Windows 10 How do I solve relatively new Acer R15 Convertible laptop that has constant BSOD crashes both randomly and from minor knocks?

RobbieX

New Member
I received my laptop Dec. 2017 new from amazon. It arrived properly packaged but the display came misaligned with the body (visibly when closed down), which i ignored anyways. It worked pretty normally with everything for about 2 months. I stored my laptop slantly in a safe area away from liquids, falls, knocks and (hopefully) much dust. i took care of it and had no falls, spills nor lent it to anyone.... not even out the house.
After 2 months the laptop had a windows update which i snoozed so i could finish a game. Eventually, i had a BSOD, and upon reboot, the computer automatically updated itself. From then i have been having random BSODs occurring frequently.
These BSODs occur sometimes on boot, requiring multiple reboots. They also occur pretty much every time i play a game, when i move or lift the device swiftly and when the laptop receives a knock ( whether body knock or display knock... almost any hard contact) as light a a pen hitting the edge or me entering the bed quickly while it is on the bed. I stopped storing the laptop sideways which seemed to reduce the frequency of crashes but that's questionable right now.
Also, occasionally my network stops working, leaving the wifi symbol to a monitor with a red 'X' and no network reception, and the wifi device goes missing. It occurs only on boot up ( whether by cold boot, reboot or BSOD reboot) at COMPLETE random. The only way i have discovered to resolve it, is a temporary fix to reboot and turn off-turn on the computer until it decides to work.
I backed up files and had a reset of the computer. When i did this, it didn't have the problem, but for a small amount of time (for which i can't tell if it actually worked). Within minutes, ironically the laptop had a small fall (yes, i know i sound really bad lucky). From here everything was at full swing once more. Up to this date they both bothers me daily.
I scoured the internet for answers but each only speak to pieces of my puzzle. Some possible solutions found are high risk, out of my confidential-skill level and potentially warranty threatening. Though i could carry it to a technician for check and repair, that's a costly and risky venture for me and i would at least find the most plausible cause for it and maybe a high likely solution I could manage to correct it.
 
I received my laptop Dec. 2017 new from amazon. It arrived properly packaged but the display came misaligned with the body (visibly when closed down), which i ignored anyways. It worked pretty normally with everything for about 2 months. I stored my laptop slantly in a safe area away from liquids, falls, knocks and (hopefully) much dust. i took care of it and had no falls, spills nor lent it to anyone.... not even out the house.
After 2 months the laptop had a windows update which i snoozed so i could finish a game. Eventually, i had a BSOD, and upon reboot, the computer automatically updated itself. From then i have been having random BSODs occurring frequently.
These BSODs occur sometimes on boot, requiring multiple reboots. They also occur pretty much every time i play a game, when i move or lift the device swiftly and when the laptop receives a knock ( whether body knock or display knock... almost any hard contact) as light a a pen hitting the edge or me entering the bed quickly while it is on the bed. I stopped storing the laptop sideways which seemed to reduce the frequency of crashes but that's questionable right now.
Also, occasionally my network stops working, leaving the wifi symbol to a monitor with a red 'X' and no network reception, and the wifi device goes missing. It occurs only on boot up ( whether by cold boot, reboot or BSOD reboot) at COMPLETE random. The only way i have discovered to resolve it, is a temporary fix to reboot and turn off-turn on the computer until it decides to work.
I backed up files and had a reset of the computer. When i did this, it didn't have the problem, but for a small amount of time (for which i can't tell if it actually worked). Within minutes, ironically the laptop had a small fall (yes, i know i sound really bad lucky). From here everything was at full swing once more. Up to this date they both bothers me daily.
I scoured the internet for answers but each only speak to pieces of my puzzle. Some possible solutions found are high risk, out of my confidential-skill level and potentially warranty threatening. Though i could carry it to a technician for check and repair, that's a costly and risky venture for me and i would at least find the most plausible cause for it and maybe a high likely solution I could manage to correct it.

As well as the excellent advice offered above can you please post the make and model of your device.

Please make sure you post the full model name as there are usually several versions of the same device.

Have you considered a reset? Basically this will return your machine to the condition it was in when it left the factory (settings wise anyway)

Reset or reinstall Windows 10
Reset
If your PC isn't running well, resetting it might fix the problem. Resetting reinstalls Windows 10, but gives you the option to keep your files. Here are three ways to reset your PC:
  • Select the Start button, then select Settings > Update & security > Recovery. Under Reset this PC, select Get started.
  • Restart your PC to get to the sign-in screen, then press and hold down the Shift key while you select the Power icon > Restart in the lower-right hand corner of the screen. After your computer restarts, selectTroubleshoot > Reset this PC.
  • You can also use installation media to reset your PC. See Recovery options in Windows 10 for detailed steps.

Reinstall
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4026528/windows-reset-or-reinstall-windows-10

As for driver support, check the laptop manufacturers website and look for your model. It's on the laptops support page where you'll find driver downloads but anyhoo post the make and model and we'll find it for you.

Lastly if the machine really is blue screening with the lightest tap and it was indeed dropped have you considered using the warranty if it's still available and not out of date?
 
Brand - Acer
Model - Aspire R5-571TG

I tried a reset already but the problem returned. I would assume its is hardware related, at least partly.
 

Attachments

  • W7F_12-07-2018.zip
    2.5 MB · Views: 447
Code:
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 1D3, {3eb, 0, 0, 0}

Probably caused by : Qcamain10x64.sys ( Qcamain10x64!ath_pcie_bug_check+3cc )

Followup:     MachineOwner
Hi,
all dump files had the same bugcheck of 1D3 which currently there isn't much information on. We do however have a named driver as a probable cause and is an excellent place to start.

Qcamain10x64.sys = Qualcomm Atheros Extensible Wireless LAN device driver

Your driver is dated:
Qcamain10x64.sys Thu Oct 27 08:21:19 2016.

I checked your support page over at Acer (ty for the info by the way) and there is a driver dated 2017:
snip.JPG

Product support

See if updating the driver helps your bsod.
 
Thank you for the help.

I tried, however i received a message that the best driver is already installed. I tried other drivers which were from 2016 with other options on the acer website dated as 2017, which turned out to be the same version and giving the same message as the LAN driver.

The problem i would assume is hardware related.... potentially loose cable connection of something (wifi or sata).
That would sort of explain why it happens at complete random (sometimes not once for a day or two, few times a day or just completely terrorizing a day) even while just leaving it still, and happens when i move the laptop around, lifting, knocks. Also it may be linked to the fan as well as it happens more frequently when the wifi is on from boot up, when i open the chrome browser (which is full of opened tabs) and of course when the device is under pressure but not limited to those situations.
Also every time i have the BSOD event, then fans get load (this laptop has loud fans) which slowly trickles to silence once the devices is rebooted/ turned off.
(I also had another while typing this so.... pretty random and annoying.)
 
After reading your first post again have you considered returning the device? Obviously it shouldn't be blue screening simply from the lightest touch.

When you performed the Reset did you re-install your system drivers?

Chrome, although a great browser, can have it's own idiosyncrasies and I'd go through it with a fine toothcomb making sure your not running any extensions that are unwanted.

Regarding the wifi driver, are you sure you downloaded the one i arrowed?
Also as with all drivers, you should remove the original before installing the new version, did you try doing that first before installing the new driver?

If it still messes you about try removing the driver when in safe mode.
 
I live in Jamaica. I bought it off amazon (US). Sending the device based on warranty is pretty much a waste (shipping and cost and stuff). Returning the device would itself be a hassle with loss of data, i don't have another device to use in the present time ( no smartphone currently). pretty much anything relating to shipping off the device is bad in my case, and preferred to stay as last resort.

A technician would be money, which i would prefer to channel some where else, while i try to solve this any way else. So i would put that as a latter option.

Chrome is unlikely to be the cause as bsod occurs independently of it (sometimes in log in screen, and sometimes without the connection on). i do not have many extensions and my few i would trust as safe.

As with the wifi driver, yes i chose the one you highlighted.

I will try the safe mode option you gave.

I attached another zip file in case that can be of any help.
 

Attachments

  • W7F_13-07-2018.zip
    5.3 MB · Views: 451
Code:
*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 1D3, {3eb, 0, 0, 0}

Probably caused by : Qcamain10x64.sys ( Qcamain10x64!ath_pcie_bug_check+3cc )

Followup:     MachineOwner
Hi,
I also checked your dxdiag diagnostics and you can see this issue goes back for some time.

---------------
Diagnostics
---------------

Windows Error Reporting:
+++ WER0 +++:
Fault bucket 0x1D3_Qcamain10x64!ath_pcie_bug_check, type 0
Event Name: BlueScreen
Response: Not available
Cab Id: b8b789f9-1e5f-4d73-a8cc-7f07cefe3716

The other drivers to consider are chipset. Try updating your chipset drivers using the support page (link above). There's two you'll need, management engine driver and the chipset which relates to the chip being run (either kabylake or skylake).

I also notice your system has pending bios updates relating to Intel firmware:
Code:
SYSTEM_MANUFACTURER:  Acer

SYSTEM_PRODUCT_NAME:  Aspire R5-571TG

SYSTEM_SKU:  Aspire R5-571TG_112E_1.07

SYSTEM_VERSION:  V1.07

BIOS_VENDOR:  Insyde Corp.

BIOS_VERSION:  V1.07

BIOS_DATE:  11/08/2016

BASEBOARD_MANUFACTURER:  Acer

Version available:

BIOS
Updates Intel microcode revision
Date: 2018/01/05
Version: 1.09
Vendor: Acer
Size: 8.9 MB
Product support

If your not happy about flashing the bios then leave it until you can find a friend or tech to do it for you.

Something else you could consider is uninstalling the update and then deferring it until later which by then there may have been a driver release or two?
 
I tried updating the network driver but didnt work. I uninstalled the network driver then tried installing the extracted file from the acer sit, but it didn't work (both in safe and normal mode). Seems I am doing something wrong or m device doesn't allow it.

I had no bsod while in safe mode ( nor safe mode allowing network connection) which gives the option that a driver might be the cause.

However, I cant confirm since my recent experience. Since Friday I had been using the laptop in tablet mode. I had no incidents throughout. I was starting to assume that the problem may have stemmed from a keyboard/ touchpad cable/driver issue (since both are disabled during tablet mode) But I was still experimenting and sadly as i feared, today it started shutting down while in tablet mode, proving this thing as fully random, almost purposefully doing these 'tricks'.

I don't know if you picked these up already from the above files but I checked the event viewer and found these:
June 1 - July 23 = 78 critical events.

The majority/all of the events showed these characteristics:
event ID- 41
task category- (63)

eventdata - bugcheckcode- 467
bugcheckparameter1-0x3eb
2-0x0
3- 0x0
4- 0x0

Don't know if these can be tracked to something specific.
I may eventually give up n give an arm to a technician with it.
 
I don't know if you picked these up already from the above files but I checked the event viewer and found these:
June 1 - July 23 = 78 critical events.
These usually relate to a crash of some sort especially if t's event 41.

Is there anything else you use which is network related? Anti virus and other third party applications can have an effect.

Do you have anything connected via usb?
 
I have no antivirus currently (other than windows defender). I had Avast before I had the reset and didn't redownload, but it found nothing harmful while I had it. All I use with the internet that is not 100% trustworthy (I guess) is Bluestacks3 (which I use as a replacement for my phone). I have no usb dongles attached.

I was closing out virus as a potential cause due to certain actions but I really am opening up to its potential. I used my sd card from my prev. phone so send over some data (after it died from spontaneous shut downs... seeming from its swollen battery... who knows could be a virus). It did cause my laptop to glitch out pretty badly, slow down and crash once (not blue screen). This stopped once I took the card out. It had a message saying the card was faulty (performance decreased greatly when it was in my phone as well).
If this is a candidate ( idk how it would be able to affect the device so many ways (movement, offline, randomly, log in screen, network driver glitch) however,) I would like to know how to confirm and what steps to take to remove it (as Avast nor windows could have identified it).
 
All I use with the internet that is not 100% trustworthy (I guess) is Bluestacks3
Hmm.. That is a suspect for sure and I checked on their site for any related problems. Funnily enough it seems they are quite familiar with bsod's and even suggest you send them the dump file!
Anyhoo the main advice is to update to the latest version so try that if you haven't already:
Why am I getting BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death)?

Regarding virus activity, try running this online scanner from Eset. It's free and easy to use:
Free Virus Scan | Online Virus Scan from ESET
 
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