Acer Iconia Tab A500 Troubleshooting

No matter what you do, your tablet just won't turn on.

If this doesn't solve your problem, then try the options below.

A common cause of a dead tablet may be a dead battery, especially if it has not been used recently. First try to plug it into your computer or the AC adapter and charge it. If that does not work, then the battery must be replaced.

Another cause of an unresponsive tablet can be that the power button itself is broken. First make sure that it is properly in place, then check the wiring and connections. If a wire is cut, or if the button is missing, then you may need a replacement.

It is possible that nothing appears to be happening because the display is bad or broken. If there is nothing wrong with the battery, then it is possible that the display is bad and must be replaced. If your display seems to be frozen, refer to the section below on a frozen boot screen. Be sure to check all other options before hand.

If neither of these causes were responsible for your unresponsive tablet, then the logic board itself may be bad. First check all of the wires and connections from the display to the logic board. If they are all connected properly, but the tablet still does not respond, then you may need to replace the logic board.

Like the Blue Screen of Death, but with a cute droid image

Try a hardware reset and see if this fixes the issue. The button is in a pinhole in the lower right corner of the tablet near the USB port.

Warning, this will erase all of your personal information, all stored contacts and any programs you have installed on your tablet.

1. Power off the tablet.
2. Press and hold the Volume up button.
3. With the Volume up button held, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds then release it. Continue holding the Volume up button.
4. Once the tablet vibrates, switch the touch screen lock switch on and off repeatedly while still holding the Volume up button.
5. Release the Volume up button and stop switching the touch screen lock switch once the "Erasing Userdata..." message appears in the upper left corner of the screen.
6. Once the factory reset has been completed your tablet will load to the welcome screen.
7. Your factory data reset is complete. Now follow the onscreen steps to setup your tablet.

The tablet will not play any or certain sounds.

Turn the volume up using the volume buttons on the side of the tablet.

Make sure the tablet is not on mute. Putting the tablet on mute will disable any type of sound.

Verify that your settings allow you to play certain sounds. Some settings allow the tablet to only play certain types of sounds such as notifications, MP3, or other forms of media. Depending on how the settings are set, all types of sounds may be disabled.

It is a possibility that the volume may be jammed or not working at all. If the volume button is jammed, it is possible for it to be stuck on putting the volume down. If the volume button is not functioning at all, then the tablet will not respond when button is pressed and you may have to replace the volume button.

In the case that none of the above solved the problem, it is possible that the speakers inside the tablet may be malfunctioning and in need of replacing.

The buttons just won't work no matter how many times you press them.

If the buttons are obviously missing, then they will need to be replaced.

Sometimes the wiring or connection could be disrupted or broken. In this case, first make sure that the buttons are properly in place, then check the wiring. If a button is missing, or the wiring is bad, then a replacement is necessary.

It could be possible that the buttons are jammed. If this is the case, try pressing the buttons repeatedly in order to unstick them, or make sure that they are in the right location. If this does not work, you may have to replace the unresponsive buttons.

The tablet's battery life is too short and way below the advertised 8 hour performance life.

It is possible that you are running too many applications at the same time, causing the battery to consume more power and die faster. Some applications consume more battery life than others. For example, playing a movie on the tablet will consume more power than opening an email. The types of applications running are a factor in how long a battery lasts.

The cause could be that the battery is dead. Plug it into the adapter and make sure it charges. If it does not charge, then it may be a bad battery.

It is possible that the battery may be faulty. If all else fails, the battery is most likely in need of replacement.