Acer Aspire e5 571 USB 3.0 weirdness

I got the computer new, just before all the free Win 10 upgrades. A year or two later, following an update, my usb 3.0 port quit (a 3.0 hub with several HDD's used) I moved the hub to one of the 2.0 ports and except for being slower than Hell heck, it works. After updating the 3.0 driver (Device Mgr said port failed to reset), any 2.0 device plugged into the 3.0 port worked fine, the hub (Sabrent 10 port, powered with individual switches) worked fine everywhere except in the Acer 3.0 port and worked (a little slower) in all the other 2.0 ports in various devices I tried. Shortly after that, the address to download a different (older?) driver was messaged to me in some user group's forum. I installed it and everything was fine with the hub in the 3.0 port, until the NEXT windows upgrade. Now I'm back to using the 3.0 port for my keyboard/mouse transponder and running my Hub in the very slow 2.0 port, again. That substitute driver was not from the automatic selections at Intel or Windows, but it did work! (my only record of it was lost) and I desperately want it fixed, or I'll be replacing the computer and I'd much rather get it fixed. Any ideas?

Accepted answers

JackE

Yeah, it's way too late to block whatever update might've caused the issue in the first place. Because the automatically created update restore points are then also automatically deleted after about a month. So if you don't notice the issue within about a month or so of the update, the restore point is gone.

I have two suggestions to try to resolve the issue. The first is easy. Uninstall, don't just disable, Malwarebytes and any other non-Microsoft scanner you might have running in the background. Most folks only need Defender and malicious software removal tool nowadays. The 3rd party stuff just complicates trying to resolve issues like this. Then open ControlPanel. Search 'button'. Click 'change what the power buttons do' in the left pane. Then click 'change settings that are currrently unavailable' near the top of the box that pops up. Then scroll down and uncheck 'fast startup' --- it's just another complication we don't need just to save a minute to boot up.

If still no joy, a good way to rule in or rule out a hardware issue is an ALT+F10 cold boot factory refresh while keeping your personal files. Or even better, a full remove everything factory reset as shown in the video below. If it solves the issue, then ControlPanel's restore point app must be immediately checked to make sure SystemProtection is turned on so any offending updates can be reversed and blocked until future updates eventually resolve the issue. In case you haven't noticed, Win10 and it rapid fire major updates is does NOT have anything like the stability of earlier Windows versions especially like the last halfway decent version, Win7.

Jack E/NJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzLJRAZldA

JackE

Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try to install the Win8.1 I/O drivers in Win10's Win8.1 compatibility mode to see what happens. Download and unzip this I/O driver for the Win8.1 flavored E5-571. https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/IO Drivers/IO Drivers_Intel_1.1.226.0_W81x64_A.zip?acerid=635738327912095607&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE E5-571&OS=81P1&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6#_ga=2.3803766.770380501.1588253475-167012876.1588253475

Then right click properties on the EXE installation file. Then click on the Win10 compatibility tab and tell it to run the EXE in Win8.1 compatiblity mode.

If still no USB3 superspeed joy, then download and run iobit's DriverBooster freeware to see if it'll pick up any new driver(s) to correct the issue.

Jack E/NJ

All comments

JackE

>>>everything was fine with the hub in the 3.0 port, until the NEXT windows upgrade. >>>

How long ago did this next update happen? Was system protection turned on in ControlPanel's restore point app? Jack E/NJ

RockinRoggie

I discovered that the Hub (in the 3.0 port) wasn't working when I first tried to access one of the drives within 24 hours of the update. Windows defender is always on along with Malwarebytes. I disconnected the Hub and pluged in a spare flashdrive just to see if the port worked and it didn't. I went to the device manager and discovered that one of the devices under the USB heading was marked as a problem. I did the typical windows update method to repair the problem. I put the flash drive back into the 3.0 port and it worked fine. I unplugged it and plgged my Hub back in (with all the switches turned off and sent the next half hour or so repeating the fix while turning on the drives in the hub 1 at a time, but couldn't get the hub with any drive to work in the 3.0 port. Another fix and I plugged in an old Toshiba 1GB drive and it worked fine, so I tried a Seagate 5TB drive without the hub and it also worked. Needing to access the data, I plugged the hub into one of the 2.0 ports (the slow lane) and every pot and all the drives worked. I plugged the transponder for my Logitech Keyboard/Mouse into the 3.0.
I sent in a few postings where I hoped to get some help and some guy sent me just a link? and suggested trying that driver. I was happy with the working 3.0 port again until the next Win update and it quit again. All the details were the same. I use my hub and external drives (slowly) in a 2.0 port and use the 3.0 port for my transponder. 'Bout to give up on Acer. Any Ideas? I'm disabled and don't use of both hands so I don't want to keep plugging and unplugging devices from the3.0 port (which felt might be your thought) Any other's, these 2.0 data transfers are eating up what useful life I've got left.

Thanks for your time. If anyone is using their 3.0 port with (six 4-5TB Seagate drives in an Aspire e5 571, I would love to know what drivers are in the USB Controllers listed in the control panel - and where they come from.

JackE

>>> I was happy with the working 3.0 port again until the next Win update and it quit again.>>>

How long ago did this last update cause this to happen? Last week? Last month? When? Jack E/NJ

RockinRoggie

I going to disappoint you, I didn't keep track of either date because the first time (I'm going it was to suggest was between Jan and Apr of 2019) I assumed it was a simple fix, like an easily found (from Windows, Intel or Acer, themselves) new driver, and I hate losing my train of thought in the middle of a project (it definitely would not be the first place I looked - probably the third!). It might have been a month or so either side of that window. I simply put a sticky note on my white board reminding me of the problem. This last time was I think January of 2020 and because I figured the down load history of the first fix, would allow me to run it again with the original repair zip file. When I couldn't find that I started checking my email history from friends and other tech buddies/engineers, but I guess I need to start keeping logs of repairs/replacement of my entire network of gear. I am good at logging my production work but like the plumber or electrician, his labor generating income takes precedence over his labor doing work at his own home that is essentially gratis. It's happened twice now, there won't be a third time. (knock on wood)

Thanks for the look.

JackE

Yeah, it's way too late to block whatever update might've caused the issue in the first place. Because the automatically created update restore points are then also automatically deleted after about a month. So if you don't notice the issue within about a month or so of the update, the restore point is gone.

I have two suggestions to try to resolve the issue. The first is easy. Uninstall, don't just disable, Malwarebytes and any other non-Microsoft scanner you might have running in the background. Most folks only need Defender and malicious software removal tool nowadays. The 3rd party stuff just complicates trying to resolve issues like this. Then open ControlPanel. Search 'button'. Click 'change what the power buttons do' in the left pane. Then click 'change settings that are currrently unavailable' near the top of the box that pops up. Then scroll down and uncheck 'fast startup' --- it's just another complication we don't need just to save a minute to boot up.

If still no joy, a good way to rule in or rule out a hardware issue is an ALT+F10 cold boot factory refresh while keeping your personal files. Or even better, a full remove everything factory reset as shown in the video below. If it solves the issue, then ControlPanel's restore point app must be immediately checked to make sure SystemProtection is turned on so any offending updates can be reversed and blocked until future updates eventually resolve the issue. In case you haven't noticed, Win10 and it rapid fire major updates is does NOT have anything like the stability of earlier Windows versions especially like the last halfway decent version, Win7.

Jack E/NJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzLJRAZldA

RockinRoggie

I should have talked to you the day it happened. Well whats don is done. I found an old Win 7 usb 3.0 controller but the computer wouldn't accept it even though the web site I found it on claimed it was compatible. Oh well, life goes on. Thanks again. ?I wonder if the 3.0 drivers from when this had 8.1 or whatever can be found? that would be worth trying!

JackE

Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try to install the Win8.1 I/O drivers in Win10's Win8.1 compatibility mode to see what happens. Download and unzip this I/O driver for the Win8.1 flavored E5-571. https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/IO Drivers/IO Drivers_Intel_1.1.226.0_W81x64_A.zip?acerid=635738327912095607&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE E5-571&OS=81P1&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6#_ga=2.3803766.770380501.1588253475-167012876.1588253475

Then right click properties on the EXE installation file. Then click on the Win10 compatibility tab and tell it to run the EXE in Win8.1 compatiblity mode.