ACER need to know's

http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/fo...id=7&formid=3394&LINKTEXT=Drivers & Downloads

Link to english drivers for every model ACER offers. Just fill in type and model and it will take you to drivers and factory software added to your machine at delivery.

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I here and see this asked a lot so I figure I ll post a formal version of it for reference to others.

Follow these directions to convert a FATxx volume(s) to NTFS:
reasons to convert: NTFS is more efficient and uses less space, as well as being faster.

1. click start
2. select Run
3. type: cmd into the field
4. type: convert d: /fs:ntfs and hit enter
5. select yes for all prompts, except type acer data when asking for volume label.
6. wait for it to complete
7. when the d: partition is complete type: convert c: /fs:ntfs and hit enter
8. yes for all promts and when asked for the volume label type acer and hit enter. (It will say it cant dismount drive and will ask if you want to do this conversion on the next restart. type: yes and hit enter)
9. restart your pc and let it run the conversion before it loads windows.

When it is finished it will open windows on its own so when it is converting the primary partiton (c: drive) let it alone until it opens windows for you.

Now this was done on a ACER 5672 x1600 version. For volume labels you can find them by opening: MY computer and the name of you Hard Drive(s). Insert the correct name when it asks you for the volume label. For primary partitions it takes a little longer and requires a restart to start, but non primary partitions can be actively dismount while still in a loaded Operating System.

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New catalyst mobilty software is available:

Direct link:
http://www.ati.com/online/mobilecatalyst/

Thread found (credit is due to Chaz for the above link and info, full of great posts)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=64910

I found this to improve my 3dmark05 score on my 5672 x1600, and may be of interest to fellow ACER gamers. Just download the software, then go to Control Panel> add/remove programs> remove ATI drive, install and enjoy.

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More to come, when not at work looking over my shoulder for my boss . But please feel free to add as you see fit, I will be periodically adding to the original post as I see comon issues arise.

 

Great post
It is very useful.
Now I'm using NTFS on D and FAT on C. Dont know if that will cause smthing go wrong or not.
If I change C into NTFS, will i lose my data in it? I have 30 GB program file. Dont feel like to install them again if get erased
And also, how is this new catalyst. I use omega and get extra 400 point 3dmark 05 compare to catalist 6.5.

 

No you wont loose any data going to NTFS on your primary partiton. The new catalyst improved my score by about ~100 3dmarks with just an install, no other configuring or tweaking. Im glad to hear that a fellow x1600 user is able to use omega successfully. I got an install error when trying mine, as well as lost about 112 3dmarks. I may try it again but I dont know if I want to go through the hassell.

 

does anyone know why acer format with fat32 in the first place? seems quite pointless if ntfs is much more efficient

 

compatibility with other operating systems.

 

E-Recovery may not work if you covert C: to NTFS

 

Well, you don't really need E-Recovery once you have the DVD burned.

 

Unless of course the DVD stops working, in which case you are stuffed (in case it's not obvious I have 0 faith in DVD's to work for more than a few times, and have found in most cases that DVD's have a life of about 6 months, sometimes less).

FAT32 is much easier than NTFS for a great deal of programs because Micro$oft (from what I read) refuses to tell anyone how NTFS truely works, so 3rd party drivers are a bit sketchy (so things like Norton Ghost don't play so well with NTFS).

 

Well, a DVD's 'lifetime' depends on:
1. the manufacturer of the DVD
2. the way the DVD is handled
3. the way the DVD is stored
To say that a DVD lasts you 6 months or less means that one, some or all of the above are not being taken into consideration.

I really don't understand what NTFS has to do with drivers? Apart from (maybe) some programs that are used for data recovery or file system conversion (eg FAT32 > NTFS) that need to 'know' exactly how NTFS works, the type of file system, and, particulary NTFS, has absolutely NO relevance to how porgrams work.

 

Perhaps the MBR contains info on what type of file system is being used. And if it isn't FAT32 when it's restored, there may be corruption or failure to restore. I don't know, I've never tried it. I have restored just once so far on my 5672 from a NTFS system, but I used PM8 to change back to FAT32 before starting it. I just didn't want to take the chance.

 

Ever tried booting to DOS and then finding a file on your NTFS drive, I can guarantee you that it's not fun, now try it with Linux, not fun again? Well dang... must be something funny going on there.....

Ghost (which I am 90% sure Acer use) doesn't play THAT well with NTFS, it works, but FAT32 is much better for Ghost, which, I would assume, is why ACER machines come formatted as FAT32.

 

The only issue is regarding exactly what version of Ghost Acer uses to perform the restore. More clearly, it's regarding how much money Acer wants to spend (or has already spent) on buying Ghost from Symantec. If the bought some kind of unlimited licence for Ghost version xxx I don't really think that they will go now and spend another amount just to upgrade the current version of Ghost that they have. Some interesting reading
Fyi, FAT32 is NOT faster than NTFS. And FAT32 usually takes more space from you HDD compared with NTFS. I'm not saying that NTFS doesn't have some drawbacks but it's considered to be a better option than FAT32.

 

Very true about the size issue. FAT32 uses larger less efficient clusters for storing data, therfore using more space then ntfs for the same amount of data. Speed is slightly better in NTFS, mainly when defraging is when youll see the difference. But when compared to each other, FAT32 is alot more compaitble then ntfs. OS's, applications, etc... all work better on NTFS. Now granted if they work on NTFS its more secure and slightly faster/more efficient, it still boils down to FAT32 being more compatible then NTFS.

No acer erecovery wont work when on a NTFS system. But thats why I have a recovery partition and dvd. Oh and the life of a homemade recovery dvd is just fine; in fact I recently used the one I made over 1.5 years ago and it worked just as it did the day I made it.

 

when you men recoery partition, do you mean that hidden 3GB, how can i image that OR if use a fresh XP install and format the other free 54GB of space (acer data partition) into NTFS and so install XP on that and switch the boot order, would that work and so ignore the 3GB hidden partition and i can therefore use that as the primary drive and simply use teh FAT32 as storage?

 

If you fresh install xp it will make the partion with the OS primary and active. Therefore it will boot from that; although you can change your boot order. Booting from the recovery partition cant be done as its a hidden partition. Granted if you use acer recovery on a fat32 partition, Im sure there is a selection to boot from the partion.

To make an image of the partition, open the acer recovery application and follow the prompts. The dvd or set of cds you made when you first booted is a direct copy of the recovery partition. But all this can only be done on a fat32 partition.

 

If I have made a copy of the recovery partition onto dvd,does that mean it's the same as the dvd Acer ask you to make when starting the laptop from new? It kept asking me to make the dvd until i changed over to NTFS, never asked me after that.

 

Oh badass, you should have made it! Depends on whether you have deleted the hidden partition.

liquidxit2 - what i am trying to say is that the spare 55 GB of free space, if i format to NTFS and thus install XP on that while still keeping the other FAT32 partition with orginal Xp still installed. So all i have to do is change the boot order and i can either boot from the NTFS partition with the fresh XP as its active OR the FAT32.

The prompts kept getting to backup when first turned on the laptop, i have already done that. Why dont Acer update so same process for NTFS or use another system?

If i do go ntfs, will there be the audio problems as this is a Acer aspire 9114WLMi and also the programs the laptop came with, essentially even if i download the programs from the acer website, exactly the same stuff so either way page file usage will be similar.

I installed FEAR and ran on medium to high on graphics! No lag at all in the action scenes!

 

I actually think I've still got the hidden partition, just can't remember how to find it and what to do with it once I have? I have seen it recently, It might even be that that I copied to a dvd. Is it about 3.6gb? I am not really computer minded (tech wise) but am starting a course next month to learn. Is it PQservice, capacity 3.89gb, found it in computer management under storage? That's in FAT32 mode and has EISA config, what ever that is?
I think oops might have to be used. Right clicking on PQSERVICE only brings up a help box unlike ACER A or ACER D.

 

Yeah thats it! I guess as long as you dont delete that, can always system restore to factory settings.

 

Convert back to fat32 and then retry using acer recovery. Make a backup dvd and then go back to ntfs.

Going to NTFS only caused acer recovery to stop working, converting back to fat32 should fix that. When you install xp on the other partition and leave the other alone, it will make the partition active and a primary partition. SO everytime you boot it will ask which OS you want to boot into xp home or whichever you install on the spare partion.

 

Awesome thanks for your response! I think i am going to order this before the end of this week!

 

I was curious if the Aspire 5102's only can use the ATI drivers supplied by Acer. I saw on ATI's page they don't have drivers for it either, and to see Acer. Was just curious if anyone had advice if Acer doesn't update them.

 

If it is an ATI device then ATI will have drivers for thier hardware. You arent just limited to Acer stuff. Check the driver updat thread by chaz in the gaming section and see how that works.

 

I would like to do convert my 5102 because it doesn't let me download more than 4GB at once. My vid software even cuts vids when I try to convert a widescreen dvdrip to fullscreen. As soon as it gets past 4gb it stops, leaving the ending of the movie cut out.

Is there a way to bypass this without converting to NTFS?

 

no, welcome to the world of FAT32 file structure. Go convert it and then use Partition Magic to convert the 512KB file structure over to 4K.

--ssx--

 

Man, that sucks!! I hate messing with Partitions. Acer spilts the Harddrive in two even drives. I always put files in my D: drive if I need to use recovery, and D: drive files are not affected.

Will converting to NFTS erase my d: drive and make the HD just one drive?


This is the only reason I didn't change the partition yet.

 

Hi, since as you are all talking about the hidden partition of Acer, I would like to know how do I see this partition and if I could copy that to an external HD (just in case) without using Ghost or Acronis? Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm new to this and no technical experience.

 

Its not a silly question. Everyone was a newbie at one point.

I would not "copy" that partition. You should burn the recovery DVD using e-recovery. Your Acer should have also come with 4 recovery CDs.

Converting C: will not affect D:. Thats why I like it, so when windows anually dies, I can reinstall it and get all my programs and data back from an image of C: made with the backup utility.


I actually liked the D Partition because it allowed me to mess with it without making windows angry. I deleted it, reformated it NTFS (I converted C: to that), and made it 20 GB smaller. I then set up a dual boot and installed Linux on a 15 GB ext3 partition. Since I had the D: partition, I didn't have to uninstall windows.

 

hello, i've just read your posts including chaz's guid, and could'nt find any solution to my problem..

Before i uninstalled the Omega drivers Battlefield 2 was running fine.
Now i've downloaded and installed the ATI catalyst Driver 6.12 driver, and my BF2 wont even start. I just get the BF2 splash-screen, a blank screen and then back to desktop.

Can anyone help me? It has to be the 6.12 driver...

I read on Chaz's guid that he recommended a 6.6 suit.. Where do i download this suit?

Thanks for reading my post

Edit: I got same speccs as liquidxit2
Acer 5672 15.4; ATI X1600; T2300 Core Duo; 2GB RAM; 120GB SATA HDD; Slot DVD rw; A/B/G WiFi

 

Let me ask this when you brought this topic to life - my Acer did not come with 4 recovery CDs,it came with zero CDs.And now I'm stuck with backup DVD that I burned and which is not working .

Did everybody here get these recovery CDs with their lappy??

 

Liquidxit2...

After converting to NTFS and discovering that your cluster size is 512, how do you change it to 4,096? Somewhat of a major detail left out of your OP since 512 degrades performance considerably.

Oh yes, Partition Magic 8 doesn't work.

Thanks,

 

No, I don't believe most come with recovery CD's (plus even if they did, I've had those break before).