Aspire A515-51G-56K9 Bluetooth Audio Issue in Windows 10

akash_258
akash_258 Member Posts: 14

Tinkerer

edited November 2023 in 2020 Archives

Configuration:- i5 8250u mx150 bios v-2.02

 Problem- DPC latency which causes audio dropouts in windows 10 using Bluetooth headphones.

  • The issue occurs only when WIFI is turned on.
  • Latencymon says ndis.sys (something problem), no dropouts if wlan is turned off (confirmed).
  • I have tried all windows version (Home, Pro, LTSC) none of them worked.
  • I have tried all drivers mentioned on the website for my model which didn't work.
  • I have tried the latest drivers from windows update did not work.
  • I have tried the last 3 bios version, the problem persists in all 3 of them.
  • I have tried disabling all audio enhancements, tried disabling handsfree option, nothing worked.

Listening to anything using wifi causes audio dropouts every 5-10 sec which is very annoying.

Best Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    edited September 2020 Answer ✓
    I can only say that ACER usually warrants a machine has been tested for the factory-installed operating system version (Windows, Linux, Chrome, Android, etc) in existence at the time it was manufactured. I emphasize factory-installed because your A515-51G was likely only tested for Linux, not Win10. Due to  regional hardware production variations, your particular A515-51G factory Linux model with a unique serial number id (SNID) may or may not have identical hardware to an A515-51G factory Windows model with its own unique SNID.  In other words, your factory Linux A515-51G may or may not perform differently under Win10 then a factory Windows A515-51G. You can only try it and see.  Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    Yes. Cinnamon 19.3. All mine do by default.  Set up with nearly the same, look, feel and function of Win7 only faster and much more stable than Win10 --- I don't fear updates disabling my machines any more.  And with WINE I run all my favorite Winapps like Irfanview, etc. The only reason I boot Windows is to help folks who haven't switched yet.   :) Jack E/NJ


    Jack E/NJ

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    (1) Did this happen suddenly for no apparent reason?
    (2) BT headphone mfr models that you've tried?

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    This issue was present since last 1 year , i just didnt knew it was because of dpc latency/ faulty drivers and i was in college so i dual booted in linux most of the time.

    It was present in my old boat headphones and the current skullcandy ones as well and the drivers in my system are from acer website only.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    >>>This issue was present since last 1 year , i just didnt knew it>>>

    How can you know it was present last year if you didn't know it? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    Yeah sorry for using ambiguous language, I will make it clear now :
    • I heard these popouts during playing CSGO (clear pops while spraying bullets and hearing a pop sound in between sometimes).
    • Also while watching videos, I was foolish enough to think that they were happening because of either CPU load or because of my headphones.
    • I was not very sure until I completely switched to Linux and this issue was not present there.
    • Now after installing windows again (several times as I mentioned above) I find this issue irresistible and very annoying.
    • So they were there, I was just ignorant and sorry for some language mistake (not my main language).
    ...HELP...

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    >>>I completely switched to Linux and this issue was not present there.>>>
    >>>[Windows] drivers in my system are from acer website only.>>>>

    (1) What Windows drivers from ACER website?
    (2) When did you install these ACER drivers?

    Jack E/NJ



    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    >>>What Windows drivers from ACER website?>>>
    I have used the official windows drivers that are present for my model on the Acer support website.

    >>> When did you install these ACER drivers?>>>
    I installed these drivers after a fresh install of Windows 10.
    I don't remember what drivers I was using before, but the issue persists with the official drivers which should'nt


  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    >>>I installed these drivers after a fresh install of Windows 10.>>>

    Was this a fresh install of the ACER-factory Win10 version or the Microsoft-generic Win10 version? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    And with Acer drivers, I have tried multiple combinations. They are as follows :
    1. All drivers with windows update (current 2004 and previous window version as well).
    2. All drivers with windows update but the official Wifi driver from Acer website for my model.
    3. All drivers with windows update but official Realtek Audio driver from Acer website for my model.
    4. All drivers with windows update but official Wifi, Bluetooth driver from Acer website for my model.
    5. All drivers with windows update but official Wifi, Bluetooth, Realtek Audio driver from the Acer website for my model.
    6. All drivers from the official Acer website for my model.
    7. All drivers updated with Driver Booster 6/7 with the last windows version (not 2004).

    Now all these combinations were tried with the last 2 bios version and only (1st and 6th) with 3rd last bios version.
    The issue is present on all of them.



  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    edited September 2020
    >>>Was this a fresh install of the ACER-factory Win10 version or the Microsoft-generic Win10 version>>
    No, I bought the laptop with dos/Linux. I installed the latest stable windows version from Microsoft website

    I hope it clears your question.

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    These latencies are with official Acer drivers with WLAN turned on.
    These become very very less if I turn off wifi and the sound from a local file plays crystal clear.


  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    >>>No, I bought the laptop with dos/Linux. I installed the latest stable windows version from Microsoft website>>>

    This is the likely reason. The only thing I can suggest is to download and use Rufus to prepare an earlier Microsoft generic Win10 iso that was released just prior to your machine's manufacturing date. This probably would be closest to the ACER Win10 factory release for this particular model. While the ACER and Microsoft major releases might share the same number (for example 1809), only the ACER version has the originally-installed ACER device drivers (NOT the ACER updates on the ACER website)  and likely a few different system files that were certified to work properly.  If your machine came with factory-installed LinpusLite or similar distribution, then it was only certified to work properly for that distribution.

    If you decide to try an earlier Win10 generic release and it resolves the BT issue, make sure SystemProtection is turned on in ControlPanel's restore point app so your can identify which later release update might be causing the issue and temporarily blocking it using Microsoft's hide tool https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026726/windows-hide-windows-updates-or-driver-updates


    Jack E/NJ




    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    >>>only the ACER version has the originally-installed ACER device drivers>>>
    Can you shed some light on how can I get Acer windows 10 factory release for my model

    >>>so your can identify which later release update might be causing the issue and temporarily blocking it>>>
    here do you mean the driver update or the entire OS version

    Again big thanks for your valuable time and help and I will try some prior build and update here.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    The original ACER-flavored factory Win10 installation media was actually on a hidden ACER recovery partition on models that sold with factory-installed Win10. Thus your model wouldn't have this hidden ACER-Win10 recovery partition. It may only have the original hidden Linpus recovery partition. US and Canadian residents can usually purchase a USB or DVD ACER-Win10 installation online but only based on the machine's serial number id (SNID) not its model number. So if, for example, your machine was sold new in Jaipur, it wouldn't work online since its SNID doesn't match any of the SNID's of the machine's sold in the US or Canada. However, because your ACER region might handle requests like this different than the US & Canada, you might want to try the Jaipur ACER center to see if some ACER representative can provide you with an ACER-Win10 USB stick for your particular model that should include all the original drivers and Win10 release. http://www.acerlaptopservice.in/Acer-Laptop-Services/acer-service-centers-in-jaipur/

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    Thank you very much JackE, can you just confirm one thing.
    >I just read this page https://www.acer.com/ac/en/IN/content/windows10-april-2018-update, it says here that Acer supports only till windows10 1804(April) and not further or is this section of the website not updated.

    After this only thing left for me is to try the 1804 version, which after trying I will definitely update the results here.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    edited September 2020 Answer ✓
    I can only say that ACER usually warrants a machine has been tested for the factory-installed operating system version (Windows, Linux, Chrome, Android, etc) in existence at the time it was manufactured. I emphasize factory-installed because your A515-51G was likely only tested for Linux, not Win10. Due to  regional hardware production variations, your particular A515-51G factory Linux model with a unique serial number id (SNID) may or may not have identical hardware to an A515-51G factory Windows model with its own unique SNID.  In other words, your factory Linux A515-51G may or may not perform differently under Win10 then a factory Windows A515-51G. You can only try it and see.  Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    Are you using linuxmint JackE, your dp has its logo :), btw thankx for all the help.
    I am marking this as solved.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    Yes. Cinnamon 19.3. All mine do by default.  Set up with nearly the same, look, feel and function of Win7 only faster and much more stable than Win10 --- I don't fear updates disabling my machines any more.  And with WINE I run all my favorite Winapps like Irfanview, etc. The only reason I boot Windows is to help folks who haven't switched yet.   :) Jack E/NJ


    Jack E/NJ

  • akash_258
    akash_258 Member Posts: 14

    Tinkerer

    Actually, I also used lm+cinnamon with win XP look even the startup logo :), works fantastically, but in version 20 the compositor is causing vsync issues while playing videos, so I had to switch to manjaro+kde.
    but LM is still my favourite by far.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,172 Trailblazer
    I'm staying with 19.3 for now because 20 isn't polished yet. Maybe in 2 years I'll start thinking about it or skip to the next major release.  :)   Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ