Acer Aspire S3-951-6432 Troubleshooting

Laptop will not turn on.

Verify that the laptop is charging (there is normally an indication somewhere on the screen). If the device will not turn on even after charging for a sufficient amount of time (1 - 2 hours), the battery might be bad and a replacement will be necessary. However, the laptop will still work if you plan to always use it while it is plugged into the wall. You will not need to replace the battery if this is the case.

If the screen is damaged, the laptop will still turn on, but the screen will not display any output. You can check if the device is working properly by connecting it to an external monitor via the HDMI port on the back of the laptop. If the external monitor is still black, then there is an issue with the laptop's motherboard. If the laptop is working, then the screen will need to be replaced.

The Laptop does not charge even when the power cord (the charger) is plugged in.

Confirm that the brick (the fat, rectangular part of the charger) is plugged into the power cable and then that the cable is plugged into a known working power outlet. If the laptop still doesn't charge, then a replacement charging cable will be needed.

Confirm that the charging cable is plugged all the way into the laptop and that the port is not damaged. Check that there is nothing in the charging port (such as a piece of lint). If there is something stuck in there or if the port appears to be broken, then the charging port will need to be replaced.

The laptop does not recognize headphones when they are plugged into the audio jack.

Make sure that the port has not been damaged. It should have some bronze colored pins that stick into the port from the sides. Also, verify that there is nothing in the port (such as a tiny piece of lint or paper) that could make it so that the jack doesn’t fit properly and could cause issues with the audio. If there is something in the port, make sure that the laptop is unplugged from its charger and use small tweezers to get the debris out.

If you are having issues with a pair of headphones, try using a different pair of headphones or different earbuds. You may also want to check if the headphones you are using are working properly (you can test them by plugging them into another device with an audio jack and playing audio).

If you are having issues with the external speakers, try using the on-board speakers, or a different set of external speakers.

Wait a few minutes for the non-responding program to regain its response. Be patient and give it some time. If waiting doesn’t work, press and hold the “Ctrl”, “Alt”, and “Del” keys in that order. The Task Manager window will pop up and you should click on the unresponsive program and click 'end task'.

Freezing on Startup Screen.

If the laptop freezes when it boots up, you can start in Safe Mode. Open Device Manager and click expand batteries. Disable the entry "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery". Close and restart the laptop in normal mode.

If the laptop continually stops or freezes for no reason, then the fans might be dirty or dusty. You can clean out the dust on the inside of the laptop with compressed air. If the problem persists, then the CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) might be failing.

Laptop will not connect to Wi-Fi or will not stay connected for an extended period of time.

If your computer isn't receiving any Wi-Fi (or wireless) connection or is not appearing in the wireless connections menu, try unplugging your router and modem for one minute and then plugging them back in.

You will need to use another computer to install the driver from the Acer website and transfer the files onto a USB drive. After installing the drivers onto the USB stick, insert the USB into the Acer laptop. Go into your search bar and find “Device Manager” and go into “Network Adapters” and right-click Qualcomm Atheros. Click uninstall. After the uninstallation, go into the USB and click on the driver installation.

Open the base of the laptop to reveal the motherboards, batteries, and speakers. Check if the wires go into the WAN card in the correct order. If the wires are connected and the Wi-Fi still does not work, the WAN card will need to be replaced. If they are unplugged, plug them into the correct slots marked with numbers.