Solved Can't install graphic drivers on Acer Aspire 3820TGG

Lizardking1

Member
Member
Messages
15
Solution
Install the latest official graphic drivers, in my case I went with Intel first and AMD second. Use compatibility mode if something doesn't work normally. Make sure you have deleted every driver before you install new ones. Reboot after every installation.


First of all I know there are a load of posts asking for help in this kind of matter, but I could really use some help.

Hello. I have an Acer Aspire 3820TG laptop. I did a clean install of Windows 8. I've been installing drivers for all my components and I noticed that I can't install the ones for my graphics card. I know this is because of Acer's switchable graphics.

So I tried going on Acer's website. First problem: when I go on their website, for my laptop model there are 8 graphics card drivers. No idea why. Here are all the different drivers, highlighted are the ones I downloaded: acerisdumb.png
I downloaded them and ran it in compatibility mode. It installed an ATI installer (yes, really) which in turn said it had installed 3 ATI drivers and software on an ATI folder, but that folder is empty. Nothing shows up from ATI on the Programs and Features either except the installer, which I uninstalled since it was doing nothing.

This is the situation with the card in my device manager. It doesn't even tell me the model, just the series:
devicemaganerisdumbtoo.png

So I need help in knowing what to do. Basically I want to activate my ATI card, if possible with switchable graphics. Right now I guess I'm only using the Intel graphic processor.

Which drivers do I download?
Do I install them in compatibility mode with Windows 7 64?
Do I get switchable graphics back?
Who killed JFK? (ok you can skip that one)

Quick note: I'm not really tech savy, I've customized it a bit, installed a fresh OS and changed one or two registry keys based on tutorials, but that's it.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
Same thing. I love how the AMD install manager installs de AMD install manager. The ATI folder is empty, the only thing installed is the install manager itself.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
I'm wondering: can I even use my card regardless of the drivers? Right now, as you can see in my second screenshot, it's not in use. I don't know if the problem is with installing drivers or with the card itself.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
I'm wondering: can I even use my card regardless of the drivers?
You can definitely use the card.
I don't know if the problem is with installing drivers or with the card itself.
The problem is with the drivers.
Which drivers do I download?
It looks like you didn't download and install the vga drivers from vendor intel. Is this correct? You need to install an intel driver, signed by amd first, then install the amd driver. For switchable graphics both intel HD and ati graphics must be signed by amd. This is why they have those intel drivers on that webpage.

Right now it looks like you are using the reference drivers that come with windows 8. Unfortunately the reference intel HD driver is going to be a higher version than the ones on that webpage. Which means it will probably be a pain in the butt for you to get Windows to downgrade the intel driver below the reference version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 32 & 64 bit w/ some Linux VMs
Sorry for the double post, but I thought you might want to see some proof. So here are some screen shots of my Acer Aspire 7750g's device manager.
device.PNG
Notice that under device status it says all devices are working properly.
device1.PNG
device2.PNG
Also notice the Driver Provider is AMD for the Intel HD
device3.PNG
device4.PNG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 32 & 64 bit w/ some Linux VMs
Thanks for your answer, but I'm afraid I've made it more complicated.
I had a moment of frustration where I downloaded the Leshcat drivers and installed them. This made my screen go black. A few hard reboots and still I get to the Windows 8 loading screen and then the screen stops working. Finally I go into the BIOS and change the graphic card setting from switchable to discrete. This now allows me to always use the ATI card, in Device Manager the Intel GPU isn't even listed.
I talked to someone who installed the Leshcat drivers (that's where I got the idea) and realized I installed the wrong ones. I have the link to the right ones. Thing is, I'd much prefer to use official drivers. However if I uninstall the Leshcat I'm afraid I'll have no working GPU at all and won't be able to install Intel and AMD's drivers since I will have no screen again.
Also another problem is that I'm not sure about Intel's, but I can't install ATI's drivers since they are made for Windows 7 64 bits and I have windows 8 64 bits. Compatibility mode hasn't worked so far. And there are loads of AMD/ATI VGA drivers on Acer's website for my laptop model which all say pretty much the same and I'm left to play Russian roulette figuring out which one is right.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
This made my screen go black. A few hard reboots and still I get to the Windows 8 loading screen and then the screen stops working.
I had this too. It is caused by having the AMD switchable graphics driver with the wrong intel driver.
Finally I go into the BIOS and change the graphic card setting from switchable to discrete. This now allows me to always use the ATI card, in Device Manager the Intel GPU isn't even listed.
You're lucky you have an older model of switchable graphics before they went to a muxless design. Newer models you can't change in the BIOS.
However if I uninstall the Leshcat I'm afraid I'll have no working GPU at all and won't be able to install Intel and AMD's drivers since I will have no screen again. . . . . And there are loads of AMD/ATI VGA drivers on Acer's website for my laptop model which all say pretty much the same and I'm left to play Russian roulette figuring out which one is right.
Just a guess but I would leave it in discrete mode and try and install the latest drivers from intel that acer has put on the page. This way it shouldn't affect your AMD driver and in discrete mode it will keep working. If that is successful then install the latest AMD driver from acer. And then reboot and change your BIOS back to switchable.

EDIT: It looks like the latest intel drivers for you are .2189 published on 3/28/2011. It is strange that there are two of them that are different sizes I would just try them both.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 32 & 64 bit w/ some Linux VMs
Another option would be to retry the beta drivers from AMD since they contain an intel driver. See if they will install now over the leshchat driver.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 32 & 64 bit w/ some Linux VMs
I tried installing the correct Leshcat drivers (Enduro) and turned my graphics on switchable and it made both my GPUs get that little yellow triangle in Device Manager. I couldn't change my screen resolution. At that moment I started hating Leshcat.
The Intel drivers installed great (the 2 versions correspond to x86 and x64, apparently). I'm now downloading the latest AMD VGA driver from Acer. However I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the same error I always get: I can't install a Windows 7 driver on a Windows 8 laptop. I wouldn't really mind just using the AMD card since my laptop is almost always plugged to the wall, but this one is proving to be the hardest to install.
It's a really sucky thing for Acer to simply discontinuing drivers for this model just because "it's not supposed to have Windows 8 installed".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
Everything worked! I did as you said, first I cleaned my computer of all things graphic driver, then I installed the Intel x64 driver from Acer's websitem rebooted, installed the latest AMD driver again from Acer in Win 7 compatibility mode, rebooted and now I have switchable graphics, Catalyst Control Center, all the good stuff. Thanks a lot!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 3820TG
    CPU
    Intel i3 M350
    Memory
    4GB
Everything worked! I did as you said, first I cleaned my computer of all things graphic driver, then I installed the Intel x64 driver from Acer's websitem rebooted, installed the latest AMD driver again from Acer in Win 7 compatibility mode, rebooted and now I have switchable graphics, Catalyst Control Center, all the good stuff. Thanks a lot!
Could you write down step by step, how to fix the graphic switch?
I could install the ATI and Intel driver, but I can't switch the active graphic driver, when in the BIOS settings is Switchable Graphic.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8, Windows 7, Ubuntu 12.04LTS
Back
Top