Gateway nv52 notebook screen goes black but is still on, 2 days

Oct 27, 2009

- According to Gateway, the problem is the Atheros Network Driver and should be updated to the latest version, see here:http://support.gateway.com/s/notebook/2009/gateway/nv/nv52/NV52faq7.shtml

I updated this driver, when I first got my machine, via windows update so maybe thats why I've never had the black screen issue....Just run the windows update and it should find the driver update as an "optional" update..Hope this helps......

Oct 20, 2009

- Okay, I think I have figured out this little problem. Seems to be a issue with HID (Human Interface Device) Mice. Well, atleast in my case. Windows is suppost to ID the plug and play device and then everything works smoothly. For whatever reason, this is not working on this series of laptops. Maybe a bad master install disc was used, maybe just a few hunder units got messed up? Either way, to fix this issue if you are using a external mouse,

Open start menu

Locate "Computer"

Right click "Computer" then select device menu in the window that follows.

Locate " Mice and other pointing devices" and click the "+" to show "Alps pointing device"

Now, you want to take the mouse you want to use and plug it in. After a few seconds you'll hear a sound and a "HID device" will appear in the device manager window under the "Mice and pointing device" tree.

Right click on the HID device. Select update drivers and then "search the internet". Wait until done and everything should be good. Mine hasn't froze and it's been almost an hour. It was every 5-15 minutes.

Hope this helps,

As for anyone who had this problem and DID NOT, have a external mouse plugged in, try updating your Alps pointing defvice drivers.

Oct 20, 2009

- Well, last night I was excited, but it only lasted almost a hour. I thought I was just a simple, use device manager to to update drivers for plug and play mouse. Turns out it work, but for only 45 minutes. Still better the the 5-15 minute limit I had before.

So, that leaves me where I am today. Using Ubuntu, a linux based desktop OS. I used the Wubi installer and installed it as a like second OS on my machine. This installation method is removable like a software app. Amazing there was very little problems. So far today, everything is working just fine, including the external mouse.

The only thing that I haven't checked out as far as Ubuntu and my laptop compatability is the webcam. And I am not worried about that right now. Everything else including the WiFi, works just fine. Thouch pad, touch controls, EXTERNAL MOUSE, exturnal keyboard, and onboard keyboard all worked with out any addional tweaking or support.

So I am really left to believe what I first though. It has to be the installation of windows. Like I said before, mine worked just fine until I formated. For whatever reason either these laptops have trouble installing windows properly, or the windows installation that was used for this model had errors to begin with.

I am going to try and get a Windows Vista 64bit OS cd from a friend of mine tonight who is a IT guy, and install a clean installation of Windows. If that doesn't help solve the issue, then it is beyond me and I give up lol. I'll blame Microsoft and Gateway and use this laptop as my Linux based computer.