# Help me identify what is wrong with my new laptop (Slow internet, Disk usage 100%)



## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

It's an Acer Aspire E5-572G. Just got it one week ago.

*These are the specs:*

*OS Version:* Microsoft Windows 8.1, 64 bit
*Processor:* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4210M CPU @ 2.60GHz, Intel64 Family 6 Model 60 Stepping 3
*Processor Count:* 4
*RAM:* 3987 Mb
*Graphics Card:* NVIDIA GeForce 840M, -2048 Mb
*Hard Drives:* C: Total - 468077 MB, Free - 420918 MB; D: Total - 468077 MB, Free - 467341 MB;
*Motherboard:* Acer, EA50_HWS
*Antivirus:* Windows Defender, Disabled

Playing Lol in normal settings either has me dropping connection and frames either once every hour or once every minute, download ETAs can vary between seconds and days. Browsing the web gets slow after opening a few tabs.

*Ran a speedtest check:*
http://www.speedtest.net/result/3897653931

(Testing a different PC on the same connection gives me an 85 Mbps Download speed)

*Some pictures of the task manager I took while performing mundane tasks:*
http://i.imgur.com/BclTXF0.png?1 http://i.imgur.com/LK419Iw.png?1 http://i.imgur.com/cnnKm3r.png?1

*Disk usage goes up to 100% and back down to 0 even when I'm barely running any programs, here is the performance tab after doing nothing for a minute:*
http://i.imgur.com/SH9eQwo.png?1

As I said, the laptop is new. I haven't done anything out of the ordinary (Removed some bloatware). I only started noticing there was something wrong with the laptop a few days after buying it (Though I hadn't exactly been paying much attention). My first couple intense gaming sessions presented no issues whatsoever though it was only after I started playing games that the problem made itself apparent to me, so there may be a relation there. Once I decided there was definitely something going on with the laptop I reset to factory settings (So now all the bloatware is back), though the issue persisted.

I'm not very tech savvy so even though something doesn't seem right I don't know where the problem lies and whether it could be the disk, the memory, the CPU, etc. No clue what to do about this. Please any help would be greatly appreciated! Also I'm new here so any advice on how to better format my post would also be welcome, thanks.


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

Seems like some process is accessing the internet and/or the CPU heavily.

In the task manager, arrange the process in descending order of CPU usage by clicking on the CPU tab. Then, notice which process/processes are using up lot of CPU. That will give you an idea of what's going on.

You should also scan your system with the antivirus to see if the system is infected with malware. Sometimes, malware too can cause slowdown as they keep accessing internet in background.

Since you have Avast, it has the scan on boot feature which is really useful. You can use that to scan the system on boot. Don't remove any files that you are not sure of, though.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Does it look like the CPU usage is high on the pictures I posted? I don't really know what the standard should be or what to search for when staring at the Task Manager.

Here are two pictures I took just now, one with Disk Usage at 100% and one with it looking normal, arranging the CPU tab in descending order.

http://i.imgur.com/P0gWadG.png?1 
http://i.imgur.com/VOITxsf.png

I've run scans with Malwarebytes, Avast, Defender. They yield no results. (I only keep one software active at a time)


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

Really can't say from the pics you posted.

Another thing I noticed now is that the RAM you have on the system is 4 GB, which is quite low for a 64-bit system. Also noticed in the pics that the memory usage is quite high, around 65%... which is why the virtual memory, which is on disk, is coming into play, and that may account for the high disk usage.

You should go for an additional 4 GB on your system, and then it should run smooth. 64-bit systems generally require 8 GB of RAM for working smoothly.

When several programs are running together on system, with a low RAM, it can be a problem, and that's why you can experience system slow down.

That's the probable cause that I can think of. You can wait for other answers from someone more knowledgeable than me.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Any knowledge is good in contrast with my limited understanding of computers. Thank you very much for your replies.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Your first line of approach - is to uninstall AVAST
Please do try it - many Windows 8 systems do not like 3rd party anti-virus progams
I am NOT saying that it is AVAST but I would not be in the least surprised to find out that it was
When you have done that check that Windows Defender is enabled and updated and check that Windows Firewall is also enabled

Uninstall AVAST using Control Panel programs and features
REBOOT
the run the ASW cleanup tool
http://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility

NOTE CAREFULLY please the caution and the procedure

REBOOT and test

If AVAST is the paid for edition ensure of course that you have the means to reinstall if my assumption is incorrect

MEM use on 8 - the system generally will use all available ram
However it manages that so that the allocation of ram to the system as standby ram is released as and when programs etc need it.
It is quite usual to see only a small amount of ram as free

press windows key and type resource

see my screenshot you will notice that I only have 651MB free but see the standby ram and that will be released by ram management on windows 8 as and when needed

Finally that very low download speed is typical of a problem caused by AVAST webshield
THE ONLY way of deciding if it is the problem is to uninstall it as I have described.


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

Sorry, but I don't think you are providing the right advice here.

I have been using Avast on my Windows 8 (now Windows 8.1) from the very beginning since I installed it on my computer. I have faced no problem of slowdown, or anything. In fact, Avast is quite light on system resources.

This is also false about Windows 8 not liking 3rd party antivirus. Windows 8 does come with Windows Defender, but as said by Microsoft, if a 3rd party antivirus is installed, it will not interfere with the operation of the 3rd party antivirus. Windows 8 systems work fine with 3rd party antivirus, unless there is a problem with the antivirus itself, which is a different issue.

About Avast web shield too, what you write is false. It does not cause any slowdown, unless there is a known issue with the web shield. In case there is an issue, it's solved at the earliest by the Avast team. Again, I have been using Avast with its web shield, and I experience no slowdown while using the internet.

From the screenshots posted, it really looks like the system is struggling with memory. That's why I advised for more memory.

In the screenshot you posted, the memory being used is around 35-37%, but in the case of the original poster, its around 65%, which is really high, and will definitely cause system slowdown. RAM upgrade should help in this case.

Or, investigation is required to see if unnecessary programs or services are running, which do not require to be run all the time. Identifying and taking care of such programs should then lower the memory usage.

Even if original poster wants to remove Avast, I would not advise running with Windows Defender, as it's not good enough on its own to protect the system. A 3rd party antivirus should be installed, unless the original poster follows safe practices, and is confident of going without an antivirus. But still, I don't think antivirus is causing the problems here.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

> But still, I don't think antivirus is causing the problems here.


Well uninstalling it will most certainly show - whether or not it is the cause.

When a 3rd party antivirus is installed Windows Defender is automatically disabled by the system - in 99% of cases so obviously it will not effect the operation of the other AV

Windows Defender on 8 is NOT the Windows Defender that was on 7 which was only Antispyware/adware

On 8 there is no need EVER to stop services running and in fact they should NEVER be changed from their default system settings

MANY people, including me, run with the included Windows Defender and in most cases a supporting scan on demand only from something like Malwarebytes and never have a problem

However NO antivirus can protect you from the inherent risk of acquiring Malware with torrents, other P2P downloads, opening sites without any consideration as to their safety etc.

And finally although 4GB ram on a 64bit system may be at the lower end of the ideal quantity
Trying to solve this problem by putting extra ram in a computer that is


> It's an Acer Aspire E5-572G. Just got it one week ago.


Is most certainly NOT the right way forward


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

Well yes, if the user wants to uninstall the antivirus and see if things improve, then that can be done, but I am almost sure that it's not the issue here.

I noticed that the laptop was bought only a week ago, but it still comes with 4 GB RAM, while for a 64-bit system, 8 GB is recommended generally. So, that's a fact.
My advice for increasing RAM was because of the screenshots that were posted, which certainly show that high RAM is being used... more than normal.

Yes, this can be solved, if any process(s) that are not required to run are running, or if the system is infected with malware. Since the scans have been done and the system does not seem to be infected, the first case seems to be most likely. Now, that's upon the user to investigate further, if there are any programs which are running, and consuming high RAM.

If all legitimate and necessary programs are running, then increasing RAM seems to be a likely solution. I am not saying that increasing RAM is the only solution here.

Yes, it's not the same Windows Defender, but still, I don't think it's enough.
You are very correct to say that no antivirus can protect a system, if the user himself goes to risky sites, or downloads from risky sites, and downloads from P2P or torrents without discrimination. A big responsibility surely lies on the user.

While experienced users may not require an antivirus at all, or will be content with Windows Defender, but general users do require a good antivirus for protection, since they are not experienced as much as the experienced users. Therefore, having a good antivirus certainly helps.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Well you guys got me conflicted now.

Prior to these new responses I tried to solve the problem through different variants of advice I read online in forums like this one and the like. One of the steps I took was to deactivate Avast and make Windows Defender my default, keeping Malwarebytes on the side (A very similar procedure to the one described above.)

Lo and behold, my download speed goes up to the forties now. Still goes down every once in a while and still my disk/RAM usage goes up to 100% from time to time. It doesn't happen often at all though (Same with my speed, it sometimes drops to the single digits) and the frequency is barely noteworthy so it doesn't really bother me. Add to that the fact that I can't make any sense of all the talk about RAM being at 50% and the memory being carried over to the disk and whatnot (Not that you haven't done a great job explaining it, but I guess my core understanding of how stuff works is sub-par), so now I'm just wondering if there is anything actually fundamentally wrong with my computer or I'm just nitpicking.

In my stress and frustration I did try several things, uninstalling some programs, installing others (For example it seemed something was wrong with my mouse driver? I have no idea to what extent that can affect the computer but I changed it to a better one). So it is impossible for me to tell whether deactivating Avast had any influence, hope it does shed any light into your discussion though.

Most importantly, thank you both very much for the advice and comments!


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

Well, if disabling Avast had positive effects on the running of the system, then uninstall it completely, and see if the system runs better. As explained by Macboatmaster earlier, download the Avast Uninstall Utility from the link provided and save it. Then, uninstall Avast from Control Panel. Reboot, and then run the uninstall utility, which will take care of any remnants left behind.

Although Avast runs without problems on my Windows 8.1 32-bit system, but yes, different computers have different configuration, and different antivirus can sometimes behave differently. So, if Avast is the problem, do uninstall it, and go with Windows Defender, or any other antivirus of your choice.

BTW, just tell which version of Avast Antivirus are you running on your system. Please do note it, and post it, before uninstalling it.

RAM occasionally going to 100% is not an issue. It can happen when you open programs, and so the usage can pike up for a while. No need to worry if it's not occurring for a long period of time.

About RAM and disk usage, I will try to explain. When you run any program, its processes are loaded in the memory, which is RAM, and then it runs from there. This is required, because programs loaded in RAM run much faster than if they were run from the hard drive. That's why sufficient amount of RAM is needed for the system to run smoothly.

When a lot of programs are loaded in the RAM, and it starts to get full, then an amount of space, known as virtual memory, on the hard drive comes into play. So, when RAM usage is high, the programs which are in the background and not maximized, are sent to virtual memory to free up the RAM. Therefore, when RAM usage is high, virtual memory on hard drive can come into place and cause disk usage.

Hope this helps in understanding.

Why did you think something was wrong with the mouse driver?

Uninstall Avast, and let's hope it solves the problem .


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Is it normal though, for my disk to go up to 100% even if I barely have any programs running and 95% of both my disks is free and my RAM usage showing up at 50% at the same time?

I did uninstall Avast following the instructions on the post above after having caught up with your replies. Still seeing how that goes but as I said, internet speed works most of the time now.

Also the mouse driver issue: Before I started experiencing any issues I had plugged in the wireless USB mouse thingy on the computer, but it got removed by accident as Windows was installing the drivers. It was around this time that the problem started. A few days later I went back to the crappy Acer mouse that came with the laptop and I no longer experienced connection drops and could game with relative fluidity. I had been tried several things though like the uninstalls and tinkering with the anti-viruses (Not being negligent about it), so maybe it influenced in some way, maybe it didn't.


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

If the RAM usage is high, and disk usage stays at 100% for a long time, then no, it's not normal. When this happens, you need to identify which programs/processes are causing high RAM usage and disk usage. You can see this from Task Manager. Does CPU usage go high too?

Anyways, you can look in Task Manager, and arrange by decreasing order of RAM or CPU, as you want, to see the culprit programs or processes.

In the task manager, do click on "Show processes from all users" towards the bottom, which will show the whole list of active processes.

Since you uninstalled Avast just now, let's see if things improve. If the internet speed has improved, most probably, web shield of Avast was causing the slowdown, but normally it shouldn't. Did you note the Avast version you were using? Or remember it? It might be that you were using some older version with issues, and might not have updated.

Not clear about the whole mouse driver issue.

How did it got removed accidentally?

Windows was installing drivers on its own? Which drivers were being installed?

If issues started happening this time, and you are sure that no other changes were made which would have caused this, then it might be something to do with faulty drivers. But, cannot be said for sure. Will need more details about the whole issue.

Anyways, if the issue still persists, you will have to identify the programs or processes taking up RAM or CPU.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

NeverRage

You say


> Well you guys got me conflicted now.


Who you decide you wish to work with in an attempt to solve your problems is entirely your decision

All I would say is
ADVICE from CapriAnupam on his post 4 was


> You should go for an additional 4 GB on your system, and then it should run smooth. 64-bit systems generally require 8 GB of RAM for working smoothly.
> 
> When several programs are running together on system, with a low RAM, it can be a problem, and that's why you can experience system slow down.
> 
> That's the probable cause that I can think of. You can wait for other answers from someone more knowledgeable than me.


My first advice on my first response was to try the uninstall of Avast.

As I said the decision is yours.
If you wish my advice you are more than welcome - however working with different advice at the same time is not always the best idea.


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

NeverRage, please follow the advice of Macboatmaster. He is clearly more experienced than me, as can be seen from the number of his posts. Also, his advice earlier to uninstall Avast was correct. I did not think that would be the problem, but it seems like it. So, I admit my mistake, and I did correct my replies after that.

I also admit that I am not as knowledgeable as others might be. I consider myself just above average, but certainly cannot consider myself proficient. So, I would gladly tell you to follow advice of Macboatmaster, who certainly seems to have both knowledge and experience.

However, my honest attempt was to provide help, with the best ability of my knowledge. Clearly, I have more to learn, as what I thought could not be the problem, turned out to be.

Please follow his advice, good luck .


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

NeverRage

1. The first job is to stop Microsoft - Windows changing drivers on that computer. Good as I think they are -* there is no doubt* that they do *occasionally get it wrong*. Especially it appears with wireless adapter drivers and less frequently but also with graphic drivers

2. Go Control Panel - devices and printers - open that
right click your computer icon
click device installation settings

CLICK to uncheck the box relating to AUTOMTIC driver updates for your devices and hardware

So please configure your system like my screenshot.

3. Please post when you have done that and also include please the make and FULL model details of the wireless mouse

4. That Acer Aspire came with either an Atheros or Broadcom - Bluetooth and wireless hardware
Please go device manager
That is in Control Panel
expand the entry network adapters - it will likely tell you if it is Atheros or Broadcom -please include those details in your reply

5. I cannot find on the Acer site what FREE trial of an AV program was included -- however Acer as far as I know do not usually include free trials of AVAST - are you aware please of what was originally included.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

I am aware that any decision I make is entirely my own doing and do not intend to put the blame on others. Just conflicted in terms of my own understanding of what the issue might be, as every time I seem to have a general idea a dissenting opinion turns it upside down. I'm also a complete moron when it comes to computers but I do value learning and am aware going for extra RAM as a solution for a computer that came out this year which I bought new just two weeks ago is not something I'm going to go for even in the event of nothing being actually inherently wrong with my computer. (It took me a VERY long time to choose this laptop, too. I was convinced I had made the right choice, which is just adding up to my frustration)

As I said, Avast was disabled and my connection problems improved to some degree. A couple days later I came back to this forum, posted the response and then proceeded to follow the instructions to get rid of Avast completely. As of right now I'm running on Windows Defender, which I will keep active as my only anti-virus at least until I've managed to know what's wrong. I'm not the type to browse around and download crap without thinking so if this is a problem it's not an immediate one.

In the images I've been posting I always arrange in decreasing order depending on whatever is at 100% usage, but the way it usually works is the culprit (AKA the program leading the pack in terms of usage percent) is whatever program I'm running at the moment. If I don't run anything it's as if the computer still manages to find whatever process is being used the most and cranks it up to 100%, be it System or Service Host. For example I just started playing LoL and this happened:


http://imgur.com/thP2Mhi

 , the client for LoL went up to 90-something percent (It has never been a case of some process I don't know of popping up and using up my disk). It then started lagging pretty conspicuously as I was playing, not too bad for connection drops to happen but still I had the settings on low and this is not something that happens whenever I play on laptops with even lower specs. So something is definitely still wrong and I'm at a loss. After gaming (Which got progressively laggier as I played), I decided to run a few speedtests and my download speed is fluctuating from around 1 Mbps to 5. Again, not sure if this is in any way related to anything but even my dad's old overbloated All-in-one PC does better than that.

The Mouse USB thing was an accident in the sense that I unplugged it absentmindedly while drivers were being installed (As in, the window popped up automatically the moment I plugged the USB thing in and told me it was going to install drivers)

EDIT - I didn't notice there was a new post sorry, let me read and follow the instructions and I'll get back to you. Once again thank you all very much


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

_
CLICK to uncheck the box relating to AUTOMATIC driver updates for your devices and hardware

So please configure your system like my screenshot._

Alright, done. Thanks a bunch. So now that this is unchecked what would the appropriate steps be when installing new devices? I feel like a lot of faith is being put in me to handle this or is it more of a run of the mill procedure?

_3. Please post when you have done that and also include please the make and FULL model details of the wireless mouse_

This part is going to be a bit weird. I've been switching mouses around (I primarily got this laptop so I could move around between several places, and there's a bunch of mice everywhere I keep swapping or forgetting at one place or another). At the moment I'm using a wireless Logitech M310t (Not sure where I can find the details for it, am I meant to search online). The one I've been using the most is surprisingly the crappy Acer one that came with the laptop. The one which I disconnected (Though I did end up reconnecting and being able to use afterwards) is I believe a wireless Razer. Does my computer in any way remember the different Mice I plug in it? I keep trying to check but they all look the same. 

_
4. That Acer Aspire came with either an Atheros or Broadcom - Bluetooth and wireless hardware
Please go device manager
That is in Control Panel
expand the entry network adapters - it will likely tell you if it is Atheros or Broadcom -please include those details in your reply_

Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter

_5. I cannot find on the Acer site what FREE trial of an AV program was included -- however Acer as far as I know do not usually include free trials of AVAST - are you aware please of what was originally included._

The AV was McAfee. I nuked it out of orbit pretty much as soon as I got the laptop, since I'm not very fond of it and everyone I know told me to do so (Also the damn thing wouldn't even let me access or install browsers) along with some other random bloatware. Then I got Avast from ninite.com. Then when I did the reset to factory settings thing I once again removed McAfee and downloaded Avast, though decided to keep some bloatware for now since I don't want to be messing around with stuff too much. (This all took place before the original post)

EDIT- *An interesting fact (It may not mean anything):* While editing this post I started experiencing issues with my internet (It wouldn't refresh, the couple other tabs in my browser also wouldn't load anything, Youtube froze, etc.) I'm not doing anything hardware intensive, just literally browsing the web using no more than 3 tabs. And these days I keep Task manager up all the time so I know nothing else is running in the background. I was still connected to the Wifi network though, so I threw a quick glance at my family's PC and noticed the internet was still working. It was then that I had a weird thought and asked myself what would happen if I pulled out the mouse USB thing out of the laptop. So I did and not half a second later all my browser tabs started working again! Keep in mind this isn't the same Razer mouse I had unplugged mid-driver install two weeks ago but the Logitech M310t which I mentioned above. So either the plot has thickened or I'm starting to go delusional


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1. If you have not already done so - download and run the McAfee uninstaller
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS101331

It is not sufficient simply to uninstall using programs and features
REBOOT after running

2. That M310t must have the usb connected to a USB2.0 port and not a USB3.0 - the image below is NOT representative of your laptop but your ACER does have USB3 and USB2 ports
Move your USB 2.0 wireless receiver to the opposite side of your computer:








Make sure your USB 2.0 wireless receiver is in the USB 2.0 connector closest to your wireless peripheral:


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

I removed McAfee using Revo Uninstaller, which gave me an option to remove any additional files related to it. I did do some research beforehand but in hindsight I perhaps I shouldn't have used that program, though it was recommended to me by some pretty knowledgeable friends. Should I still download and run the uninstaller you've posted?

As far as I know I've never used the 3.0 port for the mouse. I believe it's the blue one to the left, right? I only touch those when plugging in my external hard drive, for the mouse I always use one of the two black ones on the right.

Edit - By the way this is some amazing response time. I'm quite pleased with this forum so far. Thanks


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

The designed uninstaller is always the best
Revo is good but when there is a tool designed for the purpose that is the one to use


Run it please it cannot do any harm


As you have the usb transmitter for mouse connected to the usb2.0 it appears that this is causing interference to the wireless network adapter
They likely both run on 2.4GHz


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Alright if there is no harm in it then I will go ahead and run it.

Does your comment about the USB transmitter maybe causing an interference imply that disconnecting the receiver should do the trick when experiencing connection problems? I mean as I said I've been swapping mice around a lot and not limiting myself to strictly one out of the two USB ports, in fact I keep choosing one or the other arbitrarily. How should I go about troubleshooting this? Could it be an issue with the drivers?

I was playing an online game a few minutes ago and my connection kept dropping. I took it as an opportunity to remove the receiver/swap ports/mice which perhaps was a bit silly, but nothing changed.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1.As far as I can ascertain the wireless card on that Acer supports the 5Ghz band as well as the 2.4
If that is the case and your modem/router also supports 5GHz then you may find that the wireless mouse will be Ok when using the 5Ghz band on the router
You will have to check if that change can be made on the modem/router the general instructions are here
http://blog.laptopmag.com/how-to-use-the-5-ghz-band-on-your-router

2. In view of the last - go here
http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/drivers

if it does not stay on the correct page for the e5-572g - type that in the search by product model
It does NOT stay on the page so the drivers are
AMTIntelIntel iAMT Driver9.5.24.1790
ChipsetIntelChipset Driver9.4.0.1026
VGANVIDIAVGA Driver9.18.13.3302
Wireless LANBroadcomWireless LAN Driver6.30.223.234

NOTE chipset driver FIRST install

There is a chance albeit slight that Microsoft via windows updates has installed new drivers for the wireless card and they may as previously explained not be the correct ones

Download and install the following drivers
REBOOT after EACH install
1. Chipset
2. Intel iAMT driver
2. Broadcom wireless
3. Nvidia graphics

see how things are then


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Thank you. I'm sorry to be such a burden, but how do I go about installing the drivers specifically? Am I to extract the folder in full and then run the setup?

Edit- I started by downloading the Chipset driver file from the website after inputting my SNID number. I then extracted the folder downloaded and ran the setup. A window popped up saying: 

"This computer currently contains software version 10.0.13, which is newer than the version you are about to install.

Are you sure you want to overwrite the current software with the older version 9.4.0.1026?"

Am I to believe the software has not been updated on the manufacturer's website, should I go ahead and update it anyway just to check? Bought this computer in Taiwan, would the logical step to take now be to see what the difference in drivers is from the Chinese version of the site? 

Edit 2 - Just checked the Chinese version, same drivers.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Go back to the drivers recommended by Acer
They configure their laptops to work with the drivers they recommend.
These are not always the latest drivers from the manufacturers of the chipset, graphics etc.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Alright so I will follow the details of your previous post then.

Correct me if I'm wrong please: 

1. I download the Chipset driver from the Acer website.

2. I extract the folder, run the setup and install, regardless of whether or not Windows tells me I have an updated version of the same driver

3. I reboot the computer

4. I repeat the same process for the following drivers, in the order provided:

- Intel iAMT driver
- Broadcom wireless
- Nvidia graphics

What are the odds of having a different Chipset driver version being the cause of my problems?


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

CapriAnupam said:


> .... You should go for an additional 4 GB on your system, and then it should run smooth. 64-bit systems generally require 8 GB of RAM for working smoothly.
> 
> When several programs are running together on system, with a low RAM, it can be a problem, and that's why you can experience system slow down. ...


This might be true for certain types of software, but overall not true. I have been running both a desktop and laptop with 4GB ram and run MS Office Publisher, along with Excel and Word on occasion and have had no problems with slowdown. For some online gaming definitely need more ram (like World of Warcraft which my daughter plays) or software like video editing which relies very heavily on ram. As I've said depends on what you are running.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Yes you download, double click to open the zipped folder two folders will appear one is a pdf doc the other is the Broadcom
you double click that one and click setup then follow the instructions

To reassure you re the use of the drivers from Acer as against what may be newer versions from Intel, Nvidia, Broadcom etc
This warning is to be found on all such manufacturers sites

These software drivers are generic versions and can be used for general purposes.* However, computer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) may have altered the features, incorporated customizations, or made other changes to the software or software packaging they provide. *To avoid any potential installation incompatibilities on your OEM system, *Intel recommends that you check with your OEM and use the software provided by your system manufacturer*


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Okay so, I downloaded the zip file, double clicked it to open 7-Zip, double clicked the Setup file and a message popped up saying 

"Error

This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software.

Setup will exit."

Not sure what I'm doing wrong this time around. Or was I meant to extract it first.


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

You should extract the file first. It should work then .


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## CapriAnupam (Jul 9, 2008)

golddust said:


> This might be true for certain types of software, but overall not true. I have been running both a desktop and laptop with 4GB ram and run MS Office Publisher, along with Excel and Word on occasion and have had no problems with slowdown. For some online gaming definitely need more ram (like World of Warcraft which my daughter plays) or software like video editing which relies very heavily on ram. As I've said depends on what you are running.


Thanks for sharing your experience.

Well, my post was not meant for software, but more generally for the OS architecture. All around the internet, I have mostly come across that 64-bit Windows run better and smooth, with 8 GB of RAM... with Windows 8. And that 32-bit Windows 8 will work fine with 4 GB of RAM.

I have Windows 8.1 32-bit running on 4 GB RAM and it works fine.

Definitely, heavy programs will require more RAM, and/or better CPU too, in order for system to run smooth.

Sorry to NeverRage and Macboatmaster for butting in with this reply.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Alright updated the Chipset driver and rebooted. Now the iAMT Driver is confusing me as well.

I downloaded and unzipped the folder. Inside there is another folder called

> Installers

Inside there are two folders, one called

> ME_SW

and one called

> ME_SW_IS

The first one has a bunch of files and a Setup.exe, the second one can be unzipped to also reveal a bunch of files and a Setup.exe.

Which one am I meant to run? Or is it both?

*Edit - * CapriAnupam: I appreciate the butting in! Any piece of information even tangentially related to my post is one more stepping stone towards my eventual mastery of computers


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

ME-SW - setup - they are both the same if you read the installation pdf 
The only difference is how they are installed


Sorry for the delay but due to Acer not providing installation instructions - for there particular drivers I had to download it and look at it to answer


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Thank you very much. I read the installation PDF but couldn't make sense out of it.

So, all the drivers are installed now, and the computer seems to be running somewhat fine thus far. No connection drops while online gaming, though I still get some severe lag spikes in particularly intense situations. Guess I can't have everything.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Great but lets have another look and see if we can improve slightly

It does appear on the evidence available to me that the installation of drivers from Microsoft via Windows updates was the cause of the problem

As I said


> These software drivers are generic versions and can be used for general purposes. However, computer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) may have altered the features, incorporated customizations, or made other changes to the software or software packaging they provide. To avoid any potential installation incompatibilities on your OEM system, Intel recommends that you check with your OEM and use the software provided by your system manufacturer


That is from Intel but you will find the same on the Nvidia site and indeed the Broadcom site
What happens is that the major players such as Intel, Nvidia, AMD etc. work in conjunction of course with Microsoft and the Microsoft - Windows updates detects the hardware on your computer and then offers you the updated driver

If of course you have it set as you did automatically - then it is installed without your knowledge

There is NO DOUBT that these offered drivers are sometimes the wrong ones for the system.

Stay with the Acer drivers offered.
That is the safe course of action until Acer stop supporting that laptop.

NOW to see if we can further improve the situation - although a solution to the lag - may be due to bottlenecking 
Send please details of what game or application etc you are running when these lag spikes occur.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Thank you very much for being so engaged in this! I've had nothing but a good experience posting in this forum thus far.

I'm not much of an avid gamer, but I had enjoyed playing some not very hardware-intensive games on my friend's laptop lately, so I took that into account when selecting a laptop to buy and went for something with slightly better specs just in case it was ever needed.

So far the only game I've been playing is League of Legends. As I mentioned above it is in fact through playing League of Legends that I figured out something was going on in the first place, Since a few days into playing it I started experiencing connection drops (My character would stop moving for a while, the "Reconnecting..." message would appear.). They would come and go and sometimes they would stop for a day or two but show up eventually (So I haven't been chanting victory just yet).

I've been gaming a bunch today and yesterday since having installed the drivers, and as I said the connection drops seem to have disappeared, though I still get lag spikes during intense situations (Which I did not experience much of back when was getting got connection drops). 

Say for example at the very beginning when the game loads it gets a bit slow. Also around the mid-game, whenever my character gets targeted a lot, particularly right before dying, it freezes for a bit and only resumes after I'm dead, most of the time being the cause of me dying in the first place. Another instances would be opening up the menu button during the late game when there's lots of stuff going on, or once the game is done and before the character stats show up it takes a while for my computer to close the client down. I guess freezing is a better way to describe what I'm experiencing, as it doesn't "lag" regularly per se and stays around 60fps most of the time.

Whenever I'm playing the only programs I leave on are a music player, be it WMP or iTunes, the client for online gaming (Garena Plus) and the game itself.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

See if you can clarify this para for me please
I know English is not your first language and you are doing very well with it but I cannot quite understand what you are saying



> I've been gaming a bunch today and yesterday since having installed the drivers, and as I said the connection drops seem to have disappeared, though I still get lag spikes during intense situations (Which I did not experience much of back when was getting got connection drops).


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Whoops that's just terrible proofreading on my part. It's meant to say "back when I was getting connection drops"

Out of curiosity, what is the most blatant giveaway of English being my second language?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Well now - I could drop a right clanger here - if you were to reply
BUT it is my first language









After all I have said about drivers this may seem totally controversial
I think and there is really no exact science on this that the connection drops were the wireless driver

The lag I think is either as I mentioned bottlenecking - which is where a component cannot receive the info fast enough - eg the graphics cannot get the info fast enough from the processor - so it bottlenecks on the way to the graphics.

The expression comes from - of course, trying to empty the contents of a bottle - through a narrow neck or if you are lucky it is the graphics driver and a newer version may help.

I know that seems to contradict what I have said - about taking drivers only from Acer but it is worth a try - with this problem

1. Establish a restore point
2. Download this 
*GeForce Game Ready Driver*

Version: 344.65 *WHQL* Release Date: 2014.11.10  Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit Language: English (UK) File Size:

and try it
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/download/driverResults.aspx/79594/en-uk


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Well I sure hope it is a drivers issue to be honest. What could the issue be if it were to be bottlenecking? I've seen really poor systems with extremely low-end GPUs handling LoL with higher settings than mine does. It's quite baffling.

Help me out with this, how should I go about establishing the restore point exactly? And why is it necessary?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

restore point - so you can go back easily if it does not work as the - roll back driver feature does not always work for Nvidia drivers.


HOW
control panel - system - left pane advanced system settings
system protection tab
or


desktop
windows button
type 
restore point


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

I installed the Game Ready Driver, it seems to have made no difference. should I go back to the restore point?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

No do this please
see screenshot
right click shortcut to or exe of League of Friends
click on run with graphics processor
you should have a choice 
intel or Nvidia - select Nvidia


underneath that choice you should then have the option change default graphics processor and that should open the NVidia control panel


If the laptop is working on battery only the default processor will always be the Intel and if the AC is not connected or the battery is taking charge - the laptop will not readily allow the use of the Nvidia graphics due to the inbuilt settings of the Nvidia optimus automatic selection


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Still nothing, I'm sorry. I also tried setting the Nvidia settings full on performance as opposed to quality, and further lowered the in-game visual settings. But it all seems to barely make a difference


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Clean boot it and then try please
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
follow carefully the instruction for 8/8.1
Ensure you hide all microsoft services before disabling the rest
On the startup tab - when you then click to open task manager
DO not disable the security.

Reboot and test how it is then please


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

You say I shouldn't disable the security, but nothing about security shows up on my startup tab?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Yes you are right I remember now - you are running with Defender - as that is part of the OS rather than an installed AV it does not show - so do not worry about NOT disabling it - as you so correctly say - it is NOT there to NOT disable


NOTE I am offline until about 2230


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Well I've been trying this clean boot thing for a bit while gaming and there were no instances of the game freezing during deaths, which felt pretty good. Still it seems unnecessarily slow both during the loading screen and the score result screen.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Take it you did see my offline until - just come back now
Is it definitely better in clean boot than it is without it

If so leave it in clean boot for a while and go control panel - power options
what is shown please for the power scheme on preferred plan

AND please indicate to me how we now are compared with this from your opening post


> Playing Lol in normal settings either has me dropping connection and frames either once every hour or once every minute, download ETAs can vary between seconds and days. Browsing the web gets slow after opening a few tabs.


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Hey, sorry I haven't responded in a while. Again thank you for replying!

Here's the thing, while I can say the game runs better when I have less programs on startup, I cannot say it does it considerably better or in any way satisfactorily. I'm still suffering from lag to a very bothersome extent considering this laptop should have no problems with LoL in high settings and yet I've dropped it all down to low, kept no other programs open while playing at times,set both the GPU and the laptop's power options to performance, etc, While it would be pretty nice to be able to make sure I can play smoothly and without problems after doing all those things, there has to be something inherently wrong with this laptop I mean, League of Legends runs pretty much on any other machine these days. With that said, I could still run it on normal and not notice a difference in terms of how often it freezes, but I guess it's better to be on the safe side of things at the moment.

As for how it is compared to what I said in my opening post, I no longer drop connection while playing and except for a small handful of times my download speed hasn't really gone down. That does seem to have been fixed in fact. I still see some "spike" looking figures in the performance monitor and disk usage randomly hanging around 100% at times but this may as well be considered normal and I'm just misinterpreting,

On the other hand.it freezes now, and I think it may have been something I've done, as it barely ever lagged back when I had connection issues (Back then my in-game settings/power options/GPU settings were all the default).

One more thing, I want to apologize if my diagnosing of the situation is poor or sounds kinda all over the place but that's because this problem seems to come and go, every time I feel it is getting better it gets worse, or it acts well after I'm inactive for a while but after two or three games in a row it starts to get pretty bad. This is leading me to believe it is as you said a bottleneck or something of the kind, as if it didn't take much for my computer to overheat or get overwhelmed so it all gets kinda slow after continuous play. That is the way it feels at least. Sometimes I can play while running videos and music in the background without problem, then by second or third game it starts to lag noticeably, then a few games in even closing every other program has me freezing constantly.And for a while after I'm done playing the whole computer seems slower for a bit.

Hope I've helped and do point out anything if anything of what I said doesn't make sense, thanks


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1. Return it to normal boot


Type msconfig in the search box, and then tap or click *msconfig*.
On the *General* tab, tap or click the *Normal Startup* option.
Tap or click the *Services *tab, clear the check box beside *Hide all Microsoft services*, and then tap or click *Enable all*.
ap or click the *Startup *tab, and then tap or click *Open Task Manager*.
In task manager, enable all of your startup programs, and then tap or click *OK*.
When you are prompted to restart the computer, tap or click *Restart*.
2. Go control panel - power options - what plan is it on please


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Then do this please BUT in respect of the *wireless adapter*
To obtain the device ID of the Ethernet controller installed on your computer, complete these steps:

*1.* Open Device Manager.


Click *Start*, and then click *Control Panel*
Double-click *System*
On the Hardware tab, click *Device Manager*









*2.* Click *Network Adapters* to expand the network list of network devices installed on your computer
*3.* Right-click *Broadcom Wireless adapter*, and then click *Properties*









*4.* Click the *Details* tab










and send me those details shown for the WIRELESS adapter please by that I mean the string of letters and numbers shown as PCI\VEN


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

I have my Power Options set to High Performance, and I keep it like that most of the time. I also had it on Balanced a few days ago, no noticeable difference.

Under Network Adapters I got:

- Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter
- Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller

I checked the Network Adapter details, guess it must be the same as Wireless Adapter.

I don't get the option for a Device Instance ID, but a lot of similarly named ones instead:

Device description

http://i.imgur.com/KiIAbpF.png?1

Device instance path

http://i.imgur.com/U1vFUA5.png?1

The full value doesn't show in this one, it is:

PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4365&SUBSYS_664511AD&REV_01\0000B3FFFFDA301000

Hardware Ids

http://i.imgur.com/KWQET8K.png?1

Matching device Id

http://i.imgur.com/E5AZuOy.png?1

Compatible Ids

http://i.imgur.com/6lRvWRh.png?1


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Having read carefully your post 50 - again, is it possible for you to connect this laptop hard wired by Ethernet cable


If it is NOT for some reason possible at your home, could you possibly do it somewhere
After all we have tried unless there is something I am missing I think it may be the wireless connection


Despite searching I cannot find a more up to date driver for that Broadcom chipped wireless card than the one you have


It appears does it not, that firstly you had loss of the signal, but when it was connected no apparent game lags, and now although the signal is more constant , there are problems with the games


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

Yeah that last sentence is exactly right. I will try it out back at my dad's and get back to you, thanks


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## NeverRage (Nov 10, 2014)

I tried out an Ethernet cable, my download speed is faster according to speedtest, but game-wise it seems to make no difference, still lags.

Edit - A recent development which might help:

Acer laptop comes with an application called Acer Recovery Manager, which basically opens up an interface which lets me reinstall all the factory included stuff from a backup. I tried using it to reinstall all the drivers(http://i.imgur.com/EJfolNg.png?1 <- here is the full list) and guess what, the signal loss issue I had been having a few weeks back has now returned. Luckily I made a system backup beforehand.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

What I suggest you do - not because in any way I want to give-up so to speak but in your best interests is to take the laptop back to the supplier and show them what the problem is
Although as my colleague stated it would be a more smooth experience with more ram - I still do NOT think that is a course you should follow yourself at this time.


It is my opinion that this aspect is something the supplier should check, albeit of course that if he can satisfy you the problem is solved with more ram then no doubt that would be charged for.


I am sorry I have not been able to find the cause but I am conscious that time is going on and what started as a week old laptop -0n 10 Nov is of course now a three week old laptop


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