Dead Trackpad - Spin 713

patrickkelly

Without thinking, I picked up a microfiber cloth, spray a bit of water on it, and wiped the surface of the Spin 713, including trackpad and keys, while it was turned on. Trackpad quite working. Touchscreen worked. I did a powerwash. Didn't help. I did the esc/restore/power button and got a message to insert a memory stick with recovery OS. I did a CTRL/D and that did, I think, another power wash. I gave up and installed a Bluetooth mouse so I'm getting by.

I had a Spin 13 and now the Spin 713 and I plan on getting the new Spin 713 2021 when it's available to Mexico. In the meantime, any suggestions?

//Edited the content to add model name.

billsey

IIRC there is a key combo (Fn-F6 maybe?) that toggles the trackpad off and on. Check to see if you just triggered that toggle while wiping the keys down.

patrickkelly

My apologies. I should have specified chromebook. I didn't know the Acer Spin 713 had a Windows variant but the chromebook has no Fn keys and the keys it does have don't do keyboard. Now the surprised, this morning the keyboard came back on for about thirty minutes and then went away again. Also, I lost my internet connect and am waiting for the serviceman to arrived. That problem is also coming on again for brief period.

So, right now, no trackpad. The mouse works okay but I've used the trackpad for two years and it's habitual. I'd like to get it back.

billsey

Let us know what the serviceman comes up with.

patrickkelly

What a mess. The Telmex tech arrived, Ripped out some wiring, climbed a pole and changed some wires, and my internet seems to be working now. I know the two aren't connected but my trackpad seems to be working properly now. Both the Internet access and the trackpad were on again off again, mostly off.

Now all seems in order. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. in general, I really like my Acer 713.

billsey

Darn, it is always nicer when something is fixed by something that makes sense... Let us know if it comes back.

patrickkelly

I have no idea why the trackpad went wonky or why it came back to working perfectly. I'm happy though.

patrickkelly

Now that my trackpad is working and I have an internet connection again my frustration, anxiety, and despire have gone. In my calm state I wonder if the suddenly death of the trackpad and subsequent, equally sudden resurrection, isn't connected to the flawed Chrome OS release xxxxx.147. It came out about the same time my problem started.

billsey

I'm shocked, shocked I say, that you would be suspect of anything Google releases!

[Although it wouldn't be the first time...]

patrickkelly

I'm glad you said "suspect". I think it's a possibility that the update that is causing problems with keyboards on some chromebooks could have caused my trackpad problem. Actually, my trackpad works but it's still having a problem. But, in the interest of fairness, in the three-years or so that I've been using chrome OS this is the first time I've had a problem that I suspected was connected to an update. Updates usually bring me a change in features and no problems. I don't play games, do Facebook or other social media and those seem to frequently be part of complaints.

Commodore_1995#

Have you checked out this article? https://community.acer.com/en/kb/articles/14148-how-to-get-the-touchpad-working-again-if-it-does-not-work-after-the-chromebook-wakes-from-sleep-or-starts-up

patrickkelly

Thank you for the link but I was already using a release of Chrome OS higher than the one recommended and I suspect that might have been the problem.

A month ago my Spin 713 locked up and the trackpad quit working, the keyboard quit working, and the screen quit working. Acer recommended what I would call a "hard reset" by pressing esc-restore-power simultaneously. Amazingly, that turned on the screen and allowed me to do a powerwash which fixed everything.

Easwar

Hi patrickkelly,

Try to Hard reset your Chromebook

1. Turn off your Chromebook.
   
2. Press and hold Refresh + tap Power .
3. When your Chromebook starts up, release Refresh.

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/3227606?hl=en​

patrickkelly

On an Acer Spin 713 it's Esc+Refresh+Power. And, yes I tried that and it did nothing. Acer recommended that once before when the Spin 713 wouldn't even boot and it worked a charm.