Windows 10 or Acer issue - Switch Alpha 12

deanpark1

I like to use my desktop computer to remote-in to my Switch Alpha 12, using Chrome remote desktop.  In general, it works OK, but if the keyboard is closed (display off), some of the functions don't work properly.  For instance, windows 10 mail and other win 10 apps will scramble some of the text.  Oddly, while win 10 mail doesn't work right; Outlook 2016 is fine, but I prefer the combined inbox of win 10 mail.

 

Microsoft remote desktop has similar problems.  There is no problem using the Acer to remote-in to my desktop computer.  It's only a problem trying to remote control the Alpha 12.  The remote operation allows me to have the bigger desktop screen and keyboard without using a dock.

 

Has anyone else had the problem and is it the computer or Windows?

 

Thanks,

Dean 

Saint Louis, MO

 

[edited to comply with guidelines]

billsey

Problems like this are usually related to the screen size conversions. If your desktop screen supports the 2160 x 1440 sreen resolution it should display correctly in full screen. If your desktop is 1920 x 1080 instead, everything has to scale down and most remote control apps don't handle downscaling as well as they handle upscaling.

deanpark1

Thanks for your help.  It makes a lot of sense; however, I don't have the problem IF the Alpha 12's keyboard is open.  It only occurs if the keyboard is closed.  When the keyboard closes, the display is turned off (I have it set to not sleep when plugged in).  As soon as the keyboard is closed, the remote computer display (my desktop PC) has scrambled text at the top of the screen and the remote control freezes.  As soon as I open the keyboard, everything works fine, again.  As a reminder, the problem seems limited to Win 10 applications such as mail, calendar, etc.

 

You may be right about the screen resolution.  My desktop PC has a much lower maximum resolution than does the Alpha 12, but there must also be something else going on, don't you think?

 

Thanks again,

Dean Park 

billsey

That sounds like there's something going on with the handling of keyboard closure that's interfering. Like perhaps the sleep mode it goes into isn't overridden by your no sleep settings. I've never thought to try and use mine with the keyboard closed, since I use that to go into a quick sleep. I don't have an external monitor cable so can't test it out locally...

deanpark1

Thanks for the response.  I think you're probably right about the source of the problem.  I just don't know if the problem is repeatable for others; and not just the Alpha 12, but also the Surface Pro.  That would provide some better insight into the cause.

 

You mentioned that you don't have a monitor cable; however, that's not how I'm accessing my Acer, and I don't have a cable, either.  I use Chrome Remote Desktop to control the Acer from my desktop PC.  They're on the same network so there's not a great deal of latency.

 

Again, thanks.

 

Dean Park

billsey

Ah, so that means it's more likely the remote access software getting confused when the SA12 turns the monitor off. Is your desktop a Windows machine? You might give Remote Desktop Connection a try, or any of the VNC packages (I use UltraVNC at one of my clients with reasonable success). That would isolate the problem from the software.

deanpark1

You've got a great idea and I wish I could try it, but I have Win 10 home on both machines and in order to use Windows RD I would need to have Pro on my desktop PC.

 

Dean

deanpark1

After my last note, I tried Team Viewer 12 remote desktop.  The results were different than those of Chrome Remote Desktop, but still poor.  With Team Viewer, the scrambled fonts were gone on win 10 apps (cover closed on Acer), but Team Viewer still couldn't actually control Win 10 apps; they were frozen.  

 

On the other hand, Team Viewer's control of non-win 10 apps (with cover closed) wasn't good, either.  It was extremely jumpy; whereas, Chrome RDC was fine.

 

The two operate differently so they must control in different ways.  When the Acer's keyboard cover is open, both of these RDC's work just fine.

 

Still, no joy for remote control with the keyboard cover closed. Hrmpph

billsey

Any luck with UltraVNC?

deanpark1

Sorry for the delay in responding.  I finally found the time to try UltraVNC remote.  After some fiddling, I got it to work in the normal mode, that is, PC controlling the Alpha 12 with the Alpha keyboard open.

 

When I close the keyboard, I get a somewhat different response from that of TeamViewer, Chrome Remote, and Windows Remote; but it was still quite poor, just different.  Having now tried four different remote control apps, I think it is safe to assume that the remote software is not the issue.  This has to be either a Windows 10 Home issue or an Acer issue.  Using the remote software with the keyboard open,  Chrome and TeamViewer seem to be the most responsive, i.e., least latency.  UltraVNC seems to have the most latency, and Windows Remot Desktop is somewhere in between.

 

I wish the results could have been different.  I suppose my only way to remotely operate is with the keyboard open.  I guess I can turn down the screen brightness, but I can't turn it off.

 

Thanks,

Dean Park