new Aspire R3-471T problems...

the_jbourne
the_jbourne Member Posts: 3 New User
edited March 2023 in 2015 Archives

Have recently run into several really cumbersome problems with my Acer Aspire R3-471T, which I bought only a few months ago. I have never had an Acer product before but had done some research prior and  it didn't sound like a bad choice at all... now I'm beginning to seriously second guess that. It's absolutely ridiculous to have this many problems already on such a new computer.

 

Here's a basic list of the problems I've noticed recently...

 

1) The speed.

 

For some reason my laptop has slowed down considerably since when I bought it. Why? There are no viruses or anything of the sort on it, but it takes abnormally long now to load the home screen (once you log in) and probably once out of every three times I turn the computer from off to on it takes a really long time to even get to the log on page, sometimes being seemingly stuck on a backlit but all black screen with nothing on it for a minute plus. Then, a Windows 10 looking screen with the circular 'loading dots' going around, with an orange background usually, for 30 seconds maybe longer before even getting to that log on screen. Then as stated once I type in my log in info it takes way longer than it should to properly load the home screen. So much so that I don't even bother doing anything on it for a solid 2 minutes or so. The clock on the bottom right takes at least 30 seconds to load usually, and when I press the start menu icon that'll have a delay, and trying to open Chrome or anything really before allowing the computer 2+ minutes to 'get itself together' is often completely useless, not doing anything at all, or only actually opening a minute or so after I pressed the program.

 

2) The touchpad.

 

Maybe this is a Windows 10 issue, or a combination of W10 and Acer, because it has only started really happening with the computer after the upgrade. Basically the pointer with the touchpad now often lags behind and is sometimes jittery because of this (this seems like it probably has something to do with the general slowness/laginess of the machine as stated in my first point above...) but the even weirder and more annoying problem is that on top of the lag the computer will make a 'beep' sound out of the speakers when I move my finger around on the touchpad. It's not consistent and doesn't always happen, which is even more odd... but does frequently happen and the sound is definitely directly related to using the touchpad (and I've tried figuring it out, but the pattern of movement on it seems to be relatively random in terms of what triggers the sound -- which by the way sometimes happens multiple times in a row 'beepbeepbeepbeepbeep')

 

3) Booting up.

 

Recently my laptop has become really, really touchy and unpredictable in terms of the basic reliability of it when booting up. I close the lid of the laptop when I'm done using it like any other person does... but recently when I open the lid back up to use it again... nothing happens. Nothing. It's just a black screen. Not only that, but pressing a key or multiple keys on the keyboard doesn't wake it from what one would assume to be 'sleep mode' (seeing as I didn't fully turn it off before, just shut the lid, and the light indicates it's not only charging but still on/active). Using the mouse/touchpad/clickpad also does absolutely nothing... this happens really frequently now and is very annoying, as it forces me to do a hard reset on the system each and every time. There is simply no way around it. Even pressing the power button once does absolutely nothing when it's in this state 99% of the time, so the only option is to hold it down til it's all the way off, then restart it from there -- losing everything that was open previously in the process.

 

 

This is just unacceptable and if there are no solutions there must be some sort of warranty, either a return and replacement or (preferably) a complete refund of this expensive, though apparently incompetent machine Acer offers, because this is just ridiculous.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answers

  • philetus
    philetus ACE Posts: 4,759 Pathfinder

    How do you know you have no virus? Are you depending on your anti-virus alone?

    Open Task Manager, click the Startup tab, and see what's loading at Boot.

     

  • RonBab
    RonBab Member Posts: 9 New User

    I'm having touchpad issues like you describe.  Mine only beeps when doing two-finger scrolling.  Does your laptop have the ElanTech touchpad?  What version BIOS are you using?    I have a R3-131T.  I've clean-installed Windows 10 and still have the problem. 

     

  • RonBab
    RonBab Member Posts: 9 New User

    I've confirmed it's the driver for the touchpad in my case.  I've clean-installed Windows 10 several times.  I have no problem until I connect to the internet and Windows 10 does updates.

     

    To solve the problem until a new driver is released, I set my internet connection to "metered" and Windows updates are not happening.  This has to be done after a clean install.  I didn't have any luck just uninstalling the Elan driver.

     

  • JordanB
    JordanB ACE Posts: 3,729 Pathfinder

    For the R3-471T (Haswell version):

     

    The problem of the skipping and beeping touchpad can be resolved with the workaround of disabling the Realtek HD Audio Manager in task manager (disable it from startup)....and then restart your computer.   That's all you have to do.  Nothing else. The R7-371t has the same problem.

     

    The problem with the forced shutdown and sleeping problem is that it wasn't really sleeping/shutdown in the first place due to a buggy Windows 10 Intel Management Engine Driver. Either that... or Acer needs to update the BIOS. On most affected Acer Haswell models, Acer pulled the Windows 10 Intel Management Engine driver.  But for the R3-471T, the Acer person that was responsible for removing the buggy Windows 10 MEI drivers was sleepy and didn't realize that the "Turbo Boost" driver is the same thing as the buggy version 11.xx Windows 10 Intel Management Engine driver. 

     

    So use Acer Care Center.  But whatever you do, don't install the Windows 10 Turbo Boost driver when Acer Care Center advises you to do so.  Turbo Boost will be handled by using the older Windows 8.1 Intel Mangement Engine driver 9.5.24.1790.

     

    Also......... the Acer Care Center app doesn't install the new Windows 10 Intel Virtual Buttons driver and the Card Reader driver. It completely neglects them.  So you'll have to go and manually download the virtual buttons and card reader driver and install them.  And tell them to provide more coffee to the Acer Driver Dept.  Smiley Wink

     

    Honestly, I think they need to have someone (a responsible knowledgeable Engineer) look at your model and all of the drivers and to check what drivers Acer Care Center is giving you.  Because there's two versions of the R3-471t.  The Haswell version and the Broadwell version.  Because as it stands now, the R3-471T driver situation is in a complete cluster duck. (In my opinion).   And they probably need to update the BIOS for Haswell versions so it will work with the 11.xx MEI driver (A.K.A Turbo Boost driver).

     

    No wonder you were having so many problems. 

     

    Edit: My post is strictly for the Haswell version of the R3-471T.  If you're not sure which version of the model you have, then ask....  Smiley Happy

     

    The buggy Windows 10 11.xx Intel Management Engine Interface driver affects many models from HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, etc.. even Microsoft's Surface Pro.

    I'm not an Acer employee.