I put in the driver updates and the cooling fan isn't working anymore.
I put in the driver updates and the cooling fan isn't working anymore.
Laptop model: Acer A315-51
I'm using Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. It wasn't an issue until yesterday. I recently swapped out the fan and battery. The fan was either off or running at full speed, but it made a clear whine. I also cleared out the dust. Battery performance dropped from 5 hours with strict power management to just 30 minutes under the same plan. While updating drivers from Acer's site, Windows installed updates in the background. I'm monitoring temperatures with Core Temp 1.19.5. The temps rose to 91°C, which is higher than the 80-81°C range I've seen before. That’s when I noticed the fan wasn’t turning on.
Checking Device Manager revealed missing PCI drivers everywhere. Some were resolved using the Acer drivers I downloaded and installed, but others remain absent. Windows Update isn’t detecting or installing them. I receive a warning like “Check Windows Update for missing drivers” when trying to install or locate drivers from the PCI list. It’s unclear where these drivers are supposed to be found. The fan was a direct OE replacement and functioned before the updates. Where can I locate the missing drivers?
Running Win 11 on unsupported hardware—how did you get the OS installed? Where did you obtain the installer? Where can I locate the missing drivers? The laptop came with a pre-installed OS; you might need to use Compatibility mode to apply drivers for an older version. Updating the BIOS is also recommended if you haven't done so yet.
Windows doesn't manage fans directly. Consider running sfc scannow and DISM:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...em...6e85d4094e
The issue might stem from the OS not being compatible with your device. Ensure the fan was an exact match. Verify if you re-applied thermal paste. Did you replace it correctly? Refer to the guide:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLIei-dEbDU
I repeatedly tried updating through Windows Update, and eventually it managed to install all the necessary drivers. That’s not an issue. Both fans are still not functioning properly. I inspected the connectors and tested both units. The original fan was producing sound even after cleaning. That was the sole reason for replacing it. The replacement fan was intended to be an original equipment manufacturer part. They looked exactly alike and bore the same labels, with no manufacturer names visible. The packaging included Acer branding and a list of part numbers. Speedfan doesn’t recognize a fan on the system. When power settings are set to maximum efficiency, the processor and GPU never exceed 61°C even with Core Temp. It also runs slow and experiences lag when the power-saving features are enabled.
The A315 model in that video is completely different from mine. I have access panels at the bottom of my system. My battery is distinct and positioned differently, which affects the fan as well. The replacement fan has two screws; removing them allows the connector to be pulled out, then it slides back, tilts forward, and lifts out. The new one fits in the same way. I didn’t touch any chipsets, CPU, or GPU. There was no need to refinish anything. The BIOS doesn’t manage my fan as aggressively as many other systems. It’s quite outdated. I’m unable to locate a BIOS update for my model through Acer. I don’t know which company built the motherboard for Acer to take this approach.
My computer came with Acer’s OEM version of Windows 10 Home. I installed Windows 11 Home a few years back using a bootable USB drive from Windows. Until then, everything worked fine. The only changes were the battery and fan replacement. The battery is Panasonic.
I have a friend here who has transitioned from personal computers to working on custom-built small business machines. I usually avoid bringing up my laptop troubles with him since he's moved away from personal computers. Over the past 20+ uses, this machine has been maintained quite well, with most issues occurring in the last two days. I haven't taken it apart again. The plastic components are deteriorating and are becoming too fragile for another disassembly attempt.
We discovered a few problems: the new fan failed after just one use, and two soldered wires became bridged. We checked the BIOS or drivers on my machine but found nothing unusual. We located a 2019 BIOS update on the Acer EU website and applied it. He confirmed there were no issues with my Windows 11 installation.
The lower case serves as the hard drive carrier. The hard drive and its cover are typically the last parts to be removed during reassembly. While we were taking the machine apart to reinstall the old fan, I was about to replace the hard drive. I accidentally pressed the power button without the hard drive installed. The previous fan came back on and ran at a medium speed, grinding away at its components. The screen illuminated, indicating no bootable device was found. The fan continued operating throughout this process.
After shutting it down, installing the new hard drive, and restarting the computer, the fan still didn't function properly with the new drive. I handed it over to my friend. He inspected the machine thoroughly for any potential causes but couldn't identify the problem. Given his experience repairing computers since childhood, he's been unable to solve this issue.
I've decided to keep using this machine until I find a different one, or it fails completely and forces me to purchase a new device. I really don't want a replacement that can't be fixed. I might need to look for a company that offers custom-built laptops. I miss the days when repairs were common and desktop builds were popular.
May peace be with us all.
Whilst I admire your ability to run Windows 11 on an older Aspire laptop, there are some things that leap out...
I'm running Win 11 on unsupported hardware.
Not only that, which is a red flag of itself, but Acer have no Windows 11 drivers for that laptop, so one has to question what drivers Windows has installed? Drivers are supplied to Microsoft by Acer and if Acer have no Windows 11 drivers then neither does Windows. That begs the question of whether the drivers you have installed are fully compatible with Windows 11? Laptop drivers are typically highly customised for both power-saving and operability reasons, so generic Windows drivers are never a good idea on a laptop. As time goes by, and Microsoft continue to update Windows 11, the probability of a Windows update breaking your unsupported laptop and drivers increases.
We did find a 2019 Bios update on Acer EU website and installed that
. Windows 11 was released in October 2021, so that BIOS update (which does seem to be the most recent) definitely takes no account of Windows 11's requirements. Not only are you running drivers that aren't designed for Windows 11, you're running a BIOS that doesn't even know what Windows 11 is.
The fan will not work with the hard drive installed.
Knowing that you don't have a Windows 11 BIOS nor Window's 11 drivers in there, I'm not really all that surprised. These are the kinds of niggly issues that you're increasingly likely to get running Windows 11 on there. I don't doubt that you have had a fan hardware failure, and of the replacement too it seems, but I wonder whether that's incidental and your real problem is Windows 11.
You can buy extended support for Windows 10 until October this year, it's not expensive (it's actually free here in the EU) and it will give you another 8 months of supported life from that laptop. That's the point at which you either have to bite the bullet and replace it, or install a Linux distro on there (which will run many Windows apps under Wine).
Keeping older kit working is admirable and I understand your desire to get the most from it until it dies, but there is a point at which the cost (in time and effort more than anything) exceeds the benefit of keeping it running (Windows at least).