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My Acer Aspire One notebook goes to a blank screen at startup.

BIOS Recovery System

As awful as it sounds, this is a fairly common problem with Acer Aspire notebooks and it sounds like you have an issue with the BIOS - as long as you can see the power button and hear the fans running to indicate that it is not a power issue. Luckily, these notebooks come with a built-in BIOS recovery system that should get you up and running without damaging or losing any of your files. Know that doing this may void your warranty, so if you have a warranty, you should talk to Acer directly. Follow these steps EXACTLY, and it should work for you:

1. Format a USB memory stick to FAT. Make sure it is bootable.
2. Download the latest BIOS from the Acer website. Follow these links for BIOS for Aspire One 150 or this link for BIOS for Aspire One 110
3. Put the FLASHIT.EXE and the BIOS file in the root directory of the memory stick.
4. Rename the BIOS file: ZG5IA32.FD. It is important that you get the file name exactly right.
5. Remove the drive.
6. Turn the Acer off, but make sure you have a working battery and AC power connected.
7. Insert the USB memory stick into a USB port.
8. Press Fn+Esc and press the Power button at the same time. After a few seconds, release Fn+Esc.
9. The power button should be blinking. Press it once.
10. At this point, the BIOS will flash - don’t press anything or interrupt this process. If you’ve done it right, the power button will stop flashing and the notebook will reboot. When it is all done, everything should be set to reboot.

Because you have an Acer Aspire One and you are getting the blank boot screen, I’m betting that this will solve your problem. If you are still having problems after following these directions exactly, then let us know and we can try to troubleshoot hardware or screen issues that may be the culprit.

My computer’s not coming on. It says, “A previous start-up attempt was interrupted due to power failure or the power reset butter was pressed.” It tells me to start normally. I do that and nothing happens.

It’s frustrating when a computer won’t start up. It sounds as though your problem could be related to an improper shutdown. This is often easily fixed. However, you might have to try more than one suggestion to fix the problem that your computer won’t start up. Just go through the list one at a time until you get your computer to start up.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: “Last Know Good Configuration”

Starting up your computer and selecting “Last Know Good Configuration,” often resolves this type of problem. Simply follow these directions:

• Turn the power button to the computer on.
• Immediately begin to press the “F8″ key on the keyboard.
• Use the cursor (arrow) keys on the keyboard to select the option “Last Know Good Configuration.” If you don’t see the “Windows Advanced Options” box, you need to power down and start over.
• Press “Enter.”

If nothing happens when you try this, do it again, but wait a bit longer before pressing the “F8″ key. If you do get the computer started, follow the directions describing how to clean the registry.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: New Hardware

If you recently added new hardware to your computer, this could account for problems such as startup errors. If this is the case, disconnect the electrical power to your computer and disconnect the new piece of hardware. Try and start the computer up without it. If the computer starts up, then chances are the hardware is incompatible with your computer system. Try this with each new piece of hardware that you recently added to the computer.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: “Safe Mode”

Starting a computer up in “Safe Mode” often helps to solve startup errors. “Safe Mode” uses the fewest number of applications and drivers, so it is easier to get a problematic computer to start up in this mode. Simply follow these directions:

• Turn the power button to the computer on.
• Immediately begin to press the “F8″ key on the keyboard.
• Use the cursor (arrow) keys on the keyboard to select the option “Safe Mode.”
• Press “Enter.”

If you are able to get your computer started with this strategy, follow the directions to utilize “System Restore” and then take the time to clean your registry and delete unwanted files using the directions below. Once you get into “Safe Mode” and correctly shut down the computer, it will start up properly the next time that you turn it on.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: “System Restore”

“System Restore” is a great tool that allows you to set your computer to function the way that it did before you had the startup error. This should prevent the startup error from happening again. Follow these directions:

• Navigate to “Start.”
• Select “All Programs” from the menu.
• Select “Accessories” from the menu.
• Select “System Tools” from the menu.
• Select “System Restore” from the menu.
• Follow the prompts that are given to complete the process.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: Installation CD

If nothing else has worked so far and your computer won’t start, you can use the installation CD to boot up your computer and repair the operating system. This should fix the problem for you. Simply install the CD, boot up your computer, and select the option for the “Repair” installation.

Troubleshooting Startup Error: Clean the Registry

Cleaning the registry puts all of the computer’s files back together where they belong. Sometimes an improper shutdown, spyware, viruses, or just daily use will jumble up the files inside your computer. Using a registry cleaning tool puts it all back together properly. You can use a reliable registry cleaner that does the work for you such as RegCure or you can defrag the computer using these directions:

• Navigate to “Start.”
• Select “All Programs” from the menu.
• Select “Accessories” from the menu.
• Select “System Tools” from the menu.
• Select “Disk Cleanup”

My computer will not boot up and I get a message stating the following: Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: system32ntoskrnl.exe. Please re-install a copy of the above file. I have an IBM Thinkpad T40.

Problems that Lead to system32ntoskrnl Error

Several reasons can lie behind the generation of the system32ntoskrnl.exe error message. They include miscellaneous corruption, a corrupt boot.ini file, a missing boot.ini file, keyboard issue, missing or corrupt system32ntoskrnl.exe file, corrupted operating system, or a corrupted hard drive. Most likely since you are receiving the message to reinstall a copy of the system32ntoskrnl.exe file, you should start your troubleshooting there. Each of the following should replace this corrupt file.

Resolving system32ntoskrnl Errors: “Last known good configuration”

This option provides an easy strategy to load a working version of Windows when problems prevent it from doing so. If you are able to complete this task, it should resolve your problems with missing or corrupt files. Follow these easy steps:

1)      Turn the power to your ThinkPad on.

2)      Press the “F8″ key. If you get a “stuck key” message, start over and tap the “F8″ key continuously rather than pressing it down.

3)      Select “Last known good configuration” using the arrow keys.

4)      Press “Enter.”

Resolving system32ntoskrnl Errors: “System Restore”

If you have Windows XP, try using “System Restore” to return your operating system back to normal with the missing file intact. This fix sometimes corrects this type of problem quite nicely without much stress or work on your part. Follow these directions:

1)      Navigate to “Start” and open “All Programs.”

2)      Select “Accessories”

3)      Select “System Tools” and then “System Restore.”

4)      Select “Restore my computer to an earlier time.”

5)      Follow the prompts.

Booting Up from Original Installation Disk

To fix system 32 corruption or repair a corrupt file, you can repair your operating system using the original boot up disk for your ThinkPad. Follow these directions:

• Place your installation disk into the CD drive and turn off the ThinkPad.
• Turn the power back on. As the ThinkPad begins to boot from the disk, wait until the first screen appears and follow the next step. If the ThinkPad fails to boot from the installation disk, press a key on it as a prompt.
• Press “F8″ on the first screen that appears, then press “R” to “Repair” your operating system.
• Follow the directions for each prompt as it appears.

Keyboard-related System32ntoskrnl Error

In order to rule out the possibility that the error is related to a faulty keyboard, borrow an external keyboard that you can connect to your ThinkPad. One that has a USB connection should work.

When you start up your computer, several things happen: first the BIOS loads and begins testing each hardware device before loading device drivers and the operating system. Once the operating system has been loaded, certain applications begin to load such as you anti-virus program and other programs that you may or may not actually need.

If your computer is running slower than you’d like or you are receiving startup errors such as “(42) Startup Error,” one of the first places to begin troubleshooting involves your Startup Items. For example, the 42 Startup Error typically indicates a problem with an application loading. Because your computer is set to load multiple applications at startup, at first glance, you don’t necessarily know which application is generating the error. If you were to receive this error after trying to launch a program manually, you’d know which program is having problems starting.

Let’s start by taking a look at the programs that are automatically set to start whenever you turn on your computer. Do this by going to Start >Run and typing in msconfig. In Windows Vista, you can type msconfig directly into the Search Bar after clicking the Start button. This will list the system configuration utility as a program.

Once the system configuration utility is open, click on the Startup tab. Here you’ll see a list of all items that automatically start each time you turn on your computer.

Now, open the Windows Task Manager by right-clicking the Taskbar and choosing Task Manager or hitting Control + Alt + Delete and choosing Task Manager. Here you’ll see a list of all running applications and processes. Compare the list of startup programs in the System Configuration Startup list with the programs running in Task Manager. The program that is not running in Task Manager is most likely the one generating the 42 Startup Error message.

Once you have narrowed it down to a likely program, try launching the program manually using the normal method such as a desktop shortcut or by accessing it in the Programs list. Does it give you the 42 Startup Error? If so, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the application or download a patch from the software developer. It’s possible that the application isn’t Vista compatible or that a program file is corrupt.

While you’re at it, you might want to clear out the Startup items in the System Configuration utility as many of the programs aren’t needed on a daily basis. Having too many programs running at once wastes system resources. Only disable those that are unnecessary. For example, you don’t want to disable your virus protection but you might want to disable Adobe Reader, Google Desktop, and Microsoft Office. You can always launch these programs as needed.

When disabling Startup items, refer to the Bleeping Computer Startup Database if you are unsure what an application is and if it is safe for removal.     

If the computer won’t load windows and gives you the message “error loading system,” a few strategies for troubleshooting the problem are available. Fortunately, even though start up problems are frustrating, they are usually solved with a bit of patience and a touch of persistence. Take a deep breath and follow the steps outlined here to see if the problem is one that is easily fixed.

In some cases, Windows begins to load, encounters a problem, and stops loading when it ceases to respond during the start up process. The trick here is going to intervene before it gets to that point and displays the dreaded “error loading system” message.

Tip 1

The first strategy involves restarting the computer. As soon as the computer screen goes blank for the very first time, press the F8 key on the keyboard repeatedly until the Windows Advance Options menu appears on the screen. Don’t get frustrated if this doesn’t work the first time you attempt it. Simply try it again until you get the Windows Advance Options menu to appear on the screen.

At this point, you will use your cursor keys on the keyboard to select the “Last Known Good Configuration” phrase. The mouse won’t work at this stage, which is why you need to use the cursor keys. Select the enter key now. Windows should attempt to load. The Last Known Good Configuration refers to the most recent settings that worked on your computer. Hopefully, this works. If not, move on to the next tip.

Tip 2

Occasionally, whenever new hardware is installed, it creates a problem with Windows and it won’t load. If this is the case with your computer set up, shut down the computer. Now, you should disconnect the hardware and place it safely to the side. Now, attempt to restart the computer. If Windows loads, your next step is going to be to investigate how to troubleshoot the computer’s hardware so that you can reinstall it without creating a problem for your Windows operating system. If this tip is not related to your problem, move on to the next one.

Tip 3

First, restart the computer. Press the F8 key on the keyboard as soon as the computer screen goes blank for the very first time. Do this repeatedly until the Windows Advance Options menu appears on the screen. Remember that at this point, you need to use your cursor keys on the keyboard since the mouse won’t work.

Select the “Safe Mode” phrase and the enter key. Windows should attempt to load. The Safe Mode allows your computer to load Windows without loading other applications and hardware. If Windows loads, then you need to remove any recent upgrades or software applications that have recently been installed on the computer. If not, move on to the next tip.

Tip 4

If none of the above worked, reinstalling Windows might be necessary. This, however, will cause you to lose some of the computer’s settings, updates, programs, and data.