# [SOLVED] Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...



## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

My Aspire 5100's keyboard, mouse, and USB ports stopped working a while ago... I've read up on this common issue and have tried everything. Its not the battery, I've taken out the keyboard and put it back in, installed Puppy Linux via live CD and still have no luck. I have a pcmcia USB adapter on the way, but I can't start vista because its automatically set on launching startup repair. Will vista still run and recognize the port? Any other suggestions ideas will be much appreciated!


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## Kharm (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

Yea 5100 have a lot of problems with bga chip failure. If you have a extended warranty send it in and they will probably replace your laptop b/c the system boards for that unit are very hard to find. Where I work, no part source. 

If you don't have a warranty then If it was me honestly I would take an axe to that thing and a flamethrower. That model is one of the worst I've seen right up there with gateway mt3423 (lemon).


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## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

I'm no expert on laptops... but the inside of the thing just looks poorly made. And thanks for the advice, if the pcmcia adapter doesn't work then I'll take it apart and attempt to sell some parts. But hey, if you've got a flamethrower, can I borrow it?


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## Kharm (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

What usually happens on those is one of the bga chips (north bridge i think) goes out and several things stop working like usb ports, touch pad, even wont see hard drive (sometimes).

Wish I had a flame thrower. :laugh:


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## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

Hmmm... well the pcmcia USB adapter should be in tomorrow, so I hope that'll work. Next question, I also have a dell vostro... 1500 I think. And the light for the screen went out. I assume that's an easy fix? I think its just a loose connection.


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## Kharm (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

By no backlight that means you can see the image on the screen but it has no backlight. Just to get this straight.

no back light can be an easy fix and it can also be the biggest pain in the butt ever. Multiple things can cause no back light thats the problem. 

Most common cause of no back light is the inverter or the FL tube on the lcd. All these things can also cause no back light issue: Bad lcd cable, lid switch (magnetic or physical), blown component on the system board, cracked solider joints on the connector on the system board for the lcd cable. If the first 2 -3 things you try don't work then you can find yourself in troubleshooting hell. Mainly b/c you start second guessing the parts your testing with if they are really good or not. So you end up trying 3 inverters with a known working lcd and then move on to lcd cable. If that doesn't work then replace the connector on the system board and test again. If that doesn't work question your parts again, re-test with new parts, punch a puppy in the face and order a new system board.

If it turns out to be a system board issue it can be the single hardest problem to trouble shoot than any thing else you can throw at me from a laptop. 

In fact I have one of these on my bench at work right now waiting for me. I tried a inverter I found in scrap (probably the only one we have) and it didn't work, then I tried with a test lcd. still no backlight. Now I'm going to have to pull a know working, complete display assembly from a customers laptop to verify its at least not a system board issue before I go into assuming its a lcd cable or the inverter I got from scrap is actually not working. I'm telling you no post and no power issues pale in comparison to this crap. 

You can order an inverter and hope for the best, if it doesn't work then I recommend you fold and send that thing in for repair and let it become someone else's problem. You don't want to drop $$$ on a lcd on the assumption its going to work if you don't have test equipment to verify it before hand.


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## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

Well when it was going out, it flickered and would work depending on how far the screen was tilted... so I think it is just maybe cracked solder joints. And yes, the image is there, its just extremely difficult to see without a lamp shining on it. I think it'll be an easy fix. But the good news is that the PC - USB adapter did work on this laptop, so it is now usable. I need a better keyboard though as this one is crap. Here's my next issue, and seeing that you are running Ubuntu will help. I want to run Ubuntu on this laptop BUT the keyboard doesn't work until Vista starts up, so I can't switch to Ubuntu. I already have it installed, I just can't start it up. Any ideas? I have it on a CD and I know that if I take out the HDD it will automatically boot from the CD, but that just doesn't sound like a good thing to do without a HDD in... so, thoughts?


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## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

Okay, I flashed the latest bios and it fixed the keyboard, then I used key commands to fix the mouse... I'm proud of myself, but thanks so much for the help!


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## Kharm (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Acer Aspire 5100 keyboard/mouse/USB issue...*

Alright man, I actually replied to this post a while ago... I think the site went down when I was typing up the reply or something.


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## addmanrcace (Aug 13, 2010)

Ya, its all good. I'm really surprised I got it all fixed up. Thanks!


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## nicke157 (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks for all help. I had this trouble too so I also bough a pcmcia USB adapter, worked perfect! 
Now after some windows updates the touchpad and keyboard working again.


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