Blootooth driver update problem - Acer Aspire P3-171-6442

Anybody else having a problem updating the Blootooth driver?

Unused unit purchased on sale Nov 15, 2014. Manufacture date Oct 27, 2013

Windows 8 upgraded to Windows 8.1

Windows optional update: Blootooth Driver - Qualcomm Atheros Communications – Bluetooth USB Module

Once installed, this update screwed up the Blootooth transmissions.

Bluetooth Keyboard and mouse (came with computer) worked perfectly before the update. After the update keyboard was erratic and, if left for more than a few seconds, lost communication and had to re-establish. Also stopped working and started again randomly.

Mouse worked, then stopped, especially if left for more than a few seconds. Moving the mouse around would re-establish connection but took a few seconds. After a while the mouse would go crazy, whipping the cursor around the screen with the slightest movement. Turning the mouse on and off fixed this temporarily but it soon happened again. I went back to the restore point created by the driver install, which re-installed the old driver.

Current (working) driver is 8.0.0.222 dated 2013-02-19

I didn't note down the # and date of the updated driver before uninstalling it.

I had already returned a previous Aspire P3 171 (same model) because of video and Bluetooth problems a few days earlier. Same problems with both units.

The earlier system was manufactured Nov 2013 ( around two months later than the current one).

With the earlier computer, after updating to Windows 8.1, I downloaded the Blootooth driver from the Acer website and experienced the same problems.

Has anybody else had similar problems with the Bluetooth driver update, either from the Acer website or Windows Update?

Accepted answers

All comments

Ryanrr

I checked and found that there was a conflict when updating to Windows 8.1 and we released a BIOS update. I would recommend trying the BIOS update.

PhilipW

Hi, Ryan. Thanks for your reply but no go.

I have been away for a couple of days and was anxious to try your suggestion.

However, I thought you were saying that Acer technicians had investigated the issue and issued a new BIOS update for the P3-171.

But you were just suggesting applying the 2013 update. That was one of the first things I did when I ran into the problem.

It made no difference.

I got excited by your post because I'm pretty much certain that this is a BIOS issue and is a problem for all P3-171 ultrabooks, or at least the ones manufactured up to 2013.

Is Acer willing to address the issue and see if there is a BIOS problem with these units?

At a minimum Acer should take a unit out of stock, update it to Win 8.1 and see if they get the same issue. If they do, then surely the issue should be addressed?

Or am I just being naive.

mpaube

Hey, I rolled back my graphics driver afte rthe update to win 8.1 - after that i installed the bluetooth Atheros driver for win 8.1 located at the Acer web site. Now all is good. However I just got my unit back from Acer as there were a few problems and they reloaded the entire software to factory specs as recovery, graphics, Atheros bluetooth for audio were all out of calibration. Yes I did get the yellow marks until I adjusted the drivers noted above after upgrading to win 8.1. The graphcs driver roll back was available on the PC by going into device manager. I did not download any newer driver basically th ecurrent driver was the driver operating when I received the P3. All is good at this point.

PhilipW

Hi. Have you tried running video on the unit. This is primarily what I purchesed it for - home entertainment. After the 8.1 upgrade, most videos wouldn't play, no matter what video player I used. Finally solved the problem as I have described elsewhere. The driver update on the Acer website didn't help the video issue much at all. I had this problem on two seperate units built several months apart.

mpaube

Hi I am running video with no problem - I was told that the rolling back of the drivers to the original driver that came with windows 8 is the key. There is also a generic intel driver you can get or another driver by intel at their web site that is dated 2015. It is also suppose to work.

All I know my issues are all fixed at this time. There is a lot going on with this machine and i have learned to be patient. It works different than a laptop or an android tablet. But with the real keyboard and the case and mouse included for $300 Canadian at Staples in January of 2015 I cannot complain. I love my unit only wish there was another usb connection I may switch to another mouse over time but i need to get used to the touch screen.

Remember i sent back my unit to acer as there was no erecovery feature as i was given two recovery discs which cancels out the erecovery function. After Acer service in Toronto reloaded the software all is good. On the first switch to win 8.1 I could not ge back the original graphics driver. This feature was available after Acer returned the unit. If possible send your unit to Acer and have them reload the true software for your unit would you should have. there is a difference betwen machines with recovery discs and the preloaded erecovery feature. There are 4 of these P#'s all are unique to some extent.

Good luck. Try older drivers - HD video is almost 10 years old as is HDMI old drivers will work properly. Personally I do not like HDMI as it locks the audio to your TV speakers. This is a step backwards. A PC with two outlets that seperate the audio and video by means of the audio outlet and a dvi connection is the best solution. All HDMI does is save money and cables required. There is one less chip and connector bank on equipment that has HDMI only. A digital out connector for sound and a dvi or component out video connection is still the best. Manufacturers save money by only providing hdmi connector. It is a joke.

PhilipW

Thanks, my video appears to be working ok now, though I had to jump through hoops to get to this point. I never considered reloading the old Windows 8 video driver. If I ever have to reload the whole system, I will try that.

But I'm angry at Acer. If the Win 8.1 driver is problematic, then fix it. If the Win 8 driver works, it shouldn't be difficult to fix the 8.1 driver - Intel has already fixed the problem. All Acer need do is get the fix from them. It would probably take one developer one day to fix the issue and properly test it. But instead they've left all of us who bought this otherwise well-designed tablet hybrid out in the cold. Because of the company's cavalier attitude I will definitely never buy an Acer product again. I'm sure many other owners feel the same way.

The only video problem I appear to have now is with the beta update to VLC. The VLC update is so far the only attempt I know to adapt a Windows video player to touch screen. The video player on my cheap little 7" Android tablet has touch screen working fine. I wonder why it's such a problem in Windows.

Anyway, the beta VLC version just hangs on the Acer tablet, it won't run successfully at all. So I can't take advantage of the touch screen for the main purpose I bought the unit for.

For me, all a touch screen video app requires is:

1. Tap screen to pause

2. Left swipe to go back 5 seconds and right swipe to go forward five seconds.

The other stuff is all handled same as using a mouse. I wonder why that is so difficult under Windows?

mpaube

Hi - Keep in mind that beta releases are not final and rely on the beta user to find glitches and report them. For example WIn 8.1 is a free upgrade due to the issues with win 8 beta. I did not load VLC on my P3 but may at some time but it will not be a beta release. Remember I could not initially roll back the driver as the P3's original software did not procvide access to this original Win 8 driver.

The bluetooth mouse included with the unit is not high end . I have anothe rmouse connected to another small Acer laptop and the reaction time is instant response. Have not tried the other mouse on the P3 yet. The other mouse was pricy and is perfect for any situation. Possibly you could borrow another cordless mouse but you will need a USB port as my other mouse needs the signal from the USB stick. That style of mouse is much better. Depending where you live may also be an issue. In apartment building or large cities all is wireless and add Land phones microwaves and all other electronics an dthe signal paths are clogged. I live in a house in a small city where the interference is reduced.

The P3 has limited space with the 120SSD do I plan on loading only what I really need to sustain ease the portability. Today I am loading open office as it is free I was going to load WPS kingston office but I want the extra features of open office.

The latest and greatest is not always practical for the end user. Just look at dolby digital and the 7-9 speaker setup. The practical way today is simply a sound bar that uses 1960 technology of reverb - that is a delay echo sound that gives the sound bar the ability to project pretend rear speakers from the front as the sound bar incorporates the dolby 5 speaker sound setup. This is 50 year old technology. The old lead guitar bands such as hendrix and the British bands developed this.

I bought the P3 as a second Acer product because I liked the first one so much.

One problem with Microsoft is the heavy security. Android is not as secure. Blackberry is very secure and incorporates the Certicom process which is a company that BB bought a few years back. There is a price for security. Every keystroke is being monitored on a Microsoft based PC. How many warnings do you get with Android - none that I am aware of.

I was also ticked at my P3 and sent it back - I wonder if my P3 was supposed to be just a tablet without all the bluetooth extras included.

In addition the P3 has a I5 processor much better than the Atom family. We have a unique machine with 4GB of ram and SSD and bluetooth. Give the unit a chance you will be happy. You probably got a heavy discount like I did as this unit when released in 2013 was 1000 bucks and it does the work of an expensive Surface unit.

Stay with proven technology and wait till all bugs are ironed out. The best system ever is Windows 7 Premium and the original quad processor's I still have my desktop set up like this and it is blazing fast. It came from the factory like this and I have never added anything to it. That unit is 5 years old.

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