6920G suddenly has many problems, stemming from the same cause?

Hello,

This is my 2nd thread here. The first one was made a few months ago about my computer throttling itself due to temperature, and I'd first just like to thank TehSuigi once again for helping me out on that problem.

However, there is something going on with this laptop again. About a month ago my computer unexpectedly crashed (I do not recall whether or not with a BSoD) and when I tried to reboot, i got this message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system

I was stricken with fear at that point and rebooted the computer once again, only to find that it worked fine, or so i thought..

Because the computer restarted just fine, I sort of thought the problem was over.. but the error messages continued to show up when booting up every once in a while, around the same frequency as the Acer Arcade USED TO started up, instead of windows (the one that people seek to be removed, as I saw last time in this forum!). The Acer arcade does not start up anymore, and the missing/corrupt file screen started.

These are the main problems with my laptop, and my questions concerning them are:

Do you think the acer arcade is now giving an error message when it attempt to start up, instead of windows? Or could it be a coincidence that the acer arcade has stopped working, and the errors start to appear?

What can I do to stop both the error screen, and the acer arcade on startup, from happening again?

Asides from these problems, a few other problems have come up as well:

-The power plan ALWAYS resets itself to Balanced, after every shut down/restart/hibernate/sleep.

-Another large concern is that the CPU Load and OS Load almost never go over 80% when I play demanding video games, although I have no solid memory of what those two values averaged around before this all started.

I can, however see an enormous decrease in performance because my girlfriend has a 5920G which we play side by side with, and when something happens that stresses the memory, like smoke grenades in Counter-Strike, or any FPS game, my framerate can and often does dip down to One per second at its worst, down from 60 FPS, while the 5920G will possibly have a decrease of 10per second, down to 50, when previously, my own laptop would have had an equal, if not better framerate in these situations!

---

Will I need to have my computer sent to a professional for repair?
Or are all these the symptoms of one big problem that can be solved with the right advice?

Any advice at all is sincerely and greatly appreciated

I apologize for the wall of text I really need to learn how to paraphrase.. Thank you so much for your time if you've read this

 

Sorry to hear that you've had to come back to the forums for help, Duckydoug.

It sounds like your Arcade installation got corrupted somehow - remember, it runs on a version of Windows XP. There is one workaround to prevent you from entering Arcade mode inadvertedly - make sure that when you shut down/hibernate your system, the HOLD button on the CineDash is off. I don't know why that helps, but it does.
Otherwise, you're looking at a clean install of Vista to re-write the Master Boot Record and remove the Arcade Instant-On functionality.

As for the power plan, do you have Acer ePower installed?
And the CPU load...I got nothing. Is there a difference in CPU there? (Counter-Strike, and all Source games, are rather CPU-intensive).

 

Thank you for the reply TehSuigi!

I'll keep a watch out for whether the Missing/Corrupt startup still happens with the Hold button off so I know once and for all if it's got to do with the Arcade mode.

Acer ePower is installed, and it's still reverting to balanced!

I might have phrased the part concerning the CPU badly, but here's what happens..

Most times during gaming, the CPU load stays up high (80-100%) and when something that strains the computer comes along (multiple explosions!)..

Usually, the FPS will dip to 40-50 from 60, and the CPU Load stays high, which I didn't mind.
However more recently, the CPU Load just goes ballistic and it just goes up and down several times each second, while the FPS dies off..

It's as if the computer just can't be bothered to perform for cpu-intensive events, but keeps up its previous wonderful performance for when things are slowed down..

I don't play Counter-Strike or any Source games, just using the smoke grenade as an example, because when I DID play them, people always always complained about the smoke. I play BF2, and things that trigger the FPS reduction include explosions (there are a lot of them..) and 25-man raids in WoW, which is where it gets to its worst. Reducing ALL of my video settings to the absolute lowest, down from previous high/medium settings, did not help at all

But still, the main question I have is if the Missing/Corrupt notices have anything to do with the problems that occur when Windows does start up succesfully? (FPS dying off, Power plan reverting to Balanced)

Thank you once again TehSuigi, and anyone who's taken time to read these posts. Please let me know if anything seems unclear. I can Never Ever get things right the first time round.

 

ePower might be the problem, and not the solution - it's just a front-end for Windows' own Power Options anyway. Make a backup and test removing it.

As for the CPU issue, it sounds like your system's been struck with the same overheating issues that a bunch of ours have. Go clean out your air intake for starters, and then see if undervolting is a necessity (good guide here on NBR).

The missing/corrupt notices seem to be connected to Arcade, but I'm not 100% certain.
I'd say back up your personal data if this continues, then send the kucker back to Acer for repairs.

 

(It's pretty disorganised so I'll label all questions with a number 1), 2), 3) and so on.)

Looks like uninstalling ePower worked for the self-reverting power plan! Thank you very much!

The overheating issue was the one you helped me with in the first thread I made here! The lappy's temperature hasn't been causing thermal throttling as of late unless it's a really hot day (i live in Singapore, aka. oven).

In fact, everything is Completely fine until something Very demanding on the computer occurs. 60 fps and everything at all other times, but when something stressful does happen, it just goes down to nothing..

I will bring this computer for repairs to solve this, so that will be settled, I hope.

Also I'm a little scared because there are 2-3 warranty void stickers covering what I Think is the air intake on the bottom, including one over the last screw in the middle of the "Butt plate" as you call it in the How to clean an Aspire 6920G thread .

1)Do I leave this and its sticker alone?

I wish I had made a backup on my first day, just unaware of proper care.. But no more! I will bring my computer in for repairs ASAP and start afresh when I get it back!

I have a few questions to ask about the repairs and afterwards:

2)Just WHAT do I tell them to fix???
3)Will they have to reformat it?
4)For a RAM upgrade, would I be able to purchase one from the same repair shop to 4GB? Would it be cheaper if I did it on my own? And if so, would it void my warranty? (the laptop specs in your signature had me drooling!)
5)I've just realised the infinite amount of choices I have for extra RAM, courtesy of google. What should the upgrade cost, in terms of US$, and what would you recommend for the upgrade?\
6)Is there a comprehensive guide/checklist to refer to for caring for/safeguarding a clean slate of a computer?

Apologies, once again for all the questions and walls of text. As you can probably tell I really know nothing about computers, but I'm eager to learn how to treat mine better, to make it last! Thank you so much TehSuigi for your help and these forums for leading me to a deeper knowledge of computer care!

 

OK, so it looks like Acer Singapore is a little more anal about you cracking your system open - I have no such stickers here in Canada, and have already upgraded my CPU without voiding the thing.

1. Yes, leave it alone.
2. Describe to them the issues of the machine - possible overheating, gaming slowdown, basically what you've said in this and your other thread. Explain to them what the issue is.
3. Hopefully not, but if the slowdown turns out to be related to your software, they might do a clean install. Buy a buttload of DVDs and either use Windows' Back Up Files wizard or manually make copies of all your personal files - things that can't afford to be lost.
4. You should be able to purchase one indeed, but the fact that the RAM is under the butt-plate with the rest of the system internals means you may not be able to install it without nuking your warranty.
5. *saved for below*
6. There's probably a few in the Windows OS & Software forum.

Now, as for the RAM upgrade. You're absolutely right that there's a fartload of options out there - some expensive and some downright cheap. I would recommend the cheapest DDR2-667 RAM you can get your hands on (DDR2-667 is the fastest the 6920G can handle), as long as it comes with a lifetime warranty. The best name brands like Kingston, Corsair, and Crucial come with this, and have pretty decent service records, too.
Considering that you already have SOME RAM in your system, the upgrade won't be that expensive.
You might hear about things like Low-Latency RAM as sold by Patriot, Mushkin, or Kingston HyperX. Yes, it is faster than regular DDR2-667, but not by much, and the itty-bitty speed increase does NOT justify the added cost.

Now, one last thing to note - do you have a 64-bit version of Windows Vista? Check by right-clicking on Computer in the Start menu, clicking Properties, and looking under System type.
A 32-bit operating system is constrained in how much memory it can "address," or use. 4GB is the maximum, but that has to include the video card's memory as well as other important hardware stuff (kinda complex). Thus, the actual amount that you would see in your system would be 2.75-3.5GB.
Moving to a 64-bit version of Vista removes this restriction, and allows your system to address all 4GB of installed RAM plus the video card's memory plus the complex bits. BUT it means a clean installation of Vista and hunting down 64-bit drivers for all of your hardware, internal AND external. It's a bit of a fiddly task, but if you burned your Drivers and Utilities disk through eRecovery, most of what you need is there.

Since I actually DID use 4GB of RAM in my system before moving to 64-bit Vista, I can confirm that you will have exactly 3GB of RAM usable in Vista. Thus, if you already have 3GB of RAM and no way to get a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, the upgrade is absolutely pointless. If you are on 64-bit, then it's up to you to pull the switch.

It's my pleasure to help you out, Duckydoug. There is a wealth of information out there about computers - steep yourself in it! And there's no reason why your system can't last three or four years if you treat it right.

 

Thanks again for your help TehSuigi! I'll be getting my laptop in to the Acer service centre as soon as possible but, oh joy, it's gonna take long as its friday and the following monday, tuesday and wednesday are public holidays as it's the Lunar New Year.. which is also the reason why I didn't reply sooner, as I've been busy preparing for it!

I'll be sure to mention the things you pointed out for me!

And before I forget, my Windows is a 32-bit version, so I'm probably gonna stick to a 1GB addition as 2GB had me very satisfied already. However, if they ever open up 40-man raids again on WoW I'll be back here asking for help .

One more question I need to ask you though:

What kinds of changes will I expect to see with my CPU temperatures with another GB of memory slapped on? Will I need to undervolt some more or will the computer have better temperatures with the upgrade?

THANK YOU TehSuigi!

 

Uhm...the CPU temps shouldn't affected either way with the RAM upgrade.
What you might see, however, is increased responsiveness.
Have I explain the difference between your computer accessing RAM and hard disk to you?

Well, it's kinda like a high school student taking an open-book test. If he can remember things from his memory (RAM), he's a lot faster with getting the test done. However, if his memory is full, he has to go to the textbook (hard drive) to get the answer, which is slower and takes more time to find stuff.