selected device and press a key

As per Nelson37's request I disconnected the hard drive and tried to boot a Ubuntu disk from the cd/dvd drive. Hear it start to spin. See some green flashing lights on the cd/dvd drive. It no boot. See same screen as shown in image above.

Rebot and Select propor Boot Device
or Insert Boot Media in selected device and press a key

It over Its been fun Unless I can get the BIOS password or clear the unknown one, this computer is now for sale as parts.

Thanks all for the help!

Note to Marty...... I can only install a operating system from a CD. Nothing else works. Recovery might work if Windows is on the hard drive and I don't format it.
2nd. Note to Marty...... I can not rebuild a carburetor. Always fix one problem and create a new different problem.
3rd. Note to Marty...... Never give up and keep trying new ways to install operating systems, and keep rebuilding a carburetors.

 

[marty]

I am 99.9% sure that my Ubuntu CD is good.

I am 99.9% sure that I did something wrong when I tried to create a bootable hard drive. Either with the partitioning or installing ISO file onto it with UNetbootin. Proof is that before I messed with it, got those two screens, Preparing Automatic Repair, and Diagnosing your PC.

At this point think that the easiest thing to do without buying a new mother board is to get the BIOS password or clear the unknown one. I plan on spending the rest of my life working on this.

 

[r3volved]

lol
easiest is to take it out back and put out of misery with grandpa's old shotgun