WIFI- inboard card not seen device manager? Aspire Z5710

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

Hi, i have the Z5710 and i cant get any WIFI using 3 dongles, drivers and the onboard card which i checked is in its slot and wires connect to antennas on top, all ok. Also the usual troubleshooter button and in Device manager under Network adaptors, i dont see any built in adaptor. So is it not recognising its own wifi? So is there a hidden wifi button or in windows 7?
Also inserted 2 other cards into slot and computer just beeps once happy and loads windows. None seen in device manager and dongles show as yellow no detail wifi in other devices.
Usually a dongle or two, you get internet showing and enter password but symbol on taskbar is red cross so no networks available or seen. tried all the usual ideas.
Bios, everything is enabled including LAN. Seems like that slot is dead? buy why the usbs dongles which i know those usb slots are working. windows 7 fresh installed and everything else is working great. Vid, Audio ect.
In network adapter in DM, two bluetooth listings are there a intel gigabit network connection and i unistalled that and restarted and it reinstalled and still nothing. It that only thr controller for cables or wifi too? but it is fine no yellow. Reason i sudgest card slot might be dead is the other diff cards i put in should have caused lots of beeps as unsupported cards surely? but nothing.
So slot dead or innactive? and why usb dongles not working either but showing up as yellow unknowns?

Thanks for any help.

Commodore_1995# · April 2021

Have you tried to disconnect the main and auxiliary cables and also the wlan module?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/po/cw78so9ovev1.png

billsey · April 2021

If both the built in card and external dongles don't work, the issue is more likely in the network stack than in the devices, unless all three are bad. Try using SFC and DISM to verify the Windows build is good. It's possible you have also been infected with something that mucks up networking too...

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

Yeah this is a curly one. The Dongles show up as unknown with yellow in DM. The Card and 2 others i tried did NOT show up anywhere in DM
I have tried Win 10 and did fresh install of Win 7 and same problem. Also, with Win 10, the computer would take 2 or 3 starts to get going before windows even started. Usual things like PS ect, i already tested. Since loading Win 7, starts perfectly to windows. So might have a M/B issue as that Wifi slot may not be active for some reason. Maybe bios issue? update? I will contact Acer techs to see if they had this problem. When you plug in anything, it should at least show up in DM known or unknown without drivers. 3 cards and nothing and i unplugged the antennas, but that shouldnt make a diff to the slot connection any way, only the signal not working. I could try a dvd Mint/linux load and i usually test computers without H/D's this way, and see if the slot works but any windows install and good bios, you should have slots working and only seen this on this Z5710. So will ask ACER's guys what they think. I could do a SFC on the drive but 2 diff windows and fresh install 7 and still not working? unless the m/b isnt working right and screwing up the install files?
Thanks for you help.

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

UPDATE- I tried a usb Linux install using a usb ubunto and disconnected the hard drive so it ran off stick only and other dongles worked instantly but the onboard card was not seen. it auto detects and everytime the dongles flashed up with signals and the card, nothing- dead. So Linux, 7 and 10 fresh installs not seen that small PCI slot it seems per DM. I also went through bios to make sure all was enabled ect and also used default reset settings to make to computer as usable as it could be assuming any setting in bios was effecting the wifi card but that didnt work so looks like we have a dead slot and i might have to pull a schematic and trace the power and signals to see if i can find what went wrong. i can also get a up to date usb wifi, for a few bucks but that would be TOO easy.....

billsey · April 2021

I can't help with schematics, they don't publish those, but here's the block diagram for the motherboard:

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

Bios update for the Z5710- anyone know how this is done as cant see a option in the Bios?

billsey · April 2021

Typically BIOS updates are done from within Windows... There have only been the two releases, which are you running now?

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

billsey said:

Typically BIOS updates are done from within Windows... There have only been the two releases, which are you running now?

Hi, Acer shows 2 bios updates and i have the 2010 one with a 2011 there and i tried in windows using the bios update file and some kind of application that looks like a bios updater included. anyway i did it and red and green lights flashed down the box like it was erasing and updating, then nothing after that . No reset or "done". i did again and same but i resetarted and same 2010 bios is there.
This all in one Z510 is doing very strange things. First the onboard WIFI slot not seen no matter what i do and installs . Next it did take 3 starts to keep going and then it would go all day perfectly updating windows , then just randomly die . no BSOD, just like power cut. Tried another psu plugged in as uses standard plugs and same plus tested old supply and passed. Also tried spraying ram slots but a ram failure would throw a bsod? or something not literally cut out. The card slot, the weird bios updater that doesn't update and power cutting ALSO i installed windows twice using a usb stock and tried a utility usb boot that works on every other computer, but this one. Just a cursor at top left sits there. So i think this motherboard is trouble.
Worse part is it went for hours and then dies suddenly. Obvious stuff like cleaning cooling system. PSU, i do all that on every computer i get and repair and never had one act like this. Forums for this all in one are not that great on reliability issues , although not cutting out, other problems. Already put covers back on, might as last resort check PSU sockets for dry joints and switch out power button just in case thats touching and forcing power off but already cleaned it and gently touched it to see if it was cuasing cutting out.
Bios update was a idea as Bios operates all the time when on? and if weak would cause cut out suddenly? although not read of this and screens come up and all looks good- bios i thing is ok, but out of ideas. Just bad board as no card in DM? might be the best clue.
That utility bootable stick not working be a bios clue as has nothing to do with windows. BUT Windows boot stocks worked perfectly ? so i guess not. Just not compatable? this computer seems hit and miss. strange.

billsey · April 2021

Are you running a temperature monitoring app like Core Temp? It's possible either the CPU or GPU is hitting the 100C threshold if the thermal paste has dried out too much. That will give random shutdowns without error being thrown...

The BIOS is mostly just used to get the system booted, though in some there is a fan table that sets fan speed based on CPU or GPU temperature. That table is loaded from the BIOS, but the BIOS itself isn't referenced once the OS is up and running.

AspireTim9000 · April 2021

Yes, first thing i do with any s/h computer is strip it down and repaste and service everything and i do use HW monitor although their voltages readings are a little ropey! Plus this machine i can feel the heat coming off the two radiators at the top and touch the chips and frankly they run pretty cool even with the system loaded with tasks. The card has to be at least seen in DM without drivers but i never seen one not appear even with just yellow flags and the power shut off randomly and at the start up cant indicate a over heating issue as literally just started for 5 sec's or running for hour and instant off. i tired it again last night loading and running lots of apps and rock solid so dont know on this one. Fact that cardslot is suspect and power flow or something , likely a touchy m/b. Could also be a temp sensor playing up intermittently. No BSOD and i guessing the logs wont show a error just off.
Another thing is it keeps forgetting the wifi dongle driver and i have to refresh it or uninstall it and rescan or change usb socket. so the forums complain of problems too but given that i git this for free with a I7 cpu, i will use it till it fails then it will be easier to trace down the problem if its electrical , but i think its a problem board with all these faults. Worse for this all in one, haha, it uses a feed in disk type DVD player and that was jaming as well so cant use a regular tray type one , so thats out too although thats a bit old now and everything is on usb so no big deal . Thanks for your help.