ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall

emanjackson · Oct 11, 2010, 04:32 PM

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone please tell me how I can write the built-in recovery cd to a "ISO" as I have no optical drive to write it to....

I can then boot it from USB and recover from there, but as yet, I have not found a program which will fool the system into thinking I have attached a optical drive so that I can write the cd for it....

very annoying as the onboard recovery disc creation tool does not have the option to write an ISO! Stupid ACER! you would think this would be standard practise by now!

thanks everyone...

emanjackson

BlueMak · Oct 15, 2010, 12:08 AM

Look for MagicISO to mount an ISO.

You can use some Nero version to create an ISO if you want, I think there is a free version.

Judas · Oct 15, 2010, 04:21 PM

pick up a super cheap external DVD USB drive?

Tipstaff · Oct 15, 2010, 05:48 PM

If you are looking to recover you don't need to first burn the recovery disc. The recovery process can be started from within Windows (just look in the Start | Programs list), or if memory serves by hitting Alt-F10 at the Acer logo on bootup. You can then pick to do just the OS partition. The recovery DVDs are only useful if you replace the drive, or if you want to do a complete wipe of the drive, which includes the OS and recover partitions.

Of note, the same recovery program within Windows that allows you to make the recovery DVDs has to build the ISO files first. It would just be a matter of finding them on the drive once it does this, but grab them before you quit the program as it may delete the images. Then using a program called "SelfImage" you can "drive" the image to a USB flash pen. Once done that USB pen would work just like the DVD. Catch is that if the recovery requires multiple DVDs/images you will need multiple flash drives to do a proper recovery.

Judas · Oct 15, 2010, 08:17 PM

i guess i was assuming that the disks were already had.. but the recovery partition was lost/destroyed... perhaps a failed hardrive..

then again you can't easily replace the acer netbook HD's....

emanjackson · Oct 28, 2010, 03:10 PM

Thanks BlueMak, will give it a try... wil let u know.. cheers

emanjackson · Oct 28, 2010, 03:12 PM

Hi tipstaff, I am sure I have tried the alt-F10 option and it did nothing, maybe I am just thinking that I pressed the "alt" aswell. will have another look. thanks a lot

emanjackson · Oct 28, 2010, 03:14 PM

Hi Judas,

The Hard drive is not shafted, I just wondered if there was an easy way of creating a recovery cd (iso form) (without buying an ext one) just in case the hard drive did fail. then at least I would have a recovery option. otherwise I would have to pay acer for the recovery cd's.

OldBuzzard · Oct 28, 2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

... then again you can't easily replace the acer netbook HD's....

That depends on which model of the Aspire One that you have.

We have two. With the older one, and AOA-150 that's true, you have to partially disassemble it to get to the HDD.

With the newer one, a 532h, all you have to do is take off a cover on the back to get to the HDD.

Judas · Oct 28, 2010, 05:25 PM

ok... all of the acer one's i've had to deal with.. and i've had to deal with quite a number as their failure rate has been astronomical here, none of them gave you access to the ram or the hardrive or any component... actually it's bizarre how there is a single plate on them in which when you remove.. gives you access to nothing at all.. like it was a afterthought option that for all intents and purposes... didn't have any use and never made it into the final product. OR was put in the wrong place to replace the ram in it.

Either way... even with the newer acer aspire ones i've worked on.. they are quite poor... like working with junk compared to the Asus HA1xxx series netbooks... all of which give you clear access to the the ram and generally a little easier access to the hardrive too.

Tipstaff · Oct 29, 2010, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

ok... all of the acer one's i've had to deal with.. and i've had to deal with quite a number as their failure rate has been astronomical here, none of them gave you access to the ram or the hardrive or any component... actually it's bizarre how there is a single plate on them in which when you remove.. gives you access to nothing at all.. like it was a afterthought option that for all intents and purposes... didn't have any use and never made it into the final product. OR was put in the wrong place to replace the ram in it.

Either way... even with the newer acer aspire ones i've worked on.. they are quite poor... like working with junk compared to the Asus HA1xxx series netbooks... all of which give you clear access to the the ram and generally a little easier access to the hardrive too.

Agreed. Acer's netbooks are horrible here. You have to literally take the thing apart to change anything on it, be it RAM or hard drive. Just ridiculous. I've had clients begging me to find screws to replace the ones they've lost (there is one Aspire One that you have to remove 18+ screws in order to get at the RAM), or begging me to swap out the RAM or hard drive because they just couldn't figure it out.

As for Acer in general... have you noticed that Acers "cheaper" line has gone down in quality? For instance Staples was selling off the old T4500 line last month for $369.. damn freaking cheap. Even had a bunch of clients buy one, and all I could say was how crappy the screen looked, and how cheap the plastic casing was. Blah. POS. It's almost like Acer's new affordable line is the old eMachines or Gateway lines. Not happy with them.

Judas · Oct 29, 2010, 07:25 PM

Yes i've noticed how terrible acers are recently.... they are dirt cheap.. the acer ones for 149.99 is disgustingly cheap and slow as hell.. and impossible to disassemble without breaking it.

Reason i've moved everything over to Asus... i haven't sold an Acer for nearly 2 and a half years..

out of all the asus ones i've sold.. i've only had one asus 1000 netbook with a faulty battery... replaced OVERNIGHT by asus at their cost... great support..

and i've a laptop i sold a year ago that the hardrive failed.. seatools diagnostics states an errorcode and suggests emediate rma.. failing long test all the time.. and intermittingly on the short and smart tests.. can't even access data on it.. just BSODs..

got the sucker boxed up but i think asus messed up cause they said they sent a truck to pick it up.. yet no ones been around for 5 days now....

OldBuzzard · Oct 30, 2010, 10:18 PM

Behold gentlemen...the Acer Aspire One 532h-2588.

The only way it would be any easier to change the HDD and/or RAM would be if it did it itself after being given voice commands.

Judas · Oct 30, 2010, 11:53 PM

that's an acer one i've NEVER seen...

i could post about 10 different models all of which you cannot access to the hardrive or ram at all without breaking it or special acer tools

Tipstaff · Oct 31, 2010, 04:42 AM

That's one of the newer N450 based Aspires that came out 2nd quarter of this year (edit: forgot to note that it was redesigned for easier access to components). I've used a couple, and my God.. I hated that keypad. It flexes too much. Plus the initial runs of the unit had a hardware flaw where the system wouldn't take 2GB sticks of RAM. This was never fixed with the initial runs. Instead Acer released the 2588, the same one OldB is showing, which can take 2GB.

CJLMTLCA · Nov 2, 2010, 02:55 AM

you're lucky OldBuzzard, i just happen to have been given one that i'm trying to recover files from a corrupt HD, had to take the machine apart.

Judas · Nov 2, 2010, 04:18 PM

not fun at all...

but it looks like you actually managed to get it appart there without snapping anything....

i personally have always managed to break something..

I find if a laptop gets to be over 1 year old with good use.. . the plastic clips and such get brittle and break far to easily.

Oct 11, 2010, 04:32 PM	#1
emanjackson HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 6 Rep Power: 0	ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Hi Everyone, Can anyone please tell me how I can write the built-in recovery cd to a "ISO" as I have no optical drive to write it to.... I can then boot it from USB and recover from there, but as yet, I have not found a program which will fool the system into thinking I have attached a optical drive so that I can write the cd for it.... very annoying as the onboard recovery disc creation tool does not have the option to write an ISO! Stupid ACER! you would think this would be standard practise by now! thanks everyone... emanjackson

Oct 15, 2010, 12:08 AM	#2
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,483 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Look for MagicISO to mount an ISO. You can use some Nero version to create an ISO if you want, I think there is a free version. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Oct 15, 2010, 05:48 PM	#4
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 191 System Specs	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall If you are looking to recover you don't need to first burn the recovery disc. The recovery process can be started from within Windows (just look in the Start \| Programs list), or if memory serves by hitting Alt-F10 at the Acer logo on bootup. You can then pick to do just the OS partition. The recovery DVDs are only useful if you replace the drive, or if you want to do a complete wipe of the drive, which includes the OS and recover partitions. Of note, the same recovery program within Windows that allows you to make the recovery DVDs has to build the ISO files first. It would just be a matter of finding them on the drive once it does this, but grab them before you quit the program as it may delete the images. Then using a program called "SelfImage" you can "drive" the image to a USB flash pen. Once done that USB pen would work just like the DVD. Catch is that if the recovery requires multiple DVDs/images you will need multiple flash drives to do a proper recovery. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Oct 28, 2010, 03:10 PM	Thread Starter #6
emanjackson HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 6 Rep Power: 0	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Thanks BlueMak, will give it a try... wil let u know.. cheers

Oct 28, 2010, 03:12 PM	Thread Starter #7
emanjackson HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 6 Rep Power: 0	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Hi tipstaff, I am sure I have tried the alt-F10 option and it did nothing, maybe I am just thinking that I pressed the "alt" aswell. will have another look. thanks a lot

Oct 28, 2010, 03:14 PM	Thread Starter #8
emanjackson HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 6 Rep Power: 0	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Hi Judas, The Hard drive is not shafted, I just wondered if there was an easy way of creating a recovery cd (iso form) (without buying an ext one) just in case the hard drive did fail. then at least I would have a recovery option. otherwise I would have to pay acer for the recovery cd's.

Oct 30, 2010, 10:18 PM	#13
OldBuzzard DH's oldest Geek Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oberlin, OH Posts: 2,783 Rep Power: 145 System Specs	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall Behold gentlemen...the Acer Aspire One 532h-2588. The only way it would be any easier to change the HDD and/or RAM would be if it did it itself after being given voice commands. Attached Thumbnails __________________ When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

Oct 31, 2010, 04:42 AM	#15
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 191 System Specs	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall That's one of the newer N450 based Aspires that came out 2nd quarter of this year (edit: forgot to note that it was redesigned for easier access to components). I've used a couple, and my God.. I hated that keypad. It flexes too much. Plus the initial runs of the unit had a hardware flaw where the system wouldn't take 2GB sticks of RAM. This was never fixed with the initial runs. Instead Acer released the 2588, the same one OldB is showing, which can take 2GB. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick. Last edited by Tipstaff; Nov 2, 2010 at 12:52 PM.

Nov 2, 2010, 02:55 AM	#16
CJLMTLCA 14X Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 633 Rep Power: 63 System Specs	Re: ACER ASPIRE ONE netbook reinstall you're lucky OldBuzzard, i just happen to have been given one that i'm trying to recover files from a corrupt HD, had to take the machine apart. __________________