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Laptop Overheating
Laptop becomes very hot. If overheated for too long, this can damage critical components of the laptop.
Improper Ventilation
Make sure the laptop isn't on a soft surface like a bed for a long time, this can block proper ventilation. Take a break from using the laptop or move the laptop to a hard surface like a desk or a table. Clear vents of dust.
Dust and Lint Covered Components
Locate the vents on your laptop and unscrew the panel to reveal the fan. Clean the dust out of the fan and any other components with a can of compressed air.
Broken Fan
Your laptop's fan may have endured damage and no longer ventilate the device properly. The fan may need to be replaced. You can reference our Fan Replacement Guide for how to make this repair.
Dying Battery
A dying battery may become hot and cause your device to overheat. Your battery may need to be replaced. You can reference our Battery Replacement Guide for help replacing your battery.
Touchpad Unresponsive
Touchpad is not responding to your touch.
Touchpad Turned Off in Settings
To enable the touchpad, hold the Fn key down and press the F7 key. Each time you do this combination this will turn the touchpad on or off.
You can also press the Windows key and type touchpad and click on “touchpad settings.” In those settings, there is a switch to toggle the touchpad on and off.
Missing or Incorrect Touchpad Drivers
Sometimes having missing or incorrect touchpad drivers may be what's causing your touchpad to be faulty. You can try downloading and installing new, correct ones, from the Acer Drivers and Manuals page.
Broken Touchpad
If the above fixes didn't get your touchpad working, there is probably something physically wrong with the touchpad itself within the laptop. Check out our Touchpad Replacement Guide to learn how to replace it.
Laptop Runs Slow
Laptop is running slow while performing tasks, such as browsing the internet.
Too Many Programs are Running
- Open the Task Manager by searching for it in the Start Menu or pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete and clicking on ‘Open Task Manager’.
- Go to the Processes tab and look for any programs that are using a significant amount of system resources.
- These processes might also be draining your battery, so if you are not using any of those programs, exit the process by right-clicking the process and selecting ‘End Task’.
Storage is Full
If your laptop storage is full or close to full, this can definitely cause your laptop to run slowly, so you will need to free up some storage. You can use Windows disc cleanup to get rid of different types of files. You can also manually uninstall programs that you don't use if you know they aren't important to your laptop functioning. Also take a look at your documents and media, especially movies, and try moving them to a cloud or an external drive.
Hard Drive Needs Replacement
An outdated or failing hard drive can slow down your laptop a lot. You can replace your hard drive with a new one, or even a solid-state drive (SSD) which can be more reliable for your system
Check out our Hard Drive Replacement Guide for help with solving this issue.
Laptop Won't Connect to WiFi
Laptop will not connect to WiFi.
WiFi is Turned Off or Airplane Mode is On
Go to settings and check to make sure your WiFi is toggled to "on" and that your device isn't turned on to "Airplane Mode". If it is still not connecting, try turning your WiFi off for a moment before turning it back on.
Network Drivers Faulty or Need Updating
Your WiFi drivers may be out of date or just not working properly. If so, go to Acer’s Drivers and Manuals page and download and install the latest wireless driver for your laptop.
WiFi Card Needs Replacement
If your device is still not connecting to WiFi, it may be an issue with your WiFi card. See our WiFi Card Replacement Guide for help with replacing this component.
Battery Drains Quickly
Battery loses its power quickly.
Battery Needs to be Calibrated
Try calibrating your battery by charging it to 100% for a couple of hours before allowing the battery to run out of power. Then charge your device to 100% again.
Too Many Programs Are Running
- Open the Task Manager by searching for it in the Start Menu or pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete and clicking on ‘Open Task Manager’.
- Go to the Processes tab and look for any programs that are using a significant amount of system resources.
- These processes might also be draining your battery, so if you are not using any of those programs, exit the process by right-clicking the process and selecting ‘End Task’.
Inefficient Power Settings
- Click the battery icon in the task bar at the bottom right of your screen near the clock. A slider pops up with 3 values: ‘Best power efficiency’, ‘Balanced’ and ‘Best Performance’. If your battery is draining too quickly, make sure that this slider is to more power efficient modes.
- Open the System Power settings by searching for ‘Power’ in the Start Menu, or opening the Settings and going to ‘Power and Sleep’.
- Check the power settings and make sure that is set to ‘Best Power Efficiency.’ You can also adjust your sleep settings so that your laptop goes into sleep mode or hibernates sooner, increasing your battery life.
Battery Needs Replacement
If changing your software power settings did not help, your device might have a faulty battery. Check to see if your laptop is charging properly by plugging in your adapter. If not, your battery may need to be replaced. You can reference our Battery Replacement Guide for help replacing your battery.
Audio Sounds Distorted
There is no sound coming from the device's speakers or audio makes a crackling noise.
Speakers Disconnected
Ensure your volume is turned up and then check to make sure the speakers are plugged in securely. If you are a headphone user, check to make sure those are plugged in as well.
Speakers Filled With Dust
Check for dust or dirt on your device’s speakers as this can cause distorted sound. Use a vacuum cleaner or a can of compressed air to clean the speaker’s of dust.
Audio Drivers Need Updating
Your audio drivers may need to be updated. Go to the Acer support page and enter the model number for your device. Then choose the appropriate operating system and the latest audio driver and begin downloading.
Broken Speakers
If none of the above fixes work, your speakers may be broken. Follow along with our Speakers Replacement Guide to learn how to repair your distorted audio by replacing the speakers.
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