Downgrade 8 to 7 on Acer Aspire AXC-603G-UW31 I Need Help!

[Mshraks]

[SOLVED]

Hello everybody.
I have an Acer Aspire XC-603 i3900 with bios P11-B0 on it.
I also want to downgrade to Windows 7 and i follewed B from start to end.
I downloaded the file and right-clicked de flash.bat file as an administrator.
The command promt flash up for 1 seconds and nothing happened.
So i opent another coomand promt and dragged the flash.bat file into it and pressed ENTER.
From that point it only stated to count some memory adresses and that was it.
But the BIOS was still the same.
I mis all the function`s in the bios that i can turn off or on to install Windows 7.
I have no CSM,Legacy etc etc setting`s, its not there.
Only thing i can do is to Enable/Disable secure boot.

Is there another way to force bios to flash?
I have Windows 8.1 pre-installed from factory and the right-click and execute option said in Option B is not working at all.
Please i can use some advise.

 

[mdavej]

Latest BIOS P11-B2 (09/17/2014) should now have CSM option. Give that a try and let us know if it works.

http://global-download.acer.com/GDF...3=ASPIRE XC-603G&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

Acer | Download

EDIT: Confirmed CSM option is restored and functions properly in this B2 version on a Win 8 system. Nobody has tried it yet when installing a Win 7 system.

 

[Rainey222]

I just got an Acer AXC-603G-UW30 and i need the file to flash so i can downgrade to windows 7.
All the links above in this thread to the a4l BOIS files are dead can someone please post it somewhere and send me a link.

My Acer will not boot to anything but the main windows 8 drive, i can not get it to boot from the DVD\CD and USB is not even listed. The Boot menu F12 only shows the HDD and i can't set the Priority of the DVD drive it is not listed. I have no CMS option in the BIOS even after i disabled the Secure Boot. My system came with BIOS P11-A2

mdavej
I may try that if i can't find the a4l files, but i think some people above stated that the newer BIOS files are even worst and more locked down.

Thanks Rainey

EDIT: The links for the files did work i had Firefox noscript running and i had to enable the web page. So files are there and worked to flash the bios. Loading win 7 now. Thanks to poster

 

[mdavej]

I may try that if i can't find the a4l files, but i think some people above stated that the newer BIOS files are even worst and more locked down.

Thanks Rainey

They were, until this latest one that specifically says it enables CSM. This BIOS is newer than any of those posts. I really think its worth a try.

 

[Rainey222]

I found the BIOS files on another thread, but not sure what i will do yet. I was trying to make an image of the factory drive (without any luck) before i did any thing. So i need a 16GB USB stick it seems to make a recovery boot drive as that is all this PC seems to support.

I bought this PC for a WMC pc because my main PC was windows 8.1 and my Ceton Echos won't work with it, i did not know i had to jump through hoops to load win7 on it. I thought in a few hours i would have a windows 7 MC setup but that is not going to happen with this PC.

 

[mdavej]

Yes, I did exactly the same thing as you several weeks ago. But I simply removed the original hard drive and set it aside as my backup. In its place I put an SSD and a much larger hard drive for recordings (unplugged the optical drive). I have a house full of Echoes too.

Older posted BIOS works fine. But I thought this one would be better. I just loaded it on my Win 8 machine and it works as advertised. You can disable secure boot then enable launch CSM, just like in the old BIOS.

 

[Rainey222]

Yes, I did exactly the same thing as you several weeks ago. But I simply removed the original hard drive and set it aside as my backup. In its place I put an SSD and a much larger hard drive for recordings (unplugged the optical drive). I have a house full of Echoes too.

Older posted BIOS works fine. But I thought this one would be better. I just loaded it on my Win 8 machine and it works as advertised. You can disable secure boot then enable launch CSM, just like in the old BIOS.

Interesting, i may try that. I want to do the same thing SSD and large Hard drive in CD bay after i install windows 7. The person who started this thread had the CMS option but it still would not let her boot from CD or install windows 7, but she was not running that new BIOS. I just hope if i install that new BIOS that is will not lock me out from down grading to the old hacked BIOS somehow. I just might take the old BIOS method as it is known to work., seems i am chicken on trying the new BIOS.

 

[mdavej]

You should be ok. But I definitely understand your apprehension.

I left the CD drive in place (in case I ever wanted to temporarily reconnect it) and simply slipped the SSD in on top of it. Perfect fit.

If anyone else gives this a try please post back.

 

[Rainey222]

Well i flash the PC with the older BIOS A4l and it loaded win 7 just fine. Loaded some driver and all seem well, but have a few issues with USB ports turning off at the logon screen when USB 3 mode is enabled after i loaded a USB drivers, have to check if i installed the correct ones.

I see other threads where people have installed a newer BIOS that has CMS enabled but they get error during the windows 7 install and it never completes, so not sure the 9-17 bios release will work, but if anyone trys it please report the out come.

 

[mdavej]

Found more confirmation directly from Acer that B2 BIOS does indeed fix CSM, enabling Win 7 boot.
Re: Brand New Aspire XC-603G (ACX-603G-UW31). Wind... - Page 6 - Acer Community

That post mentions possible HDMI audio issues if CSM is enabled. I've not experienced any such issues.

I would like to know where the Win 7 drivers posted in this thread originally came from. A similar Acer model perhaps? It would be nice to know, in case the OP every takes them down. Anybody know?

 

[Rainey222]

The drivers came from this link i think XC603 inc Win7 Drivers.zip and this is the Reseller links Intel Core Duo | Desktop PCs - Ebuyer | Ebuyer.com

I can confirm that i am not having HDMI audio problem with the old A4L bios, running WMC on connected TV or buy the connected Echos. I did have a problem with the USB 3 port drivers.
Once i run the USB 3 driver setup program the USB ports would stop working (No Power) just after post when USB 3 support is enabled in BIOS. I had to uninstall the drivers and then the device showed up as unknown. I right click on the unknown device and say upgrade driver and point it to the directory of the USB 3 drivers that i just uninstalled and it finds the driver and installs.

THe usb 3 port now works and all the other ports still work after post when USB 3 support is enabled in BIOS. I have a AXC-603G-UW30

EDIT#2: I had USB drivers loaded as per above, but after a month the USB 3 HDD attached to the USB 3 port started running slow, 30MB writes. After looking into it, i found i had both USB 2 and USB 3 Root Hubs listed in device manager and the Mass storage device was listed under a USB 2 Hub even though it was plugged into the USB 3 port. So i had to install the USB drivers by running the setup program for the drivers to correct this, then only the USB 3 root hub was listed in device manager and all port were under it. It installs some port switcher software that don't get installed when pointing the device to the driver files like i did above. So now everything is working good again and no issues at boot up with USB 3 mode enabled.

 

[mdavej]

Thanks. Those drivers still come from someone's personal cloud storage. I was hoping someone could tell us what Acer page those originally came from. It must be from some similar model number, I just don't know which one. I'm sure that person won't leave those drivers up there forever.

The trick I found with the USB3 driver is it needs permission to load at every boot. Just make sure you check the "don't ask again" box for it to load automatically.

BTW, this is the latest Intel Video/Audio driver I've come across:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=23885

 

[eldrin]

I wonder what the difference is between the BIOS versions P11.B2 and P11-B0L (which also supports CSM).

I must say, Acer creates a lot of confusion with the naming convention and availability of their BIOS files.

The Acer Aspire XC-603 I purchased in July 2014 came with P11-A1L originally. From what I've read in other forums, the 'L' on the end is for 'Linux' and these BIOS versions with 'L' on the end are required for installing any OS other than Windows 8. Up until a few days ago, the only BIOS offered for download from the Acer support site for this system was P11-B0. When trying to load that BIOS, I'd just get an error saying it didn't match up with the existing BIOS and therefore it wouldn't let me proceed with the update.

Eventually, by searching around, I eventually found an 'L' version of that BIOS ( P11-B0L ) that somebody in anther forum linked to. I tried upgrading to that one and it worked fine. Although I am running Windows 8, I have tried booting from various boot CDs based on Linux, as well as a WinPE boot CD based on Windows 7. All appears good. The BIOS screens for P11-B0L do have the CSM options, just like P11-A1L that I was using before.

So now we have the new P11.B2 that's just been made available for download by Acer. I'm reluctant to try it out because of the lack of an 'L' on the end, and I'm confused why this new version was necessary or what the actual difference is compared to P11-B0L. Does anyone know?

 

[mdavej]

I wonder what the difference is between the BIOS versions P11.B2 and P11-B0L (which also supports CSM).

I must say, Acer creates a lot of confusion with the naming convention and availability of their BIOS files.

The Acer Aspire XC-603 I purchased in July 2014 came with P11-A1L originally. From what I've read in other forums, the 'L' on the end is for 'Linux' and these BIOS versions with 'L' on the end are required for installing any OS other than Windows 8. Up until a few days ago, the only BIOS offered for download from the Acer support site for this system was P11-B0. When trying to load that BIOS, I'd just get an error saying it didn't match up with the existing BIOS and therefore it wouldn't let me proceed with the update.

Eventually, by searching around, I eventually found an 'L' version of that BIOS ( P11-B0L ) that somebody in anther forum linked to. I tried upgrading to that one and it worked fine. Although I am running Windows 8, I have tried booting from various boot CDs based on Linux, as well as a WinPE boot CD based on Windows 7. All appears good. The BIOS screens for P11-B0L do have the CSM options, just like P11-A1L that I was using before.

So now we have the new P11.B2 that's just been made available for download by Acer. I'm reluctant to try it out because of the lack of an 'L' on the end, and I'm confused why this new version was necessary or what the actual difference is compared to P11-B0L. Does anyone know?

"L" is indeed for Linux. It was necessary for Win 7 because it was the only version we could find that had CSM options (required for any non-Win8 OS), until the latest B2.

As I said before, I'm running the B2 BIOS right now on Win 8.1, and it does have the same exact CSM options as the "L" version, and they work. What I haven't tried yet is booting to a different OS. Once we have proof that works, we won't be stuck running old firmwares made for Linux.

 

[eldrin]

"L" is indeed for Linux. It was necessary for Win 7 because it was the only version we could find that had CSM options (required for any non-Win8 OS), until the latest B2.

As I said before, I'm running the B2 BIOS right now on Win 8.1, and it does have the same exact CSM options as the "L" version, and they work. What I haven't tried yet is booting to a different OS. Once we have proof that works, we won't be stuck running old firmwares made for Linux.

Thanks for clarifying. Considering I couldn't upgrade from an L to non-L release earlier (from P11-A1L to P11-B0), will I be able to do that now with the latest release (i.e. upgrade from the current version I'm running, P11-B0L, to P11-B2)?

And in theory then, P11-B2 supersedes all previous versions, includes all their functionality, and should provide compatibility with all operating systems (Win 7, Win 8, Linux)?

 

[Rainey222]

You just have to add the /x switch to the command line when flashing the bios to force a flash to get the P11-B02 to over write the L version already loaded.

Example afuwinx64.exe Bios.rom /x /P /B /N /R /L

 

[eldrin]

Thanks for the tip Rainey222, that should prove very useful if I decide to upgrade to P11-B2. Since it's not clear what the advantage will be over P11-B0L that's currently loaded, I'll wait a little while before doing so, until we know from the experience of others whether P11-B2 is a good release or not, and whether it has good compatibility across a variety of operating systems.

 

[jhibbard]

No "Launch CSM" on XC-603G Settings

I have an Acer Aspire XC-603G running Win 8.1 and BIOS P11-B0

The BIOS/Setup shows me no listing "Launch CSM"

The rest of your post is spot on.

I need to boot from CD/DVD and/or USB drive. This is the only thing in your prescription that I can't try.

I am able to boot from the CD and USB on my Win 7 box that the Win 8.1 box ignores. I believe that this means that the boot media is not an issue.

Any help?

On some Acer, Gateway, P. Bell, Windows 7 x64 will not install in UEFI mode.

Windows 8 Desktops - How to Disable Secure Boot - YouTube



Enabling the boot device menu

On most Acer systems, you can use the F12 key on boot to select the drive or network from which loading the operating system. In case the F12 option does not work, you may need to enable this function.

SOLUTION

Enabling the F12 function:

1.Power on the system. As soon as the first logo screen appears, immediately press the F2 key, or the DEL key if you have a desktop, to enter the BIOS.
2.Press the right arrow key to select Main.
3.Use the arrow keys to navigate to F12 Boot Menu, and press ENTER.
4.Select Enabled, and press ENTER.
5.Press the F10 key to save changes and restart the system.

How to Enable or Disable Secure Boot

This article only applies to: Windows 8 Desktops

Bootable media from previous versions of Windows may not be recognized in Windows 8. You can change the Secure Boot setting and it should recognize the bootable device.

Use the following steps to change Secure Boot:

1.Completely shut down your computer.
2.Power on the system. As soon as the first logo screen appears, immediately press Delete to enter the BIOS.
3.Use the right arrow key to select Authentication.
4.With Secure Boot highlighted, press Enter and then the down arrow to select Disabled.
5.Use the right arrow key to select Boot Options.
6.With Launch CSM highlighted, press Enter and use the down arrow to select Always.
7.Press Enter.
8.Press the F10 key to save changes and restart the system

ACER Related Videos.

Windows 8 - Access to Uefi Firmware Settings - Option - YouTube
Iconia W700 - How to Enter the BIOS - YouTube
Windows 8 Desktops - How to Disable Secure Boot - YouTube

 

[mdavej]

As we've been discussing the past several posts, the latest B2 version DOES have Launch CSM. My 8.1 box runs fine on B2.

 

[jhibbard]

I have d/led B2 but have not had time to install yet...

As we've been discussing the past several posts, the latest B2 version DOES have Launch CSM. My 8.1 box runs fine on B2.