Command Prompt Type Summary

The command prompt is a useful environment to perform tasks such as updating BIOSes, retrieving log files or performing other diagnostic routines. There are four main types of command prompt:

• Command Prompt in Windows - no rights to make significant changes, no direct hardware access
• Administrative Command Prompt in Windows - ability to make changes, but with limited direct hardware access unless you are using specialised tools designed to run from within Windows
• Windows 98 "true DOS" command prompt - access using a bootable USB key. Useful for direct hardware access but requires specalised tools and utilities that can locate the hardware
• Windows Pre-Installation Environment - PE  - command prompt. This command prompt has administrative rights by default and a greater level of hardware access is possible due to the minimal Windows operating system that is running. However, there are restrictions on the applications and programs that can be run inside PE. Often, the utilities have to directly match the PE environment being used - for example, 64-bit utilities have to be used on a 64-bit PE.

Before running any diagnostic utilities or BIOS updates, you need to find out which one of the four command prompt types is required.

Basic Command Introduction

The commands below will help you to navigate and perform tasks in these situations.

Applies to:

• All systems capable of running Microsoft Windows

Problem

Some versions of the Crucial M4 Solid State Drive (SSD) may start to become unresponsive. The system may appear to hang or run very slowly, sometimes at regular one hour intervals.

Cause

The cause is a firmware problem which causes the drive to become unstable after 5184 hours of power-on operation. The drive may also sometimes not be detected by the system BIOS when the system is turned on.

Even when the drive has been detected and appears to have recovered, the drive may experience performance or detection problems after every subsequent hour of use.

The root cause is a problem with the drives SMART monitoring and management system which encounters a problem after 5184 hours of use.

Resolution

Install the latest drive firmware to correct this problem.

The problem has been seen with Crucial M4 SSDs with firmware versions older than 0309. Firmware 0309 provided the first fix for the 5184 hours issue, however we recommend that any drive with firmware 070H or older should be considered for a firmware update, as this also resolves some problems with Windows 8. Firmware 070H was released on 04/02/2013.

Additional Information

How to Check the Number of Power On Hours

Use the Stone Smart Gather tool, or use a utility such as CrystalDiskInfo Portable Edition.

The Raw Values column can be changed from Hex to Dec via the menu.

Checking the Firmware Version before and After Firmware Update

The firmware version is displayed in the Hardware IDs field in the Details tab of the device in Device Manager, as shown below. Before the upgrade:

After the upgrade:

Crucial M4 2.5 inch SSD Firmware Download Page

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/support-ssd

The page shows both Windows applications for performing the update as well as an ISO download.

The ISO download provides a bootable Linux update environment for use when there is no Windows operating system currently installed.

Firmware Update Process

1. Ensure that the SSD drive is the first boot device.

2. Boot to Windows and login.

3. Download the firmware update to the machines local C drive. Do not attempt to run the update from a USB pen drive or from a network drive.

4. To update the firmware, RIGHT-CLICK the utility and then select "Run as administrator".

5. Accept the license agreement.

6. Click Continue.

7. The PC will now restart and load a DOS like "stub" or text mode screen, and proceed to update the firmware.

8. Boot into windows and check that the new firmware has been applied.

9. As always, test the system using PC Check or similar. There is no Crucial specific SSD diagnostic tool.

Applies to:

• Crucial M4 SSD Solid State Drives

Bootable Pen Drive

There are many instances where a "DOS" or Windows 98SE bootable pen drive is required - for example, some BIOS updates or other low level updates can only be done in this way. (Stone is working to provide Windows update utilties wherever possible, but these arent always available yet).

If you need to create a DOS or Windows 98SE (or FreeDOS) bootable equivalent, please see some links to third party sites below which host various solutions.

Rufus - http://rufus.akeo.ie/

HP USB Format Tool - Download here

Windows 98 Boot files - here

Applies to:

• All desktop, laptop and server products

Problem

if you attempt to either factory reset or refresh a machine with Windows 8, in some situations you may find that the options are missing, or you may be prompted for installation media.

Cause

This is a software problem where the recovery storage area is marked as disabled. Normally, installation media should not be required to perform a factory reset or refresh as the files are stored in the recovery area of the hard drive.

Resolution

If the refresh and reset options are missing, you may be able to restore them by following these steps:

• Open a command prompt as Administrator
• Type in: ReAgentc /info
• This will then show the following or similar:

Windows Recovery Environment (RE) and system reset configuration Information:

Windows RE status:         Disabled
Windows RE location:       \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition5\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: cc8ad4e1-dd86-11e1-b32d-0090f5a96a55
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index:      1
Custom image location:
Custom image index:        0

• If the Windows RE Status shows as Disabled, type ReAgentc /enable to enable it.

REGAENTC.EXE: Operation Successful

• If this reports successfull you should now be able to use the refresh and reset options.

Applies to:

• Systems running Windows 8.x except those that boot WIM images, such as the Stone Classmate 3.

Problem

When you try to logon to computer on a domain, you may receive the following error "The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed"

Cause

Domain computers set up secure communications by using a computer account in the domain. For this to work, the computer account is protected by a password which is usually changed by the domain computer every 30 days.

If the computer account becomes out of sync - i.e. the password does not match for some reason - the domain computer will be unable to log onto the domain.

The account can go out of sync for a number of reasons including:

• A second computer with the same name has been added to the domain
• The computer has been reimaged without then being removed/re-added to the domain properly
• The computer account has been reset within Active Directory
• If the computer is a virtual computer, it has been snapshot restored back to an earlier time after the computer account password was changed automatically

Resolution

There are several possible methods to rectify this problem.

Quick Method

The first step would be to try and to reset the secure connection. From the Domain Controller, open Powershell or Command Prompt as an Administrator and type in:

Netdom reset ComputerClientName /Domain: DomainName

Full Method

If the quick method doesn't work, then you will need to remove the computer from the domain, reset the account within Active Directory (see above) and then re-join the computer back to the domain.

1. On the client PC logon as a local/domain administrator
2. Navigate to Control Panel > System
3. Under Computer Name, Domain and Workgroup settings > click Change Settings and join the machine back to a Workgroup. Restart the machine
4. On the Domain Controller, right click the Computer account > All Tasks > Reset
5. Finally on the client PC, navigate back to Control Panel > System > under Computer Name, Domain and Workgroup settings > click Change Settings and join the machine back to the domain. Restart the machine.

​Applies to:

• All systems running on a Windows Domain Network

System Recovery Partition

Stone PCs and Notebooks come with a built in recovery partition which can be used to recover Windows to the factory defaults.

Recovery Process

You need to make sure any personal data is backed up to an external device before running the recovery, as using this procedure will erase all user data from the hard drive.

Instructions:

• If a notebook system is to be recovered, ensure that the AC charger is plugged in.
• Shut the system down if it is not already off.
• Turn the system on and when the Stone splash screen appears during the startup process immediately start tapping F8.
• You will be presented with a screen that says Advanced Boot Options. Make sure Repair your computer is highlighted and select enter.
• Select the keyboard layout to United Kingdom then select Next.
• Either enter in your windows username and password, or select the Admin account (if available) and select Next.
• Click on the Stone Group Ltd factory reset tool.
• Select Restore System.
• Let the recovery process complete. This will take several minutes.

Problem

Occasional problems with imaging tools and processes could lead to a system that will not boot after it has been reimaged. For example, differences in SATA controller, partition sizes or versions of imaging software could leave you with a system where the boot sector is not correct, or the boot configuration database (BCD) needs to be re-written.

Typically systems with this problem will not boot the operating system but just display a flashing cursor on the screen after the BIOS POST has completed.

Instructions

Stage 1 - Boot from the Recovery CD
1. Create a Windows 7 Recovery CD that matches the imaged operating system (for example 32 bit or 64 bit).
2. Boot the system from the CD.
3. Ensure you press a key when prompted to confirm that you want to boot the system from the CD.

Stage 2 - Set the Active Partition
4. When the system has finished booting from the CD, select the Command prompt option from the menu.
5. At the command prompt type DISKPART and then press enter. You will get the DISKPART> prompt.
6. Type the following instructions in red precisely:
7. DISKPART>select disk 0 and press enter.
8. DISKPART>list partition and press enter.
9. DISKPART>select partition 0 (this should be the partition that the system boots from, normally the small reserved area) and press enter.
10. DISKPART>active and press enter.
11. DISKPART>exit and press enter.
12. You are then returned to the X:\ prompt

Stage 3 - Fix the Master Boot Record, Boot sector and Boot Configuration Database (BCD)
13. From the Recovery Command Prompt (normally X:\>) select the C drive - i.e. type C:
14. Change to the Boot Directory i.e. cd\boot and then press enter
15. Type in bootrec /FixMbr and press enter.
16. Then type bootrec /FixBoot and press enter.
17. Finally, type bootrec /RebuildBCD and press enter.
18. After rebuild has finished reboot the machine.
19. The machine should now boot into windows 7.

Further Information

You may be able to prevent this situatiuon when deploying an Operating System image by using an option in your disk imaging software to completely recreate the partition table and boot sector (effectively erasing the drive), for example by using the DISKPART CLEAN ALL command. Note that this may remove Virtual PC check or other pre-installed tools.

Applies to:

• All desktop and laptop products running at least Windows 7.

Problem

You may receive Windows Update Error 0x8024402F even if the system has been reimaged.

Products

Any desktop or laptop product running Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Root Cause

This is caused by a problem with the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile.

Resolution

Unninstall the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile:

1. Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features

2. Locate the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile

3. Right click and then select Uninstall / Change

4. Confirm that you want this component to be uninstalled. This may take a few minutes.

5. Restart the system.

6. When the system has reboot, re-run Windows Update and as normal.

Applies to:

• All Desktop and Laptop products running Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Scenario

• Your system starts loading Windows and then the system appears to reset without any error message being displayed on screen.
• You may or may not be able to see a blue screen appear for a brief moment before the system resets
• The system continues to reset at the same point during the boot process, and Windows never loads.

How to Troubleshoot This Scenario

There are numerous causes of this problem:

• Software damage caused by a virus
• A recent change to hardware - for example, something you recently plugged in, changed or upgraded
• A BIOS update which has changed some BIOS settings back to default (see SATA controller mode, below)
• A PC that has been newly reimaged (again, see SATA controller mode, below)
• A system that was not shut down cleanly - i.e. the power was turned off without Windows being shut down (see Disk Consistency check, below)
• Failing hardware such as a memory fault, hard disk drive fault, or other component issue.

If you are working inside a managed IT environment (for example a large school, a college or a university), in many instances, if your PC does not contain your data or files, it is often advisable to request that your system is reimaged first. This eliminates problems cause by viruses, unclean shutdowns and often BIOS settings.

If you need to troubleshoot the ready for the reboot please follow the process below.

How to Get the Stop Code from the blue Screen

The first stage is to get the Stop code which is momentarily reported by Windows before the system resets. This stop code, along with any text message, may help in the identification of the root cause.

1. Start the system and after the Stone splash screen, start tapping the F8 key to enter Advanced Boot Options.
2. You should now see the screen below.

3. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard highlight ‘Disable automatic restart on system failure’ and press Enter.

The system will reboot and windows will begin to load, but this time when the problem occurs the STOP message will be displayed.

For example:

Stop 0x0000007B Inaccessible Boot Device

Usuall causes:

- SATA Controller Mode

Change the Serial ATA Controller mode type from AHCI to IDE, or IDE to AHCI in the system BIOS. This problem normally only occurs on a newly imaged system, or a system that has just had a BIOS update. BIOS updates can cause BIOS settings to be lost meaning that the Serial ATA Controller mode is set incorrectly.

To change the SATA controller settings, carry out the following procedure:

1. Restart the notebook and press the F2 to enter the BIOS.
2. Select the ‘Advanced’ tab, change the SATA controller setting from ‘AHCI’ to ‘IDE’, or 'IDE to 'AHCI'
3. Select the ‘Exit’ tab, click on ‘Save changes and Exit’ (or press the F10 key).
4. Restart the system and it should now boot into Windows.

- Unclean Shutdown - Disk Consistency Check Required

The file system is damaged. This can normally be fixed by reimaging the system, or by booting from a Windows CD and initiating a file system consistency check (CHKDSK).

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

These messages are often caused by a driver update, or an additional device plugged into the system. Unplug any recently added devices, especially any USB to serial adapters.

If this does not resolve the problem, try rolling back to the previous driver configuration:

1. Start the system and after the Stone splash screen, start tapping the F8 key to enter Advanced Boot Options.
2. Select the option to use Last Known Good Configuration
3. If the system still does not boot, you may need to boot in Safe mode and then uninstall any recent driver update or software change.

If you have a stop code or blue screen error message which is not covered above, try these steps:

1. Unplug any recently added hardware
2. Try using the Last Known Good Configuration
3. Try booting in Safe mode (then uninstall any recently added program or driver update)
4. Use the Microsoft System Recovery options, here.
5. Reimage the system (ensure that any data or documents on the machine are backed up first. If you cannot boot the system you will need your IT team to do this for you, or alternatively please contact Stone to find out what additional services we may be able to offer you, at an additional cost).
6. If you suspect your system has a hardware fault, please contact Stone support.

Problem

Some customers have reported that their NT310 Stone laptop may intermittently beep unexpectedly. When the problem occurs, the laptop will beep every few seconds until rebooted or it shuts down.

Cause

There are several possible causes for this:

1. The battery is not installed properly. These laptops have two battery clips one of which must be manually moved to the closed position on each machine.
2. The system may be overheating.
3. The system may be running on battery and the battery level is very low.
4. Out of date or incorrect video drivers (NT310 only).
5. A BIOS Update may be required.

Resolution

1. Ensure that both battery clips are in the locked position, so that the battery is securely installed in the machine. The locked postition is indicated by the "closed padlock" symbols. The right hand clip in the picture below must be manually moved to the locked position on each machine - it is not a spring loaded clip.

2. Always ensure that the vents on the left hand side of the unit are unobstructed. Blocking the vents on the left hand side of the machine can cause overheating.
3. Ensure the correct AC Adapter is connected to the system and check the battery charge level.
4. NT310 Only: Check the age of the Intel HD Graphics video driver installed. Customers with an Ivybridge processor (Core i3-3xxx or Core i5-3xxx) need to ensure that they are using a video driver from 2013 or newer.
5. If you have updated to a recent video driver, or already have a 2013 video driver installed, you may benefit from a BIOS update for your system. Please see the attached articles for BIOS updates, or below:

• NT310 BIOS update.
• NT310-H BIOS update.

6. Please contact the service team if the above resolutions do not help.

How to Check the Age of the Video Driver

(NT310 Only)

Windows 7

• Click on Start
• Right hand click on Computer, then left click on Properties
• Click on Device Manager, in the top left hand corner of the window that has appeared.

• Then, expand display adapters and find the Intel HD Graphics Adapter.
• Double click on the Intel HD Graphics adapter and then click on the Driver tab.

• The driver in the above example is from 2013 and does not need upgrading.

Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

• Use the Windows Key and X in combination to bring up the Power User Menu
• From that menu, left hand click on Device Manager

• Then, expand display adapters and find the Intel HD Graphics Adapter.
• Double click on the Intel HD Graphics adapter and then click on the Driver tab.

• The driver in the above example is from 2013 and does not need upgrading.

Where to Get Upgraded Drivers

• The Stone Driver Finder contains updated drivers for these models.
• Alternatively, use the Intel Download Center to download the right drivers:
  • NT310: 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel HD Graphics 4000.
  • NT310-H: 4th Generatin Intel Core Processors with Intel HD Graphics 4200 / 4400.

​Applies to:

• Stone NT310 Laptop - NOTCHA-256 and NOTCHA-257.
• Stone NT310-H Laptop - NOTCHA-260 and NOTCHA-265.

​

Problem

Installing Symantec Endpoint Encyption (SEE) on systems that have the Virtual PC Health Check installed may cause the system to stop booting.

Products

Symantec Endpoint Encryption and Windows 7 with Virtual PC Health Check

Issue

When you try and boot the system you will be presented with the "Press F3 for Virtual PC Check". During a normal boot, you would ignore this message and let it timeout. However with Symantec Endpoint Encryption installed after the message has timed-out, it will simply re-appear and the boot process will not continue.

If you press F3 you will get a message that says "NF" and the system will not proceed any further.

Root Cause

Installing Symantec Endpoint Encryption on a system that has the Virtual PC Health Check installed. Virtual PC Health Check uses boot code that doesnt work when the partition layout is changed by programs such as Symantec Endpoint Encryption.

Resolution

1. If you are deploying an Operating System image, use the option in your disk imaging software to remove Virtual PC Health check by deleting the entire contents of the hard drive (for example, use the DISKPART CLEAN command).

2. If you are not deploying an image, or if you are already at the point where the system cannot boot, you will need to use the recovery process below:

Stage 1 - Boot from the Windows 7 DVD

• Turn the system on
• Access the BIOS boot menu (this is normally F10 on Intel desktop based systems, the system will display what the correct key is to access the boot menu on the splash screen)
• Put the Windows 7 Installation disk in the DVD Drive
• Wait for around 10 seconds to allow the drive to read the disk
• Select the DVD Drive as the boot device.
• Press a key when you are prompted (this stops the system booting from the hard drive)

Stage 2 - Start the Recovery Command Prompt

• When prompted, select the language and keyboard or input settings, or any other localisation settings when requested.
• Click Repair your computer.
• Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
• In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.

Stage 3 - Repair the Master Boot Record (MBR)

• At the command prompt, enter the following command: Bootrec /fixmbr
• Press enter.
• Restart the machine.

This will have now stopped Virtual PC Health Check from running as the Master Boot Record (MBR) will have been replaced. This should allow the system to complete booting while Symantec Endpoint Encryption is installed.

 Applies to:

• PC or Notebook systems with Virtual PC Health Check pre-installed by Stone Computers

Problem

Specific models of Intel LAN controller found on some Haswell systems and some older driver versions may intermittently cause excessive network broadcast traffic whilst the system is in sleep mode.

Affected products include:

• Stone / Asus Q87M-E (BOAMOT-462 / BOAMOT-473)
• Stone / Asus Q87 CS-B (BOAMOT-467)
• Stone / Asus Q87T (BOAMOT-470)
• Stone / Asus Q87I-Plus (BOAMOT-475)

​This problem does not appear on Haswell systems using a Realtek LAN Controller.

Symptoms

These include:

• When the system sleeps, the system may send lots of IPv6 Multicast traffic across the network. This is usually invisible to end users.
• The combined effect of a number of problem systems in sleep mode can cause the network to seem slow to other users, or network resources become unavailable
• With all of the systems awake, the broadcasts stop and network resources become available again.

​The symptoms are similar to those experienced when a network loop has been introduced, however the problems above cannot be resolved by turning on spanning tree protocol (STP). The network may appear to be suffering a denial of service attack.

Root Cause

The root cause is a bug in the Intel i217-LM network driver, which can cause IPv6 multicast traffic to be sent when the system is in a sleep state.

Driver package versions 18.x including 18.7.28.0 are affected by this issue. The actual driver dates are January 2014 and older, and include driver version 12.10.30.0.

An example of the problematic driver is shown below.

Resolution

Install driver package 19.0 or later. As of writing, driver package 19.1 is available. This contains the Intel i217-LM driver version 12.11.96.1 dated 14/3/2014. Up to date drivers can be downloaded from the Stone Driver Finder.

Additional Download Links

• Windows 7 x86 Driver Package 19.1
• Windows 7 x64 Driver Package 19.1

Additional Workaround

If you are affected by this issue but not able to update the driver, a workaround is to remove the binding to IPv6 on the network adapter. This will remove the facility to use IPv6 services.

To do this:

• Use the Network and Sharing Center to select "Change Adapter Settings".
• Find the Intel i217-LM adapter in the list of adapters.
• Righ-hand click on it and then left click on Properties.
• Then un-tick the check box for "Internet Protocol version 6".
• Click on OK.

A further alternative, for example if you need to maintain the use of IPv6 services and cannot upgrade the driver, is to disable the system's ability to go into sleep state. If you require assistance with this, please contact Stone support.

​Applies to:

• Haswell based systems (with an Intel 8 Series Chipset) fitted with an Intel i217-LM Gigabit LAN Controller.

Problem

Haswell systems based on Intel 8 Series / Haswell chipsets with a Realtek LAN Controller fitted may experience LAN connectivity issues after using out of date LAN driver software under Windows. These systems were shipped in 2014 and 2015.

These include:

• Stone NT310-H (NOTCHA-260)
• Stone / Asus B85M-E (BOAMOT-463)
• Stone / MSI H81M-P33 (BOAMOT-464)
• Stone / Asus H81T (BOAMOT-471)
• Stone / MSI H81I (BOAMOT-472)
• Stone / Asus H81M-P-SI (BOAMOT-476)

​This problem does not appear on Haswell systems that only use an Intel LAN Controller.

Symptoms

These include:

• The network adapter keeps disappearing from device manager; the network adapter is not visible to the system at all.
• You cannot get any network connectivity or traffic.
• You cannot get an IP address via DHCP.
• The adapter may report that the cable is unplugged when it is not.
• You may not even be able to network boot the system (PXE boot).
• Cold or warm reboots may not fix the problem.

Root Cause

The root cause is an out of date Realtek LAN controller driver which mis-programmed the LAN PHY chip. This mis-programming will survive cold and warm boots. The Realtek LAN driver on an 8 Series chipset based system should be updated to a November 2013 or newer version using the Stone Driver Finder.

If you have up to date drivers running on the machine and on any PXE boot or deployment system but are experiencing problems, then you are likely not affected by this issue. Please contact the Stone service desk for assistance for additional troubleshooting.

An example of a driver that may cause this problem is shown below:

Resolution

Step 1:

The driver must be upgraded to a newer version, by obtaining a newer version from the Stone Driver Finder. If you need network connectivity to do this, you should do Step 2 first to regain some connectivity, then update the driver, and then repeat Step 2.

Step 2:

The LAN PHY chip must be reset. To do this after having updated the driver, perform the following:

• Shut Windows down.
• Disconnect the mains from the power supply (and in the case of a notebook system, also remove the battery).
• Disconnect the LAN cable.
• Wait for at least 20 seconds for the system to completely discharge.
• Reconnect the LAN cable and then the power (and again in the case of a notebook system, reattach the battery).

Additional Example Scenario - PXE Boot

• A new Stone system arrives with a customer with a pre-installed image; the network connectivity is fine.
• You then decide to PXE boot the system to capture an image from it.
• The Realtek driver in the PXE Image WIM file used to boot the system is significantly out of date.
• The driver believes is supports the network adapter and the adapter may initially connect to the network.
• The network connection then fails - either no traffic, or the adapter disappears.
• You then reboot the system into the pre-installed image and find that the network connectivity still doesn't work.
• You believe that the network interface has failed - however this is incorrect - the PXE driver has mis-programmed the interface - this now needs to be cleared using the steps above.

​Applies to:

• Haswell based systems (with an Intel 8 Series Chipset) fitted with a Realtek PCIe Gigabit LAN Controller.

Problem

Operating system deployment fails with the following error:

 "The Computer Restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows Installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click "OK" to restart the computer, and then restart the installation."

Resolution

On the screen with the error message above try the following steps:

1. Hold down "Shift + F10" to open the command prompt
2. On the command prompt type "regedit" with no quotes to open the Registry Editor
3. Go to:- HKLocal machine -> System ->Setup ->Status -> ChildCompletion
4. Highlight ChildCompletion and on the right you will see "setup.exe"
5. Double click "setup.exe" and verify the value is set to "1"
6. Change the value to "3"
7. Close the registry editor and close the command prompt.
8. Click OK on the error message and now the installation process should complete.

Applies to:

• Deployments of Windows 7 using SCCM 2012.

Problem

A common scenario is the need to give a cloned output to more than one monitor and/or projector at the same time. For example, you may have a monitor already connected but then need to connect a projector.

One solution available on the market is the passive video splitter. A passive splitter has no power supply and no electronics. It is simply wired to duplicate the signals to two HDMI, DVI or VGA connectors.

Issue 1: Mismatched display settings

Using a physical clone of a display prevents the PC from being configured to support the different output device's characteristics, such as resolution. This means that the output has to be configured to the lowest common denominator of the two in both the X and Y axis. For example:

Monitor 1: 1366x768

Projector: 1280x1024

Common denominator: 1280x768 - this is not the ideal resolution for either device and will give a stretched, distorted or letter box display on one or more device.

Solution: Use seperate physical output ports on your system. Windows will automatically adjust the output for the best possible display on a cloned setup. Or, using the seperate output ports, configure a spanned desktop. This will allow you to run each device in its native resolution, and will allow you to drag and drop application windows between the two screens.

Issue 2: DDC Pins shorted - display not configured correctly; damage may occur

Most interfaces (including VGA 15-pin, DVI, HDMI and Display Port) may use of a communications channel called DDC.

This is a communication channel from the monitor or projector back to the PC. This carries configuration information such as PNP ID, native resolution etc.

Shorting the DDC information together by physically connecting the two outputs from two devices together can damage the device and the PC host system.

Solution: Use seperate physical display outputs from the PC will ensure DDC information correctly gets back to the host PC system. If you do use a passive splitter - and this cannot be recommended - ensure that the DDC pin from one of the outputs is disconnected (for example, VGA pin 12 from one of the output devices).

Issue 3 - Manual Configuration required

Because a passive physical splitter cannot handle DDC information for both devices correctly, Windows may not be automatically able to determine the correct output resolution. The user will need to manually configure the correct resolution every time the device is connected. If a second device is connected while the system is running, the user may need to manually adjust the resolution on the original device to bring the resolution down to an acceptable setting for the new device.

Solution: Use seperate physical display outputs from the PC

Other Issues

Other issues related to the use of passive splitters include problems where projectors may not display a signal unless the PC is powered up first. This again relates to DDC handshaking. Use seperate physical display outputs.

Please contact your account manager if you would like to discuss upgrade options to your system to support multiple outputs. A system that supports multiple outputs resolves the problems listed above as well as giving control over which output is the primary and which output is the secondary, in the case of a spanned desktop.

Applies to:

• All systems including PCs and laptops, with or without a dedicated graphics card.

We are aware of an issue where laptop or netbook systems using Intel Atom 26xx and 28xx processors and Intel wireless cards such as the 6235 may deliver less than expected wireless throughput.

The wireless signal strength shows a good signal however the wireless performance may fluctuate, depending upon the wireless environment.

We are pleased to be able to announce the availabilty of the pre-release 15.5.6.48 Windows 7 32bit driver which resolves this issue. Further release versions of this driver will be available on the Intel web site shortly. There is no 64-bit driver as these Atom platforms do not support 64-bit Windows.

The 15.5.6.48 driver supports the following Intel wireless card models:

• 6300 series
• 6250 series
• 6235 series
• 6205 series
• 6150 series
• 2230 series
• 2200 series

Applies to:

• Laptops and desktops using Atom 2600 and 2800 processors, fitted with Intel wireless cards such as the 6235. This includes the Stone N108 and Stone Classmate 2 (N109RV).

Problem

Some versions of the Smart Technologies Product Drivers can cause problems when a USB 3.0 controller is installed in the system. This has been verified on Windows 7 and the 2010 version of the Smart Technologies driver package.

When you boot the system, the keboard and or mouse may be unresponsive until you remove them and then plug them back in.

Removing the USB 3.0 controller monitor program does not resolve the problem. The problem has been seen on H61, B75, Q77 and H81 systems.

Cause

The drivers themselves appear to cause system problems as they were not designed to be aware of USB 3.0 controllers. The issues are evident even if you are not using the USB 3.0 ports on the system.

Resolution

Either seek updated drivers from Smart Technologies, or if you are not connecting the Smartboard / Smarttable to the problem system, just uninstall the Smart Technologies driver package from Control Panel. The rest of the Smart Technology software will continue to function without the driver package.

Applies to:

• Desktop and Laptop products with USB 3.0 controllers, running Windows 7

KMS Activation BIOS Key Missing

On rare occasions the BIOS information to support Windows 7 KMS activation may be missing from the system BIOS. To rectify this problem, update the BIOS with the file attached. You will need a Windows 98SE bootable pen drive.

This BIOS issue does not apply to MAK activation.

Instructions

• Download and extract the attachment to a Windows 98SE bootable pen drive
• Boot the problem system from the pen drive
• Use the CD command to change to the directory you extracted the attachment to, if you used a folder
• Run FLASH.BAT

Alternative Download Location

This file is also available here.

Applies to:

• Stone Classmate 2 clamshell product (N109RV)

Issue

We have identified an enhancement to the software which ships with the N120 netbook to improve the wireless performance of the system when used in a domain networking environment, when the system is booted from cold with the AC power disconnected (in other words, turned on and running on battery).

• This symptom has only been recorded using Windows 7.
• If you do not use a Windows / Active Directory domain with this system, you do not need this software enhancement.

Potential symptoms of the wireless network connection not being ready quick enough when the system boots include:

• Messages displayed such as "No Domain Controller is available for domain SOLO due to the following: There are currently no logon servers available".
• Group Policy settings are not reliably applied (for example, mapped drives, redirected desktop or background settings).
• You can be logged on with cached credentials only.
• If you haven't logged onto the system before, your credentials are unable to be verified against a server and you are unable to logon, or you have to wait a long time or make repeated attempts before you can logon.

Verify

Please verify that you are affected by this specific issue: For example, when logged on as local Administrator, can you connect to the wireless network? If you are having problems seeing the wireless network in the network list, or problems with your authentication/encryption, these issues need to be resolved first and again you will not benefit from the software enhancement offered in this article.

Cause

The N120 netbook is designed to maximise battery life when the AC power is disconnected. As a result, in some situations, the wireless subsystem may not become available quickly enough to give the user a smooth logon experience when connected to a domain environment.

Resolutions

There are four resolutions below, listed in order of effectiveness or the time required to make the change.

• Resolution 1 - Disable Wireless Power Saving Features on the Adapter
• Resolution 2 - Change the Wireless Power Management setting in the Power Plan
• Resolution 3 - Use the Hotkey as a Service Workaround
• Resolution 4 - Replace Software images that were previously used on or designed for earlier models of machines.

Resolution 1

• Follow these steps to disable the Windows Power Saving features on the wireless adapter in Device Manager.
• A script is also available which can be deployed as part of a group policy computer startup script. This script turns off the power saving features for all network adapters in the system.

Resolution 2

Disable wireless adapter power saving features in the power plan. To do this, either chooce the High Performance Power plan, or modify the Balanced or Power Saver plans to adjust the wireless power saving settings.

• Open Control Panel and select Hardware and Sound
• Choose Power Options

• At this stage, you will be presented with the power plans available. You can either select to use the High Performance power plan, or if you prefer to carry on using the Balanced or Power Saver plans, carry on with the instructions below.
• Click on "Change Plan Settings" for the power plan that is currently in use (either Balanced or Power Saver)

• Scroll down to Wireless Adapter Settings
• Ensure that for both "On battery" and "Plugged in", the performance setting is set to Maximum Performance.

• Click on OK to accept the change and then close Control Panel.

Resolution 3

• If using an Intel 7260 based wireless adapter, ensure you have driver 17.x or newer installed.
• Ensure you are running Hotkey version 7.00.33 for Windows 7. If you are not:
  • Uninstall the Hotkey software from Control Panel > Programs and Features.
  • Download and Install the Windows 7 version of the Hotkey software (version 7.00.33) from the Stone Driver Finder or here.
• Then download and install the Hotkey as a Service solution, attached to the article or available here.

​Instructions for the Hotkey as a Service Enhancement (Resolution 3)

Full instructions and notes are provided in the readme.txt file included in the package, however please see the brief installation and removal instructions below.

Installation

• Download and extract the package onto the target system.
• Ensure the normal, correct Hotkey utility is installed on the target system.
• Run install_hotkey_service.bat as an Administrator.
  • If you are running a scripted deployment, run install_hotkey_service.bat /q to perform a silent quick install.
• Reboot the system and test.

Removal

When you install the software, the uninstaller is copied to one of the following locations:

• On an x86 system:
  • Run as an Administrator: C:\Program Files\Hotkey_Service\uninstall_hotkey_service.bat
• On an x64 system:
  • Run as an Administrator: C:\Program Files (x86)\Hotkey_Service\uninstall_hotkey_service.bat

Limitations of Resolution 3

• If the user logs off the system and then hibernates the system, the wireless connection may not be restored. In this instance, use resolution 1 or disable hibernation.

Software Version 0.07 Updated 6/6/14 to change the group policy registry settings to minimise logon delays.

Resolution 4

• Ensure you create a new software image for the N120. Re-using a software image that was originally designed for other notebooks can lead to complications, especially when the image had a previous version of the Hotkey software installed. Uninstalling the Hotkey software and upgrading it to the correct version may not be sufficient.

Applies to:

• Stone N120 Netbooks running Windows 7 (NOTCHA-258)

Problem

There is a software issue that customers may experience on the Stone N120 Netbook whilst running Windows 7 that may cause the following symptoms:

• Wireless networks may be completely unavailable.
• If wireless networks are visible, the signal strength may seem to be very poor.
• Any wireless networks that are visible are only intermittently available, as if the wireless radio is constantly being switched off and on.

Cause

This problem is caused by an incorrect version of the Hotkey software. If the Windows 8 version of the Hotkey software is used in Windows 7, the wireless card may not function correctly.

Resolution

• Uninstall the Hotkey software from Control Panel > Programs and Features.
• Download and Install the Windows 7 version of the Hotkey software (version 7.00.33) from the Stone Driver Finder or here.

​

Applies to:

• Stone N120 Netbooks running Windows 7 (NOTCHA-258)

Problem

• In some situations it has been observed that after pressing the caps lock the onscreen display animation may for a short time block further keystrokes, meaning that text may be entered incorrectly.
• This problem has been seen on Windows 7 systems but may also apply to Windows 8 systems.

Cause

The cause is an issue with the Hotkey on-screen display software.

Resolution

Method 1

• Update the Hotkey Software (see the related article for download links),

Method 2

Windows 7

• Click on Start, then type MSCONFIG in the search box.
• The system will show a list of matches to MSCONFIG, including one under Programs.
• Right hand click on the result and then left click on Run as Administrator.

​

• Select the Startup Tab in MSCONFIG.
• Find the entry in the list of Startup Items called Hotkey.exe.
• Remove the tick to disable Hotkey from starting when the machine starts.
• Click on Apply and then OK to accept the change.
• With this method, there will be no further on screen animations but most Hotkey functions will still operate.

Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

• Press the Windows Logo Key and R at the same time to bring up the Run Dialogue box.
• Type in MSCONFIG and click OK.

• Select the Startup Tab in MSCONFIG.
• Find the entry in the list of Startup Items called Hotkey.exe.
• Remove the tick to disable Hotkey from starting when the machine starts.
• Click on Apply and then OK to accept the change.
• With this method, there will be no further on screen animations but most Hotkey functions will still operate.

Applies to:

• Stone NT310 laptop (NOTCHA-256 and NOTCHA-257).

The Hotkey Utility

The Stone NT310 laptop, like most laptops, uses add-on software to bring extra functionality and features to Windows.

Stone provides the Hotkey Utility which provides extra on-screen display information and additional Hotkey functionality.

Problem

• If you upgrade from Windows 8.0 to Windows 8.1, you may find that this Hotkey Utility stops working and displays an error message on boot, or if you try and reinstall it.
• If you are running Windows 7, you may find that the Hotkeys are intermittently unresponsive.
• You may get an error message when the system boots saying that the "System needs to be restarted again. Make sure all driver is installed."

Resolution

An updated version of the Hotkey Utility is now available. Use the steps below to update your software.

Steps - Windows 7

• Uninstall the previous version of the Hotkey utility if installed.
• Reboot.
• Download and install the latest version for Windows 7 (previous version here here).

Steps - Windows 8

• Uninstall the previous version of the Hotkey utility if installed.
• Reboot.
• Download and install the latest Hotkey Utility for Windows 8 / Windows 8.1.

Steps - Windows 8.1

• Uninstall the previous version of the Hotkey utility if installed.
• Reboot the system and use the F2 key to go into the BIOS.
• Check the BIOS version. If you have a BIOS version lower than 1.03.02 you will need to update the BIOS first.
• Boot the system back up.
• Download and install the latest Hotkey Utility for Windows 8 / Windows 8.1.

​Applies to:

• Stone NT310 Laptop - NOTCHA-256 and NOTCHA-257.

​

Problem

You are using Windows 10 on your Stonebook Pro or Stonebook Lite and the Airplane mode functionality is not working. You are unable to switch on or off Airplane mode. Additionally, Airplane mode may keep on switching between showing as connected or turned off, and your wireless network connection may not be reliably available.

Cause

If you have downloaded the Windows 10 x64 Airplane mode driver from our Driver Finder before 24/8/16, you may have the wrong version installed.

Resolution

Please uninstall your existing Airplane mode software, download the updated version and install it. The new version can either be downloaded from the Driver Finder, or here.

• The correct Airplane mode driver is version 1.4.0.3 and the download is just less than 4MB in size.

​

Applies to:

• Stonebook Pro P10A (n24_25ju) - NOTCHA-277
• Stonebook Pro P11A (n24_25ju) - NOTCHA-278
• Stonebook Lite L10A (n24_25ju) - NOTCHA-276
• Stonebook Lite L11A (n24_25ju) - NOTCHA-280

Issues

There are a number of issues regarding USB 3.0 controllers primarily with Windows 7. This article highlights some of the more common problems as well as work-arounds for them. A driver package tor the four most common groups of USB 3.0 controllers is available at the end of this article.

Problem 1 - Intermittent Device Response with Third Party Applications

Problem 2 - VMWare Player or VMWare Workstation USB Removable Device / Passthrough does not work

Problem 3 - Intel USB 3.0 Controller Driver May not Install through WDS / MDT / CC4 / SCCM

Problem 4 - Upgrade to Windows 8 will not proceed with the Manufacturer USB 3.0 driver Installed

Problem 5 - Smart Technologies Tablet or Smart Technologies Smartboard drivers cause the system keyboard and/or mouse to be Unresponsive

Problem 6 - Removal of EHCI Support From Intel Skylake and newer platforms means that Windows 7 can't use USB devices until an additional driver installed

USB 3.0 Controllers Affected

The main controllers addresses by this article are:

• Renesas1: Renesas first generation USB 3.0 Controller uPD720200 and uPD720200a, as used in the Intel 6 Series Desktop boards
• Renesas2: Renesas second generation USB 3.0 Controller uPD720201 and uPD720202 as used in some high end motherboards
• Intel7: Intel first generation USB 3.0 controller as Integrated into the 7 Series Intel Chipset, such as Q77, HM75 etc.
• Intel8/9: Intel second and third generation USB 3.0 controllers as integrated into the 8 and 9 Series Intel chipsets, such as the Q87.
• Intel 1x0: Intel fourth generation USB 3.0 controllers as integrated into the Skylake series chipsets such as the H110M, B150 and Q170.
• ASMedia 104x and 107x Controllers.

​Native support for most of these controllers is available from within Windows 8.1; the Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 in-box driver is not affected by the issues discussed in this article.

Problem 1 - Intermittent Device Response with Third Party Applications

Applications which monitor the USB ports on a system may not work, or USB devices in the system may have intermittent issues

Cause

The USB 3.0 Controllers above install their own port monitoring application by default. This notifies you, for example, if you plug a USB 3.0 device into a USB 2.0 port. The monitoring application monitors all ports on the system including USB 2.0 ports and issues can be seen across all ports in the system.

The conflict between the driver's port monitoring application and an add-application which is also probing the USB ports can cause either program to cease working, or the USB ports themselves may intermittently fail to respond or detect devices.

Resolution

• Renesas1, Intel7 and Intel8/9:
  • Uninstall the driver
  • Reboot
  • Reinstall the driver using the INF only method, using Device manager to install the basic driver components only. The monitoring application is not installed using this method, and the conflict is resolved.
• ​Renesas2 - either follow the method for Renesas1 above, or:
  • ​Uninstall the driver
  • Reboot
  • Reinstall the driver using the /v"NO_MONITOR=1" switch to prevent the monitoring application from being installed. In the Stone USB 3.0 driver package, this is also available as silentsetup_no_monitor.bat
• ASMedia
  • ​Uninstall the driver
  • Reboot
  • Install the driver in the Stone USB 3.0 driver package as this does not include a USB monitoring application.

See also Problem 5 for a similar issue around Smart Technologies Smartboard or Smarttablet drivers.

Problem 2 - VMWare Player or VMWare Workstation USB Removable Device / Passthrough does not work

In this situation VMWare products are not able to take control of the USB device and pass it through to the guest operating system. When you attempt to connect the device to the guest operating system, you get an error message that the device is in use on the host.

Resolution 1

Ensure the VMWare USB Arbitration service is running in Computer Management > Services.

Resolution 2

Use the same resolution as for Problem 1. Then once you have removed the USB monitoring program, you should be able to assign the USB device to the guest operating system.

Problem 3 - Intel USB 3.0 Controller Driver May not Install through WDS / MDT / CC4 / SCCM

When you use the INF driver and deploy this through a driver package, the Intel 7 or 8/9 driver may not install properly. The "Intel(R) USB 3.0 Root Hub" is listed in device manager as an Unknown device, or with a yellow exclamation mark on it. Device Manager reports that the driver is not installed correctly.

Cause

The cause is a problem with the way the driver and driver ID is constructed. The device has an ID of USB3\ROOT_HUB30&VID_8086_PID_1E31 whilst the driver does not have an INF that matches closely enough for the deployment process such as WDS to use it.

Resolution

• Reinstall the driver after the initial build of the system. This can be done either using the standard setup program, or, for larger scale deployments such as an SCCM build, use a task sequence and the silent setup option included in the Stone USB 3.0 driver package.
• If you require that the Intel USB monitor program is not installed you can still use the INF only method after the operating system has been installed. To do this programatically, use the drivers in the INF_Only folder and the install.bat file. This needs to be run with Administrative privileges.

Problem 4 - Upgrade to Windows 8 will not proceed with the Manufacturer USB 3.0 driver Installed

If you attempt to upgrade to Windows 8 from Windows 7 the upgrade checker may report that the USB 3.0 controller driver is not compatible.

Resolution

• Uninstall the USB 3.0 controller driver
• Upgrade to Windows 8
• Install the latest Windows 8 USB 3.0 controller driver IF Windows does not automatically install a driver during the upgrade. Use of the Windows in-box driver is recommended where possible.

Problem 5 - Smart Technologies Table or Smart Technologies Smartboard drivers cause the system keyboard to be Unresponsive

Similar to Problem 1, some versions of the Smart Technologies Product Drivers can cause problems when a USB 3.0 controller is installed in the system. This has been verified on Windows 7 and the 2010 version of the Smart Technologies driver package.

When you boot the system, the keboard and or mouse may be unresponsive until you remove them and then plug them back in.

Removing the USB 3.0 controller monitor program does not resolve the problem. The problem has been seen on H61, B75, Q77 and H81 systems.

Cause

The drivers themselves appear to cause system problems as they were not designed to be aware of USB 3.0 controllers. The issues are evident even if you are not using the USB 3.0 ports on the system.

Resolution

Either seek updated drivers from Smart Technologies, or if you are not connecting the Smartboard / Smarttable to the problem system, just uninstall the Smart Technologies driver package from Control Panel. The rest of the Smart Technology software will continue to function without the driver package.

Stone USB 3.0 Driver Package

A driver package is available that contains the most up to date Windows 7 USB 3.0 controller drivers for all six mentioned controllers as of 25/7/16. This package includes:

• The standard setup program
• Silent setup program (batch file)
• Silent setup program with no monitoring application - Renesas 2 controller only (batch file)
• INF installer only (no monitoring program)

Windows 7 Drivers for x86 and x64 are included. Download here.

Applies to:

• Desktop and Laptop products with USB 3.0 controllers, running Windows 7

Problem

• When you play video using VLC media player on a system with a projector connected, the projector screen may flicker when you start playing the video on it.
• The projector may seem as if its changing inputs when you stop or start the video.
• Colours may appear washed out or the overall video quality may be poor.

Cause

The cause is VLC Media player trying to take advantage of some hardware features to improve the video decoding. Depending on the graphics adapter and driver, this may produce the undesirable results above.

This issue appears to be more prevalent on NVIDIA graphics adapters with HDMI connected projectors.

Resolution

Go into the VLC Media Player preferences, and under Video, untick the option for "Use Hardware YUV -> RGB conversions".

Applies to:

• Desktop and Laptop products with a Projector connected as a second display, using VLC Media Player.

Problem

When you use UEFI mode on most systems, Windows will attempt to use GPT partitioning during installation. This gives features such as the ability to support boot drives larger than 2TB.

When you use Legacy mode on UEFI systems, Windows will attempt to use the older MBR partitioning method during installation.

The two methods are not compatible with one another. For example, you may encounter problems deploying Windows if your hard drive was partitioned using the MBR style, and you then attempt to reinstall Windows with the BIOS reconfigured into UEFI mode.

Problem 1: Legacy (non-UEFI) BIOS with a GPT Partitioned disk: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style".

• In this situation, deleting all of the partitions on the disk using the setup program is not sufficient. It will not resolve the problem. 

Problem 2: UEFI BIOS with an MBR partitioned disk: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks."

Problem 3: UEFI BIOS with a GPT partitioned disk - with a deployment method such as MDT that has not been configured to handle GPT partitioning - the task sequence or deployment fails.

Problem 4: UEFI BIOS with a GPT partitioned disk, but you are trying to reinstall the system using boot media that has been prepared in MBR mode - perhaps an original CD, or a USB pen drive - and the system won't boot from the boot media.

Work Arounds

Problem 1: Legacy System with a GPT Hard Drive

• Delete the partitioning information from the hard drive by "cleaning" the disk.
• Or, if you are doing a large-scale deployment, program your task sequence to clean the disk.

Problem 2: UEFI System with an MBR Hard Drive

• Try UEFI-CSM Mode in the BIOS, if available.

If you are moving to a UEFI system on an MBR partitioned hard drive, or if your deployment method only supports MBR and you are working on a UEFI system, some BIOSes have a UEFI-CSM mode setting which may help. CSM stands for compatibility support mode. In this mode, UEFI features are enabled, and things such as Secure Boot will still work. However with CSM, the BIOS will detect the boot partition on the bootable media and enable MBR support as required. In this way, it is still possible to use MBR partitioned disks and Windows installations after moving to UEFI mode.

• If UEFI-CSM is not available and MBR hard drive partitioning is required, disable UEFI mode completely.
• If you require UEFI features to be available, and so cannot disable UEFI mode, you may need to delete the partitioning information from the hard drive by "cleaning" the disk. Or, if you are doing a large-scale deployment, program your task sequence to clean the disk.

Problem 3: UEFI System and GPT hard drive, with an MBR only deployment method

• If possible, update your deployment method to support the new partitioning method, such as GPT.
• Alternatively, delete the partitioning information from the hard drive by "cleaning" the disk.
• Or, if you are doing a large-scale deployment, program your task sequence to clean the disk.

Problem 4: UEFI System with a GPT hard drive, but booting from MBR media

• Try UEFI-CSM Mode in the BIOS, if available.
• Alternatively, re-prepare the boot media in GPT mode from the original ISO using tools such as Rufus. This allows you to create replacement USB media, prepared for UEFI/GPT booting. Bear in mind that some media such as Windows 7 x86 has limited support for booting in UEFI mode.

How to Delete The Partitioning Information

• This process will "clean" or delete the GPT or MBR partitioning information from the hard drive, useful when you need your hard drive to match your BIOS and/or deployment method. On a small scale, the easiest way to do this is to use the DISKPART command manually.

• Boot the system with the BIOS configured into the desired deployment mode.
• Boot from the network, CD, or USB installation media as normal
• At the first Windows PE or Windows installation screen, press SHIFT and F10 to get a command prompt.

• Start Diskpart by simply typing in DISKPART and pressing Enter.
• Use the LIST DISK command to list the hard drives. Usually, Hard Disk 0 is the disk you will be attempting to install to.
• Select the disk to be erased by using the command SELECT DISK 0
• Now use the CLEAN command to quickly erase the partitioning information.
• Reboot and re-attempt Windows installation or deployment.

Applies to:

• All Stone Desktop and Laptop products that support UEFI and Legacy BIOS modes.

Wireless Guide 1

Use the guide below to assist you in troubleshooting signal problems such as low signal strength or low throughput performance on wireless networks.

Low Signal Strength

Consider Your Expectations

• How far away from the access point are you?
• How many walls or obstructions are between you and the access point?
• Are you connecting to a 2.4GHz or 5GHz network?
  • 2.4GHz networks are more crowded and therefore subject to more interference.
  • 5GHz networks are less crowded however the signal deterioates more quickly i.e. the signal doesn't travel as far. Whereas 2.4GHz networks will go through 2-3 walls in close proximity to the access point (less than 3M between walls) a 5GHz network signal will only go through 1-2 walls at the same proximity.
  • If possible, try the equipment in a different location and/or on a different access point to determine if it is localised interference which is causing your problem.
• If you are in a large multi-access point wireless network, ensure that the machine has roamed, or that you are connected to the nearest wireless access point.
  • Some managed network systems will manage the clients roaming or transfer to a different access point
  • Use any managed infrastrucure system to tell you which access point the client device is connected to, if you cant tell from the device itself
    • For example, on some systems, such as Meru, the virtual access point feature makes it difficult from the client end to determine which physical access point the client is connected to, as the access point MAC address is virtualised.
  • Try adjusting the network cards "roaming agressiveness" setting. Increase the aggressiveness to make the system look for stronger signals from other access points sooner, however this may result in more frequent brief disconnections whilst the system moves from one access point to another:

Reduce the possibility of being Affected by Interference

• Turn off Bluetooth devices in the area if you are using 2.4GHz
• If using 2.4GHz, try using the 5GHz spectrum instead
  • If you are using an unmanaged wireless infrastructure but have 5GHz capability, use a differently named SSID for the 5GHz network and set this higher in the network preference order.

• Legacy or basic unmanaged systems: Try changing the wireless channel that is used.
• Try removing legacy client devices from the network.
  • 802.11b wireless devices can caused signal and performance problems on modern wireless networks, as these devices require too much "airtime" to transfer data efficiently.
  • Turn off support for legacy client devices on your wireless system. Where possible, support for 802.11b and 802.11g devices should be disabled.
• Try different locations and eliminate possible sources of interference - cordless phones, wireless cameras etc.

Other Tips

• Ensure that your wireless access point has up to date firmware.
• Ensure your wireless network card driver is up to date.
• Make sure you use WPA2 and AES encryption. The use of WPA/TKIP will result in drastically reduced wireless system throughput.
• Enable Wireless AC features on your access point, if available, and use Wireless AC devices where possible. Wireless AC presents a significant performance improvement over Wireless N.
• Ensure your wireless system has the faster transmission modes enabled.

Applies to:

• All mobile products with wireless functionality.