SW3-013 won't boot when docked.

SidecarBob

I'm working on a SW3-013 with Win10 32 bit. If I connect the tablet to the dock and turn it on it stalls at the Acer screen (no "throbber" - I looked it up and that's the name for the circle of dots that indicates a computer is doing something). It will sit like that for an hour if I let it but if I turn it off, lift the tablet off of the dock and re-start it seems to boot normally.

This one also has the issue where it won't recognize the dock unless you put the right side on first and slowly sit it on so that the contacts touch one at a time.

I re-installed Windows a while ago and it made no difference and it sat for a few months until I could get back to it so it is updating now and I'm hoping it fixes this; I don't have much hope for that  but it has to update anyway.

I'm thinking these problems are related and I'm leaning toward a driver issue but I'm open to suggestions.

​//Edited the content to add model name.   ​

billsey

Is your dock one of those that had the HDD installed in it? There could easily be an issue with the drive if so. Can you boot normally without the dock, then plug it in? What happens?

SidecarBob

I said this in post #1: It boots normally without the dock. If I then just sit it onto the dock nothing happens. If I sit the right end onto the dock and then slowly lower the left end so that the contacts touch one at a time it usually works.

Yes, it is one of the ones with a HDD in the dock but I unplugged the drive because she never used it and it seemed to make things worse.

billsey

OK, most often when something like this happens it is due to the pogo pins on the tablet not making good contact with the dock. Try using a cloth and alcohol to clean the whole groove the dock seats in the tablet. If there is a little gunk in there the magnets don't pull it into position well enough. The connection gets almost working but stuff coming through is garbled and that disrupts the self tests at boot time.

SidecarBob

I used contact cleaner and a toothbrush to clean the contacts. They are gleaming.

I've been thinking about the video I learned about connecting the right side first from (below). He mentions getting his to work by covering the leftmost pin with tape to prevent it from making contact. After a bit of experimentation it seems like the problems on the one I'm working on go away if I insulate the leftmost 2 pins. I have re-booted it successfully while docked with those pins insulated and it starts normally and the keyboard & touchpad work AND if I lift the tablet off the dock and sit it back on (straight down) it connects and everything works.

I am going to have to open it to fix the USB port (whoever thought only being able to charge through that fragile micro USB port was a good idea should be dealt with severely) so maybe I should cut the connections to those pins while I'm in there...

https://youtu.be/GIAuKXO7ZI8

SidecarBob

I tried resetting Windows and now the tape over the contacts trick isn't working.

And now when I sit the tablet on the dock (right end first, then lower the left slowly) this message appears in notifications. Sometimes once, sometimes as many as 17 times

"Please eject the device using the Safely Remove Hardware function in the system tray before disconnecting"

billsey

It still sounds like there is enough gunk in that groove to hold the keyboard from fully seating. You have to clean the whole groove, not just the pogo pins.

SidecarBob

As I said, I sprayed the area with  contact cleaner and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. There isn't even a speck of dust between the  tablet and the dock anywhere.

I still think this is a driver issue but Acer's site no longer has the drivers for this machine. Do you know anywhere that I can get them?

I did figure out that the "please eject" messages were coming from Acer Quick Access so I turned off notifications from it. I don't have it (or any other Acer specific apps) on my SW1-011 and it doesn't seem to miss so I'm thinking about uninstalling all of that stuff. What do you think?

I've already uninstalled the McAfee VIrus ...

billsey

Make sure you select the correct Windows version, the drivers are for Windows 10 32bit...

SidecarBob

It is 32 bit Win10 Home 20H2.

Looking at Acer's support page https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/5931?b=1 I'm wondering if the Master Installer would be best.

billsey

That should be the one.

SidecarBob

I've been working on this all afternoon. I downloaded the Master Installer and ran it. Twice. And there is still no difference.

At least I know the BIOS and drivers are up to date.

After that I uninstalled all of the Acer bloatware. Now I can lift the tablet off the dock and put it back normally and it recognizes the keyboard and touchpad.

But it still won't boot while docked.