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Windows Vista® Upgrade FAQ
You are here: Home / Support & Downloads / Windows Vista® Upgrade FAQ
Q1: Will Acer provide technical support for the Windows® upqrade?
Q2: Where can I find more information about Windows Vista®?
Q3: Why can I not find my computer's model name in the Acer Upgrade Wizard?
Q4: How do I use the Acer Upgrade Wizard if I would like to perform a clean install of Window Vista®?
Q5: How can I free up more hard disk space?
Q6: Why does the Acer Upgrade Wizard require 10 GB of free space in system partition for a Windows® upgrade?
Q7: What is the risk of a BIOS update?
Q8: Why should I back up to a CD/DVD with Acer eRecovery Management?
Q9: Three backup tools appear on the Acer Upgrade Wizard. How do I choose the right one?
Q10: Does Backup Utility for Windows® have any limitation?
Q11: Should I restart my computer immediately if I am prompted to do so during software application or driver installation/uninstallation?
Q12: Why does the removal message of Realtek High Definition Audio Driver pop up when Acer Upgrade Wizard is about to uninstall it?
Q13: Which option should I select when Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Setup completes the uninstallation?
Q14: Which option should I select when Launch Manager asks me to confirm uninstallation?
Q15: What should I do when Launch Manager is uninstalled successfully?
Q16: Should I reboot the system immediately after uninstalling Launch Manager?
Q17: Which option should I select when Acer GridVista® asks me to confirm uninstallation?
Q18: What should I do when Acer GridVista® is uninstalled successfully?
Q19: Should I reboot the system immediately after uninstalling Acer GridVista®?
Q20: What should I do when the dialog "Uninstalling the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver" comes out during Acer Application Removal?
Q21: Why were all Acer Empowering Technology applications removed after I uninstalled Acer Empowering Technology Framework?
Q22: Why is the Acer Upgrade Wizard not responding after I installed .NET Framework 1.1?
Q23: Why can I not upgrade to Windows Vista® with Norton Anti Virus™ installed?
Q24: Why are some Acer applications not supported after I upgrade to Windows Vista®?
Q25: Why did the dialog "Found New Hardware Wizard" pop up after I restarted the system when Upgrade Phase 1 was finished?
Q26: Why did the system stop checking compatibility and was unable to upgrade to Windows Vista® when I performed the upgrade using the Windows Vista® DVD?
Q27: Can I continue the upgrade process even if the Acer Upgrade Wizard detected potential issues with installed applications/drivers?
Q28: Why did my system perform a disk check after I restarted the system when Upgrade Phase 1 was finished?
Q29: What should I do when the dialog "Welcome to the setup for Intel® Matrix Storage Manager" pops up while the Acer Upgrade Wizard installs applications?
Q30: Should I restart my computer immediately after installing Intel® Matrix Storage Manager?
Q31: What should I do when the dialog "Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard for MainConcept MCE Encoder" pops up while the Acer Upgrade Wizard installs applications?
Q32: Should I restart my computer immediately after installing MainConcept MCE Encoder?
Q33: What should I do when the Acer Upgrade Wizard asks, "Would you like to install the Intel® Viiv™ software version 1.6.0?"
Q34: What should I do when the Acer Upgrade Wizard prompts me to close the "Event Monitor User Notification Tool" to install the Intel® Viiv™ software version 1.6.0?
Q35: Why can I not launch Acer Arcade™ after upgrading to Windows Vista®?
Q36: What is Windows® Update? Do you recommend it?
Q37: If some hardware devices do not work properly or lack a proper driver after I complete the Windows® upgrade process, what should I do?
Q38: Since upgrading to Windows Vista®, my laptop computer cannot project to an external display. What should I do?
Q39: My computer is a tablet PC. How can I enable the tablet rotation function after upgrading to Windows Vista®?
Q40: Why do I need to update the optical drive firmware?
Q41: How come my modem does not have a dial tone?
Q42: Why are there warning messages about Norton AntiVirus™ after I upgraded to Windows Vista®?
Q43: Which option should I select when a dialog that includes "Repair," "Modify" and "Remove" comes out during installation of applications/drivers?
Q44: Why does the error message" Service could not be deleted" come out while the Acer Arcade Upgrade patch is being installed?
Q45: How come my infrared does not work?
Q46: What should I do when an unhandled exception occurs in my Acer Computer Registration V1.5.0.4?
Q47: After the upgrade, the easy-launch buttons (email, Internet, user-programmable) do not work. What should I do?
Q48: When installing Acer GridVista® or Launch Manager, the "Confirm uninstall" message pops up. What should I do?
Q49: How can I go back to running Windows® XP after I have upgraded to Windows Vista®?
   
Q1: Will Acer provide technical support for the Windows® upgrade?
   
A: Yes. If you need technical support during the Windows®upgrade, you can visit http://global.acer.com/support/winvista/ or call our customer service center.
   
Q2: Where can I find more information about Windows Vista®?
   
A:

Here are some recommended links to resources about Windows Vista®
   

Q3: Why can I not find my computer's model name in the Acer Upgrade Wizard?
   
A:

A: Refer to the following tables for the list of models that the Acer Upgrade Wizard supports. If your computer is not on the list, go to http://global.acer.com/support/winvista/ for support information.

Table 1. Supported notebook models

Aspire 1640

 Aspire 5570

Ferrari 4000

TravelMate 4070
Aspire 1640Z
 Aspire 5580
 Ferrari 5000 TravelMate 4080
Aspire 1650 Aspire 5590

TravelMate 2410

 TravelMate 4100
Aspire 1650Z
 Aspire 5600
 TravelMate 2420
 TravelMate 4150
Aspire 1690
 Aspire 5610
 TravelMate 2430
 TravelMate 4200
Aspire 3020
 Aspire 5620
 TravelMate 2440
 TravelMate 4210
Aspire 3030
 Aspire 5630
 TravelMate 2450
 TravelMate 4220
Aspire 3040
 Aspire 5650
 TravelMate 2460
 TravelMate 4230
Aspire 3050
 Aspire 5670
 TravelMate 2470
 TravelMate 4260
Aspire 3100
 Aspire 5680
 TravelMate 2480
 TravelMate 4270
Aspire 3610
 Aspire 7000
 TravelMate 2490
 TravelMate 4280
Aspire 3620
 Aspire 7100
 TravelMate 3000
 TravelMate 4400
Aspire 3630 Aspire 7110
 TravelMate 3010

TravelMate 4600
Aspire 3640
 Aspire 9110
 TravelMate 3020

TravelMate 4650
Aspire 3650 Aspire 9120 TravelMate 3030

TravelMate 4670
Aspire 3660
 Aspire 9300
 TravelMate 3040

TravelMate 5100
Aspire 3670
 Aspire 9400
 TravelMate 3150

TravelMate 5110
Aspire 3680
 Aspire 9410
 TravelMate 3210

TravelMate 5600
Aspire 3690
 Aspire 9420
 TravelMate 3210Z

TravelMate 5610
Aspire 5020
 Aspire 9500
 TravelMate 3220

TravelMate 5620
Aspire 5030
 Aspire 9510
 TravelMate 3230

TravelMate 6410
Aspire 5040
 Aspire 9520
 TravelMate 3240

TravelMate 6460
Aspire 5050
 Aspire 9800
 TravelMate 3250

TravelMate 6500
Aspire 5100
 Aspire 9810 TravelMate 3260

TravelMate 7110
Aspire 5110

Extensa 3100

 TravelMate 3270

TravelMate 8100
Aspire 5500

Extensa 4100

 TravelMate 3280

TravelMate 8200
Aspire 5500Z

Extensa 4150

 TravelMate 3290

TravelMate 8210
Aspire 5510

Extensa 6600

 TravelMate 3300

TravelMate C200
Aspire 5540

Extensa 6700Z

 TravelMate 4020

TravelMate C210
Aspire 5550

Ferrari 1000

 TravelMate 4060
 TravelMate C310
Aspire 5560
      

Table 2. Supported desktop models

Aspire E350

Aspire L310

Veriton 1000

AcerPower 2000
Aspire E360
 Aspire L350
 Veriton 2800
 AcerPower F5
Aspire E380
 Aspire SA80
 Veriton 3700GX
 AcerPower F6
Aspire E500
 Aspire SA85
 Veriton 3900Pro
 AcerPower FG
Aspire E560
 Aspire T135
 Veriton 5700GX
 AcerPower FH
Aspire E571
 Aspire T136
 Veriton 5800
 AcerPower M35
Aspire E600
 Aspire T150
 Veriton 5900Pro
 AcerPower M36
Aspire E650
 Aspire T160
 Veriton 6800
 AcerPower M5
Aspire E700
 Aspire T180
 Veriton 6900Pro
 AcerPower M6
Aspire iDea 500
 Aspire T650
 Veriton 7700GX
 AcerPower M8
Aspire iDea 510
 Aspire T660
 Veriton 7800
 AcerPower S280
Aspire L100
 Aspire T671
 Veriton 7900Pro
 AcerPower S285
Aspire L250
 Aspire T680
 AcerPower 1000 AcerPower SK50
Aspire L300 Aspire T690    

 
   

Q4: How do I use the Acer Upgrade Wizard if I would like to perform a clean install of Window Vista®?
   
A:

Do the following:

  • For Acer Upgrade DVD
    • According to your system model, find the BIOS for Window Vista® in the Acer Upgrade DVD.
    • Update the BIOS.
    • Install Windows Vista®.
    •  Run Acer Upgrade Wizard and follow the wizard to install applications and drivers.
  • For web download
    1. According to your system model, download the BIOS for Windows Vista®.
    2. Update the BIOS.
    3. According to your system model, download Acer Upgrade Wizard and store it on disk partition D.
    4. Install Windows Vista®.
    5. Run Acer Upgrade Wizard from disk partition D and follow the wizard to install applications and drivers.
   

Q5: How can I free up more hard disk space?
   
A:

Do the following:

  1. Uninstall rarely used applications from your computer.
  2. Back up your personal files to a CD/DVD or other external media, and then delete them from your hard disk drive.
   

Q6: Why does the Acer Upgrade Wizard require 10 GB of free space in system partition for a Windows® upgrade?
   
A: The Windows Vista® installation itself needs more than 5 GB of free space in system partition, so Microsoft® recommends 5 to10 GB of free space in system partition to ensure that your computer works smoothly during and after the Windows® upgrade.
   

Q7: What is the risk of a BIOS update?
   
A:

If a power failure occurs while the BIOS update is taking place, the system may crash and will be unable to boot anymore. Do not interrupt the process, and make sure the system is always connected to an AC power supply during the update.
   

Q8: Why should I back up to a CD/DVD with Acer eRecovery Management?
   
A: If you back up your system to a CD/DVD with Acer eRecovery Management, the CD/DVD will be bootable. If your system crashes during the Windows® upgrade or if you would like to revert to Windows® XP after a successful upgrade, you will be able to boot your system with the CD/DVD and restore your system to the state right before the backup started. If you back up your system to another disk drive other than a CD/DVD, you will need to reinstall Windows® XP manually.
   

Q9: Three backup tools appear on the Acer Upgrade Wizard. How do I choose the right one?
   
A:

Each of the backup tools has its functional scope. Acer eRecovery Management can back up your whole system volume. NTI Backup NOW! and Backup Utility for Windows® can back up your individual data files and settings. We recommend that you use all of them to back up your system before performing the Windows Vista® upgrade. We highly recommend that you at least back up your full system volume to a CD/DVD with Acer eRecovery Management.
   

Q10: Does Backup Utility for Windows® have any limitation?
   
A: Yes. If you want to back up your files with Backup Utility for Windows® to a FAT32 hard disk drive, each backup output file is limited to 4 GB. If the total size of the files you want to back up exceeds 4 GB, you have to separate your files into two or more groups and back up each group one at a time.
   

Q11: Should I restart my computer immediately if I am prompted to do so during software application/driver installation/uninstallation?
   
A: No. Select No or Restart later if any window other than the Acer Upgrade Wizard prompts you to restart. Restart your computer only when the Acer Upgrade Wizard prompts you to restart at the end of Phase 1 and Phase 3 of the upgrade procedure.
   

Q12: Why does the removal message of Realtek High Definition Audio Driver pop up when the Acer Upgrade Wizard is about to uninstall it?
   
A:

Due to its architecture, the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver needs the user to confirm the uninstallation. When the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver InstallShield Wizard prompts, "Do you want to completely remove the selected application and all of its features?" click Yes to continue the uninstallation.
   

Q13: Which option should I select when Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Setup completes the uninstallation?
   
A:

Select No, I will restart my computer later to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q14: Which option should I select when Launch Manager asks me to confirm uninstallation?
   
A:

Click Yes to continue the uninstallation.
   

Q15: What should I do when Launch Manager is uninstalled successfully?
   
A:

Click OK to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q16: Should I reboot the system immediately after uninstalling Launch Manager?
   
A:

Click No to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q17: Which option should I select when Acer GridVista® asks me to confirm uninstallation?
   
A:

Click Yes to continue the uninstallation.
   

Q18: What should I do when Acer GridVista® is uninstalled successfully?
   
A:

Click OK to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q19: Should I reboot the system immediately after uninstalling Acer GridVista®?
   
A:

Click No to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q20: What should I do when the dialog "Uninstalling the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver" comes out during Acer Application Removal?
   
A:

Click Next to continue the process and follow the wizard to complete the uninstallation.

When completing the uninstallation of the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver, select the option No, I will restart this computer later to continue the upgrade process.
   

Q21: Why were all Acer Empowering Technology applications removed after I uninstalled Acer Empowering Technology Framework?

   
A: All Acer Empowering Technology applications depend on Acer Empowering Technology Framework. Without it, the applications cannot run on their own. As a result, all the applications will be removed if you uninstalled Acer Empowering Technology Framework. However, you can reinstall Acer Empowering Technology Framework and the applications later when you need them.
   

Q22: Why is the Acer Upgrade Wizard not responding after I installed .NET Framework 1.1?

   
A: The Acer Upgrade Wizard works based on .NET Framework 1.1, so the Acer Upgrade Wizard has to install .NET Framework 1.1 and hotfix before starting to upgrade. An installation progress bar appears while .NET Framework 1.1 is being installed, but hotfix does not have an installation progress bar. You need to wait about 2 to 5 minutes for hotfix installation to be completed, after which, the Acer Upgrade Wizard will show.
   

Q23: Why can I not upgrade to Windows Vista® with Norton AntiVirus™ installed?

   
A: Before you upgrade to Windows Vista®, go to http://www.symantec.com/windowsvistasupport to update your Norton AntiVirus™ to avoid any potential issues.
   

Q24: Why are some Acer applications not supported after I upgrade to Windows Vista®?
   
A:

Windows Vista® is a brand-new operating system that features many innovative and powerful features. As a leading computer manufacturer, Acer is dedicated to delivering new technologies to our customers. For some features that were delivered by Acer and now are replaceable by Windows®' built-in functions, Acer has decided not to support them in order to optimize the features of Windows Vista®. This way, we can focus on more advanced technologies.

Below is a summary of Acer applications that will not be supported when you upgrade to Windows Vista®.

Acer eRecovery Management

 The new version of Acer eRecovery Management, which is compatible with Windows Vista®, requires repartitioning your hard disk drive, causing data loss. As a result, the Wizard will not reinstall the new version of eRecovery on your computer under Windows Vista®. However, you will be able to find similar features in the built-in Backup Utility of Windows Vista®, including full system volume backup to a HDD or CD/DVD.

Acer eAcoustics Management

 Windows Vista® supports similar functions of eAcoustics so Acer will no longer provide this utility for Windows Vista®.

Acer ePresentation Management

 You can easily manage your external monitor settings via Windows Vista® Mobility Center. As a result, we do not support any upgrade of Acer ePresentation Management.

Acer ePower Management

 Some models only. Due to an architecture change of Windows Vista®, Acer ePower Management for some models cannot be upgraded. However, you can easily manage your power settings via Windows Vista® Mobility Center instead.

Acer ePerformance Management

 Notebook models only. While optimizing your system performance, Acer ePerformance Management uses up a few system resources when monitoring system memory utilization. Since Windows Vista® provides similar resource management, we will no longer provide this for notebook models with Windows Vista®.
Acer Arcade 3.x
Acer eNet Management 1.x
Acer eDataSecurity Management 1.x		 Due to an architecture change in Windows Vista®, these applications cannot be upgraded.

 
   

Q25: Why did the dialog "Found New Hardware Wizard" pop up after I restarted the system when Upgrade Phase 1 was finished?
   
A:

Ignore this dialog or click Cancel. The Acer Upgrade Wizard removed some device drivers during Upgrade Phase 1 and Windows® XP cannot identify these devices after you restarted the system, so Windows® XP will display this dialog to ask the user to install appropriate drivers for these devices. When you complete the Windows Vista® upgrade, the Acer Upgrade Wizard will help you to install these device drivers.
   

Q26: Why did the system stop checking compatibility and was unable to upgrade to Windows Vista® when I performed the upgrade using Windows Vista® DVD?
   
A:

The Windows Vista® installer on DVD will check the compatibility of the drivers and applications installed on your computer. You must remove all drivers and applications before upgrading to Windows Vis