RGB Keyboard Lights option not available in Nitro Sense, please help! AN517-41

I bought an Acer Nitro 5 (AN517-41 to be exact) about a year ago. For a year I had no problem with using rainbow keyboard lighting on my acer nitro 5. Nitro Sense worked just fine, and I had no problem neither with fan control nor with color adjustment. Then yesterday, all of a sudden, nitro sense just stopped working. I was just unable to open the app. The nitro sense key didnt work, trying to open the app manually didnt work. I even restarted my computer a few times but there was no change. So I was left with the only option which was uninstalling Nitro Sense Service and re installing it.

Now, the installation process was a success, I can control my fans just fine, and the software seems to have no problem detecting my GPU and CPU temperatures. However what I noticed was the keyboard lighting adjustment button is now gone.

I searched for answers about this problem but all the answers I was able to find were like: "oH iF yOu DoNt HaVe ThE kEyBoArD LiGhT aDjUsTmEnT bUtToN iN nItRo SeNsE tHeN iT mEaNs ThAt YoU hAvE a ReD bAcKLiT kEyBoArD." No. Just no. There is also more into this topic:

I of course thought that my pc going crazy with nitro sense app was a bit weird, but full red keyboard doesnt disturb me. Since the fans work just fine, I was about to keep on using my keyboard full red, but then suddenly this happened.

As I searched the error code, I found this among the possible reasons for "driver power state failure" error code:

"A software that may have left invalid inputs on your Windows system elements in the download or uninstall process." Which indicates that the source of the problem is the new Nitro Sense which I downloaded from Acer's official website.

If it was just default red lights then its ok, but at this point nitro sense is [Content Removed] with my laptop, my pc crashed 3 times with this same blue screen 3 times in total in the last week, therefore something is just horribly wrong and messed up with Nitro Sense, and the most annoying part is Acer doesnt do anything to deal with this problem as far as I can see.

[Thread was edited to add model name to the title and to hide sensitive information]

Accepted answers

Commodore_1995#

I would try to change this key to 2 in nitro sense:

All comments

ACetin

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1099552#Comment_1099552

uh.. I have the same problem... except I have actually used rainbow lighting on my acer nitro 5 for about a year. Then all of a sudden nitro sense started not to open. Therefore I was left with no choice other than uninstalling and re-downloading nitrosense app. My acer nitro 5 model is AN517-41, however when I download the corresponding nitro sense app the rgb keyboard settings button was gone for me as well. I even tried to download and run the nitro sense versions for different acer nitro 5 models which also have rgb keyboard, but there was no change. I even shared this issue on reddit but there was no help. Here is how nitro sense looks like:

JackE

>>>Then yesterday, all of a sudden, nitro sense just stopped working.>>>

Open Control Panel. Search 'restore point'. Click 'create a restore point' in left pane. If System Protection is turned on in the box that pops up, click the System Restore button. Click next. Do you see an automatic restore point with a date stamp on or about Aug 31st?

ACetin

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1144367#Comment_1144367

I mean on September 01 I can see then, but they are the Nitro Sense programs wich I installed. Here, I add a picture of how it looks like as well:

JackE

Is the KB backlight timeout disabled in the BIOS Main tab? It might've turned itself off and not detected while NitroSense was installing?

ACetin

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1146574#Comment_1146574

Yes, this was how it looked like in "Main" tab.

I enabled the Keyboard Backlight Timeout and re-installed Nitro Sense. After installing it, I once again entered to BIOS settings in order to make sure that it stayed as [Enabled]. However there is no change with Nitro Sense.

I also need to add, that whatever the problem is, it keeps on messing with my Nitro Sense app periodically. 7-8 days after the download, it just starts not to open again, and therefore I delete it and re-install it.

JackE

What was factory installed Windows version? Win10 or Win11?

ACetin

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1147787#Comment_1147787

Windows 10. I didnt want to upgrade it to windows 11 just yet because there are still some problems going on with that operating system. Hence I wanted to wait until I make sure that microsoft patched and optimised windows 11 well enough.

William_mk2

@ACetin

Sometimes a simple system restore will fix the issue..

Try windows x

click on power shell admin or command prompt admin

type rstrui

chose an earlier date on which your computer was working fine

click on next, finish, yes

It will restore your computer to an earlier date

if you get an message - system restore not completed - click on close

It will show you all the icons..

Try and check whether it is working now ..

If it is still not working then we have to do a refresh and reset

click on start - settings - update and security - recovery - reset this pc - get started

or

on start - type here to search - type reset this pc - click on reset this pc on the top - click on get started

It will show you keep my files and remove everything

chose keep my files

chose the account - type the password - click on local reinstall - click on reset

It will be in progress..

login to computer and start using the computer.

If it is still not working

click on start - settings - update and security - recovery - reset this pc - get started

chose remove everything

click on local reinstall - just remove my files - click on reset

It will be in progress

Note:

If you do refresh ( keep my files ) - all your personal files like pictures, music , documents , videos will still be intact. Only the applications will be lost

If you do reset ( remove everything ) - you are doing a factory default. It will become like a day one computer. It will wipe out everything and take your computer to day one like a new computer.

You can also do the recovery in an alternative way..

There are two alt keys on the keyboard. If you look at the bottom row of keyboard you can see the one on the left side of space bar and the other on the right side of space bar. The alt key on the right side will be looking like alt, alt gr or alt car. Turn off the computer. Hold the alt key on the left and tap f10 continuously. It will go to repair mode. It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot. If it is not going to repair mode, turn off the computer. Turn on the computer. Hold the right alt key ( alt gr or alt car or alt ) and then tap f10 continuously. It will go to chose an option continue and troubleshoot..

It will show you chose an option, continue, troubleshoot

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc

click on keep my files ( only applications will be lost ) chose your account and type your password - click on local reinstall - click on reset

It will be in progress

If the keep my files option is not working

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc – click on remove everything – click on local reinstall – just remove my files – click on reset

It will reinstall windows.

If the just remove my files is not working..

Go to troubleshoot - click on reset this pc – click on remove everything – click on local reinstall – Fully clean the drive – click on reset

It will reinstall windows.

Note: You can also go to chose an option , continue , troubleshoot by holding the alt key + tapping f10 or alt gr + tapping f10 on the keyboard while turning on the computer. Once you see the troubleshoot option, you can stop tapping the f10 and stop holding the alt key. Then you can try the keep my files and remove everything ( just remove by files and fully clean the drive ) by following the steps which was mentioned above.

JackE

>>>Windows 10. I didnt want to upgrade it to windows 11>>>

Good for you.

Another user recently reported the same RGB loss with another Nitro series. I suspect an errant Win10 update, maybe an optional one, caused the issue. While it's a hassle, I recommended backing up all personal files and doing a full erase everything ALT+F10 cold boot factory reset disconnected from the internet to see if it restored the NitroSense RGB functionality. Then enable System Protection in Control Panel's restore point app before connecting to the internet. That way, whatever errant update might've caused the issue could be identified, reversed & blocked.