Acer Predator Helios 500 - Wave MaxxAudio installation after format and fresh windows re-install

Razamax · November 2018

Has anybody formatted their Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-51 (i7-8750 version) and installed a fresh clean copy of Windows 10 on it?

If yes, then how did you manage to get Wave MaxxAudio back? The Waves driver package on Acer's website does not contain an executable? The Realtek drivers package on Acer's website contains a folder named Waves, under third party software, but when you install the RealTek driver, Waves does not get installed. Windows 10 automatically downloads Waves MaxxAudio app after a while, but all controls on the app are disabled, because the app says it could not find any supported audio device, which I am assuming is their way of saying that they could not find a valid license. So I assume that I have to use the drivers provided by Acer to get the license.

So, how do I get Waves MaxxAudio back from just the drivers available on Acers website on a clean freshly installed Windows 10?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

~Raza

Razamax · November 2018

Thank you everyone for trying to help.

I figured out my problem by calling a friend who has experience with these new windows 10 UWP apps installation and he was able to guide me through the installation steps.

For anyone who is having similar issues, just follow these steps.

Download and copy all drivers from Acer website to a separate hard disk and unzip the files.
Clean install windows 10, but do not connect to internet during the initial configuration.
When you boot into windows, first install the RealTek audio drivers from Acer that are in a folder named "Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.8485_W10x64_A".
After that go to the folder "Audio_Waves_1.0.31.0_W10x64_A" and install the following files by double clicking on them, in the following order:
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.3_1.3.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.4_1.4.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
4c1aab4abaaa4f81aac14cc4e712bf57.appxbundle
The above steps will install the RealTek Drivers and the Wave MaxxAduio app with the proper license.
Then connect to internet and download the rest of the missing drivers and updates.

I wish Acer had provided simple instructions like these in the driver files. I am new to the UWP apps, as I had windows 7 on my previous laptop, so I could not figure out what to do with these .appx and .appxbundle files inside the driver folder.

If someone got all this to work just by downloading the waves maxxaudio app from the windows 10 automatic updates, then that is great. Myself, I could not get this to work, as the windows 10 auto downloaded app was all greyed out and said that it could not find any supported hardware on the system. It was probably missing the license file.

Thanks again for reading and contributing.

JackE · November 2018

Part of the problem is that the Microsoft generic Win10 version system files that you clean installed are not quite the same as the ACER-flavored Win10 version specific to your machine. If you formatted the system partitions to clean install generic Win10, the MAXX app specific to your ACER flavored realtek audio device is gone unless of course you made a system image or recovery USB before doing so. If you also let the generic installation wipe the hidden ACER-flavored recovery partition and replace it with the generic recovery, then without an ACER image or recovery stick the only practical option may be to purchase the ACER recovery stick based on your machine's serial number id (SNID). About $46 from the ACER store https://store.acer.com/en-us/extended/recovery/ Jack E/NJ

Razamax · November 2018

@JackE, Thanks for the response.

I actually switched to Win 10 pro and I wanted a clean install. And I did install the Realtek drivers available on Acers website, and the audio is working fine. Acer also provides the Waves MaxxAudio drivers, but they are just a bunch of files with no executable available to run an installation. There are no instructions available too, so I am not sure what to do in this case. I played around by installing different .inf files from the driver folder and somehow ended up messing the audio, so I could not hear anything from the speakers.

I managed to fix that by restoring the image I made of the fresh install of Windows 10 pro.

I have an image of the system when I first turned it on, so I can always restore back to that state, but that will install windows 10 home, which I do not want. I also created a factory restore usb disk, but that too will restore the windows 10 home.

I am just frustrated that Acer will make a simple thing as installing drivers so difficult. All they had to do was to include some instructions with the drivers, on how to properly reinstall them, in case someone decided to install a fresh copy of windows after a format.

Did no one here install a fresh copy of windows 10 on their Helios 500? Because if they did, they probably know what files to install and in what order to get both the RealTek audio and Wave MaxxAudio working.

kashifali · November 2018

Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-51 (i7-8750 version) and installed a fresh clean copy of Windows 10 on it? yes I also deleted The Original Window 10 accidentally you need digital license linked to your microsoft account window 10 to play app waves maxxaudio another app

fejerm · November 2018

Just install a clean WIndows 10, there wont be any problems, Maxx Audio will automatically download and install to your system from the UWP store, you dont even need to log in to the store.

koj_o · November 2018

I got my helios 500 with linuks as OS. First thing i did was clean install win 10 pro. I downloaded all drivers from official acer driver page...and got everything working just fine. If you don't have .exe try to install it via device manager

Razamax · November 2018

Thank you everyone for trying to help.

I figured out my problem by calling a friend who has experience with these new windows 10 UWP apps installation and he was able to guide me through the installation steps.

For anyone who is having similar issues, just follow these steps.

Download and copy all drivers from Acer website to a separate hard disk and unzip the files.
Clean install windows 10, but do not connect to internet during the initial configuration.
When you boot into windows, first install the RealTek audio drivers from Acer that are in a folder named "Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.8485_W10x64_A".
After that go to the folder "Audio_Waves_1.0.31.0_W10x64_A" and install the following files by double clicking on them, in the following order:
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.3_1.3.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.4_1.4.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
4c1aab4abaaa4f81aac14cc4e712bf57.appxbundle
The above steps will install the RealTek Drivers and the Wave MaxxAduio app with the proper license.
Then connect to internet and download the rest of the missing drivers and updates.

I wish Acer had provided simple instructions like these in the driver files. I am new to the UWP apps, as I had windows 7 on my previous laptop, so I could not figure out what to do with these .appx and .appxbundle files inside the driver folder.

If someone got all this to work just by downloading the waves maxxaudio app from the windows 10 automatic updates, then that is great. Myself, I could not get this to work, as the windows 10 auto downloaded app was all greyed out and said that it could not find any supported hardware on the system. It was probably missing the license file.

Thanks again for reading and contributing.

JackE · November 2018

Razamax Thank you for your solution report. Jack E/NJ

mankvl · November 2018

Razamax did you use your Microsoft account or created a local account? I just did a clean install of windows 10 home with local windows 10 user and had this problem also predatorsence installed from like third try, connecting to my M$ acc fixed all.

Razamax · November 2018

@mankvl,

No I did not create a microsoft account, either before or after the fresh windows install. I was just doing everything locally. Are you saying that having a microsoft account would fix all these licensing issues? I will try it next time I do a fresh windows 10 install.

mankvl · December 2018

Razamax said:

@mankvl,

No I did not create a microsoft account, either before or after the fresh windows install. I was just doing everything locally. Are you saying that having a microsoft account would fix all these licensing issues? I will try it next time I do a fresh windows 10 install.

Yes, but I had my acc linked with this laptop when I set it up for the first time, dunno how it would go for you, maybe with ms acc there is some more update scans, when I install win10 with local acc there was far less auto apps being installed, when with ms acc it started to download waves and all other apps from ms store.

Lemi · March 2019

I just managed to get it back. I went to the Microsoft Store and typed "waves". The result is Waves Maxxaudio for Fujitsu but it works fine on PH517-61
I hope this helps.

dannynowthen · May 2019

Hi, I've got exactly the same issue but when I go to the Acer support site and download the files the ones you mention aren't present. Does anyone have a direect link to them please? Thanks in advance Danny

Razamax said:

When you boot into windows, first install the RealTek audio drivers from Acer that are in a folder named "Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.8485_W10x64_A".
After that go to the folder "Audio_Waves_1.0.31.0_W10x64_A" and install the following files by double clicking on them, in the following order:
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.3_1.3.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.4_1.4.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
4c1aab4abaaa4f81aac14cc4e712bf57.appxbundle
The above steps will install the RealTek Drivers and the Wave MaxxAduio app with the proper license.
Then connect to internet and download the rest of the missing drivers and updates.

xapim · May 2019

dannynowthen said:

Hi, I've got exactly the same issue but when I go to the Acer support site and download the files the ones you mention aren't present. Does anyone have a direect link to them please? Thanks in advance Danny
show previous quotes

Razamax said:

When you boot into windows, first install the RealTek audio drivers from Acer that are in a folder named "Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.8485_W10x64_A".
After that go to the folder "Audio_Waves_1.0.31.0_W10x64_A" and install the following files by double clicking on them, in the following order:
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.3_1.3.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.4_1.4.24201.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx
4c1aab4abaaa4f81aac14cc4e712bf57.appxbundle
The above steps will install the RealTek Drivers and the Wave MaxxAduio app with the proper license.
Then connect to internet and download the rest of the missing drivers and updates.

@dannynowthen the only drivers you have on acer support website are the audio/video/ethernet etc the net framework you have to download it from microsoft nothing to do with acer

dannynowthen · May 2019

Oh okay thanks - what confused me was the accepted answer includes downloading the .NET stuff from acer.

Razamax · May 2019

dannynowthen said:

Oh okay thanks - what confused me was the accepted answer includes downloading the .NET stuff from acer.

I just rechecked by redownloding the waves audio driver zip file from acer website. When you unzip it you will find the .NET files in there. So my instructions are still valid.

xapim · May 2019

Razamax said:

show previous quotes

dannynowthen said:

Oh okay thanks - what confused me was the accepted answer includes downloading the .NET stuff from acer.

I just rechecked by redownloding the waves audio driver zip file from acer website. When you unzip it you will find the .NET files in there. So my instructions are still valid.

@Razamax well if its included in the audio drivers zip file its even easier i didnt knew as i myself dont have that hardware

but even if it wasnt everything can be found and downloaded in separate if needed

Razamax · May 2019

xapim said:

show previous quotes

@Razamax well if its included in the audio drivers zip file its even easier i didnt knew as i myself dont have that hardware but even if it wasnt everything can be found and downloaded in separate if needed

Yes, that is true

STOPchris · May 2019

This solution does not work for me. I had Wave (REALLY BAD SOFTWARE) working and then all the sudden it stopped working. I re-installed and it would not work, even using this method.