# Acer Aspire: Keyboard and touchpad failure when running on battery



## Oli4 (Feb 25, 2008)

Hello everyone,

I have an Acer Aspire 5601 for 1½ year now. For one year it has worked great. After the first year the battery life-time got shorter, from 1½ hour to 25 minutes (in power saving mode). It isn't fun, but I can live with it.

But then, from one day to another, I booted my laptop with my battery in it, and plugged on AC, my keyboard and touchpad don't work. First I thought of was a virus or something that came trough my 'defences'. So after scanning and all, i didn't find anything, but still having the problem. So I formatted my laptop and reinstalled Windows XP, to make sure there is no virus or trojan or whatever.
Still no change. 

*I found out that if my battery is connected to my laptop (just the standart battery) the keyboard and touchpad don't work. Everything is running very slow also. This is when I'm running on battery only and when I'm running on battery and AC.
Running on just AC, so no battery in my laptop, everything works just fine. *


I have searched with google about this problem, but I haven't seen it. Is there anyone who can help me with this problem. 

Thanks in advance.


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

Hi Oli4, 
I have the same problems. Aspire 5670, for 1½ year.
Crash, keyboard blocked, slow, etc...
Now he works just using the AC adapter. Look what i found in the internet http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080208115307AAi6byG,

I think that is the battery. The acer has a recall-program cause some lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Look at this http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07167.html
if your battery is one of this (the mine is).
Send news please.
I m lost!


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## Oli4 (Feb 25, 2008)

Thnx for the links and info.

To bad my battery isn't listed. I bought my laptop in The Netherlands (where I also live), those aren't called back. But I'm going to call Acer tomorrow about this, and maybe they have a solution. If they do, I will let you know.


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## Oli4 (Feb 25, 2008)

I have called today to Acer. They came up with a driver issue. I had to remove the driver for 'Microsoft AC adapter'. After I removed this nothing happend. So they said that I had to bring in my laptop for repair. 

Yeah...so I will look futher myself first before spending money.

I felt that I shouldn't remove the 'Microsoft AC adapter', because that is working. So I removed the other driver (free translated from dutch to english, so forgive me if it doesn't say exactly the same on your machine) so called 'battery that complies with Microsoft ACPI module'.

And what do you think...it works! I'm very happy with it, but I have the feeling that Acer wants to make some easy money here because the immediatly came up with some sort of short-circuit between the battery and my keyboard. No further help, even when I mensiond that I would disable the other driver to try.

Anyway, this is what you do:

Go to the Control Panel. Go to System. Go to hardware, and to Hardware manager (free translated, it is the panel where you see all the hardware that is installed on your machine). Expand the 'battery' tab. Disable the 'battery that complies with Microsoft ACPI module'. Do not remove it, because Windows automaticly reïnstalls it, but disabeling it works. You should restart the machine. Now you can use your battery once again!


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

Wow, i done this but when i use the laptop without AC, i can't see when the battery is low, so can happen that in the middle of the meetings the shutdown of the system... 
But, is better that nothing. Thanks a lot for the tips!

Is incredible that a battery can have thi influence on the system.
I think that the problem will solve with a new battery ... But, the assistance of ACER about this is a s.... no words.


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## Oli4 (Feb 25, 2008)

Yeah, to bad of that side effect. I have the same here. I've searched all over the net to find another driver for this type of driver (that complies with Microsoft ACPI module) but I haven't been succesfull. Maybe there is someone who knows where to get an updated or modified driver for Acer laptops. Acer doesn't supply it on the european pages for the my type of laptop (Aspire 5601).


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## Chaos 1000 (Mar 14, 2008)

I have the same problem with my Aspire 1641 WLMi and contacted Acer for a replacement (even though my unit is out of warranty) and was shot down by some low-level employee that tells me there's no way I could obtain a replacement and they have no other department I can talk to. I work for Apple tech support and in NO way should a battery impede the regular use of a computer. I just wanted to thank you guys for the suggestions and would like to say that a company whose revenue exceeds 11 billion dollars in a single year can afford a battery which probably cost less than 20 dollars to produce. I also realize the thickness in irony of an Apple support agent complaining about a Windows machine, but hey, we all have apps we need to run that only Windows can support . 

Adam


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Hi,

have you tried another battery? like swapping batteries with a friend who has a similar system but without these symptoms. 

one more thing to try in relation to Acer's advise to remove the MS driver. try running a totally different operating system like linux. download the live-CD version and burn it to CD and try running it. observe if the symptoms still come out. if yes, then you at least narrowed down the possibility that it is not the MS driver but the battery or your something in your motherboard.


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## Lburgguy (Mar 29, 2008)

So glad I found this post. I thought I was going nuts. I had the same exact problem with my 3003wlc. Reinstalled xp but it didn't help. I have the original battery (I've been using a second high capacity battery for two years now) and will charge it up and see if the problem goes away. If it does, that would indicate it is the battery. 
If anyone else has some definitive answers to this problem please post them here.


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

Dears,
unfortunately i think that is the battery. Because the laptops without his works good, isn't necessary switch off the Microsoft ACPI module.

The worst 4me is that now i can't use the acer battery recall program...

*They don't* take the responsabilities because i m not in the country of purchase. *They don't* answer at my emails... In the country where i am *they don't* know nothing about this recall program. And my laptop is almost under warranty... No words.:upset::upset:


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## Oli4 (Feb 25, 2008)

@domisimo
Have you tried switching off the battery driver? I would give it a change, because it worked for me.


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## Lburgguy (Mar 29, 2008)

I tried another battery and it works now. Has to be a bad battery that causes this problem.


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## Chaos 1000 (Mar 14, 2008)

It definitely is the battery. I switched mine out for another I purchased on eBay and its AMAZING. 
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120230620740&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=002


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

@Oli4
Hi Oli4, I'm yet alive. .
So, you have reinstalled the battery driver
Or just switch-off switch-on?

Thanks, tonight i try.
I hope this work also with me...:wave:


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## hjpunzalan (Apr 26, 2008)

Oli4 said:


> I have called today to Acer. They came up with a driver issue. I had to remove the driver for 'Microsoft AC adapter'. After I removed this nothing happend. So they said that I had to bring in my laptop for repair.
> 
> Yeah...so I will look futher myself first before spending money.
> 
> ...


Hey Oli! I've got the same problem with you and I tried reformatting the laptop (Acer aspire 5601 AWLMI) but still wont work (I reformatted C: and D). Then i tried reinstalling the keyboard and still wont work! Then in the end, while i was loading my desktop, I took of the charger and waited for it to load the desktop. Guess what? The keyboard work and same with the touch pad. 

After that I downloaded Norton 360 and the internet. When I saw your topic, I quickly did what u just said. Boy, it worked! Thanks! But do you think that it will still work when I load the Back Up CD? I have to load it or otherwise I wont be able to use the webcam and microphone and other drivers in the laptop. I also tried surfing the internet if theres and downloadable drivers for my laptop but I cant find any. :4-dontkno :sigh: I even tried going to its website but still nothin...
so what do you think? Do you think it will still work when I load the files on the Back UP CD?


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

No way, don't work...:4-dontkno
The battery autonomy now is 15min. 
With Microsoft AC adapter activated
the problems of keyboard, system-crash, etc... comes back.

Solution> CHANGE BATTERY :sigh:


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

try installing updates for power management from Acer website. that might help. also update drivers for input devices (Acer made this quite complicated to look for because of their naming convention). and may be update the BIOS.


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## hjpunzalan (Apr 26, 2008)

How about if i try using my other laptops charger... but its hp.


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks TriggerFinger  soon i 'll try also this way. But my feel is that's a mechanical problem... I hope to be wrong...


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

domisimo said:


> Thanks TriggerFinger  soon i 'll try also this way. But my feel is that's a mechanical problem... I hope to be wrong...


is the battery you're using original (not generic)? if it is, try the drivers from Acer. if it is not, try the original one. i have seen many instances that weird things happen when using generic batteries and adapters.


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## danceinshadow (Apr 30, 2008)

I have an Acer Aspire 3002 and I'm having the same problem but the problem is that I can have both the battery in but be running on AC current when the failure happens.


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## coxysteve (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi I have just fixed this error on a friends Acer Aspire 5670 Win XP SP3, the way I did this was to start the laptop with the power supply and the battery removed turned off the Critical Battery Alarm in the power options, replaced the battery (Locking the Keyboard ETC) removed the Power supply and ran the thing until the battery went flat, then restarted the laptop with the battery and the power supply, this seems to have fixed the problem for the while but I have advised my friend to purchase a new battery


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## domisimo (Feb 27, 2008)

Changed the dangerous battery with problems, by Acer 4 free. Problem solved, now all is perfect.


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## kyla7824 (Sep 17, 2008)

hi oli4! i have exactly the same problem as yours...except for the keyborad and touchpad failure...My battery life got shorter and shorter...what i did was fully charge the battery and then i got the battery out of its socket and now use my laptop with the ac adapter..i only use the laptop battery when i can't use the adapter...i was just wondering if removing the battery from its "socket" can pose some dangers on the laptop and im also wondering if disabling the acpi drive is the same as removing the battery so that instead of removing the battery i can just disable the drive...can anyone tell me...=) thanks


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## squeechfl (Jan 28, 2009)

I know this may seem simplified...but before you run through all the issues/processes offered to help your keyboard/mouse react again, try charging the battery for a night or two.
I had not used my laptop in a while due to a programming issue. By the time I had it fixed, the battery went dead. If the keyboard works without the battery in, after you finish working on the laptop, try keeping the laptop powered on with the battery in it when you are away or asleep. 
This will very likely charge the battery again and restore function to your keyboard.
I am using the laptop keyboard to write this. I noticed last night that some keystrokes were showing, where there was no reaction before. The battery took more than one night to be up at full power...but it is fine now. 
I saved myself more than $40.00 by not purchasing a replacement. Hope this helps.


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## Wajid (Jun 15, 2009)

I have been having exactly the same problem as Oli4, and it has been driving me bonkers.

I will try his solution ASAP.

I just wanted to thank him and everyone else who has contributed to this thread. 

My next laptop will not be an Acer.

W


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