Black screen on Microsoft Office and Zoom screen sharing (HOST)

[coolpolar]

While screen sharing in Zoom (I'm a Zoom pro-account host user), my Acer computer completely blacked out for 5 minutes. When the screen recovers, all the texts and pictures became blurry! I've just updated the latest intel driver today. Please see the screen shot of my graphic card description.  It is a brand new laptop. I'm using Intel Core i7 10th generation (Intel Iris Plus graphics), 16GB RAM and 512 SSD memory space

. Zoom's recommended solution is to use NVIDIA control panel settings, but my Acer laptop doesn't support NVIDIA. At first, I bought this new laptop as I thought that my previous laptop working on Intel Celeron and 8GB ram was not good enough to run zoom. 

But the same issue happened with the new laptop too. I've just updated my graphic card driver settings. And I tried all the solutions, including updating WIndows. I'm not sure if this is a problem with Zoom or intel graphics card.  

It doesn't just happen on ZOom, but on Microsoft office applications. Please check the video below.

1) Power point black screen flashing

2) Microsoft Office tab disappears

3) Zoom screen completely blackout (but you can see that the laptop is still on as the keyboard lights are on) - my participants could see my screen and hear me from their end, but my laptop screen was completely blank.

Is this the graphics card problem or Zoom and Microsoft office application bugs? hope it can be resolved

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @coolpolar

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

In order to check this further, could you please provide the following details?

1- We understand this is a new system. Is the behavior happening since the very first day that you have this new system? If this worked fine before at any moment, was there any recent change like hardware or software changes? (for instance, Windows®, driver, or software updates?)

2- Is the behavior happening only with Zoom* and Microsoft* Office applications? (Issue limited only to those two sets of apps?)

3- Could you please provide the exact full version of the Zoom and Microsoft* apps that you are using? (e.g.: software version, build number, etc.)

4- Is this happening only with the built-in display or also if you test using an external display using a  straight-through connection (e.g. HDMI-to-HDMI)?

5- Is the behavior happening when the system is plugged into power source, when using only battery, or with both?

6- Run the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) to gather more details about the system.

• Download the Intel® SSU and save the application on your computer
• Open the application, check the "Everything" checkbox, and click "Scan" to see the system and device information. The Intel® SSU defaults to the "Summary View" on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
• To save your scan, click Next and click Save.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

Note: We were unable to find any screenshot attached showing "graphic card description."  The only screenshot attached is just showing the screen blackout, were you referring to that screenshot?

[coolpolar]

Hi, 

Here's my response to your questions:

1) Is the behavior happening since the very first day that you have this new system? If this worked fine before at any moment, was there any recent change like hardware or software changes? (for instance, Windows®, driver, or software updates?)

I bought this laptop on 17/3/21 from an authorised ACER dealer. I did all the necessary updates before using my laptop. For the first few days, there were no problems. On 24/3 (video attached in previous post), I discovered a problem with Power Point 2019. A black background flickers while I was on 'split screen' mode, and sometimes there is a black flashing light when I use Power Point without 'split screen'. This does not always happen, but once in a while. This also happens with Microsoft Excel.

On 26/3 (video attached in previous post), I attended a lecture on Zoom. While I was typing in Microsoft Word 2019, the tabs suddenly disappeared. Not only the tabs disappeared, but some words that I wrote in Microsfot Word disappeared too. So I closed Microsoft Word and reopened it again and everything went back to normal. The laptop was only turned on for about 2 hours when this happened. It was not overheated and it didn't feel hot.

Before the 5-minute Zoom screen blackout incident which happened on 29/3, I have updated my Windows software a few days before I conducted my online classes (as the host) on Zoom.  The Zoom class only lasted for 1.5 hours before this screen blackout incident happened. It was so bad that I quickly switched to another laptop.

Right after that Zoom class, I searched Google for answers and it seems that Zoom has some kind of ties with NVIDIA and some special configurations can be done via NVIDIA control panel. However, this ACER laptop model doesn't support NVIDIA. So I found out that there were some Intel Driver updates and I quickly updated them. Also, I have just configured my video settings in ZOOM. Now, the 3D11 graphic card version is used for my Zoom videos, but I'm not sure if that would resolve the all the problems.

I'd also like to inform you, apart from this new ACER laptop which I'm using, a similar issue with Microsoft Office 2019 and Zoom (latest version) happens on another laptop. This laptop (Chuwi brand) is a tablet-laptop hybrid, which I bought last year. It works on Intel Celeron (8gb ram) and I have also installed Microsoft Office 2019 and Zoom. Screen blackout moments during Zoom classes and Microsoft Office 2019 applications happen on this Chuwi laptop-tablet too. 

2. Is the behavior happening only with Zoom* and Microsoft* Office applications? (Issue limited only to those two sets of apps?)

- Yes, seems like only these two applications have major issues.

3.  Could you please provide the exact full version of the Zoom and Microsoft* apps that you are using? (e.g.: software version, build number, etc.)

- Zoom latest version (as listed on their website)

- Microsoft Office 2019

4.  Is this happening only with the built-in display or also if you test using an external display using a  straight-through connection (e.g. HDMI-to-HDMI)?

>> Built-in display. I've never test it using an external display on HDMI.

5. Is the behavior happening when the system is plugged into power source, when using only battery, or with both?

>> BOTH. I've never let the power source run dry or on low battery levels. Usually when I'm having zoom classes, I always ensure that my battery level is at least 80%. Also, when the battery runs down to 20%, I'd turn on the power source. 

>> During Zoom screen blackout moments, I quickly turn on my power supply. But the screen is still black. The battery level was at 70-80% at that time...

6. I've scanned and clicked to 'submit' the info to Intel, but the page says, " Hmmm… can't reach this page". 

I have attached Intel Scan results in the attachment

Hope this incident will not recur and your team will be able to resolve the issues. Thanks.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response and all the detailed information, we really appreciate it.

Regarding answer # 4, we understand that you never tested with an external display. Are you able to try this and test using an external display to see if the behavior is the same? If yes, please report back the outcome of the test.

Also, regarding the Intel® SSU report, the "submit" button doesn't work to upload the report to a community thread (for instance, in this specific thread). We would actually need you to save the report as a .txt file (following the steps in our previous post) and then attach the full file to your reply here in the thread:

1. Open the application Intel® SSU.
2. Check the "Everything" checkbox, and click "Scan" to see the system and device information. The Intel® SSU defaults to the "Summary View" on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
3. To save your scan, click Next and click Save.
4. Once you have saved the file (.txt file), please attach it to your reply.
5. To upload and attach a file, use the "Drag and drop here or browse files to attach" option below the response textbox.

We do apologize if the steps were not clear enough.

In addition, could you please provide more details about the Chuwi* laptop. For instance, please provide the full model and if possible a link as a reference. Also, please provide another Intel® SSU report from this Chuwi laptop (following the steps above) and kindly let us know if you are running the latest customized graphics driver provided by the original manufacturer (OEM) of this laptop?

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your reply. 

I've attached the following:

1) ACER intel scan info

2) CHUWI intel scan info

Your questions:

1) Also, please provide another Intel® SSU report from this Chuwi laptop (following the steps above) and kindly let us know if you are running the latest customized graphics driver provided by the original manufacturer (OEM) of this laptop?

>> I don't know how to run the latest customised graphic driver provided by Chuwi. I raised the matter to Chuwi several weeks ago regarding the screen blackout problems with Microsoft Office software and Zoom. They recommended doing a factory reset and they have also shared with me a file to reset the Chuwi laptop-tablet. However, I didn't dare to do this because I was afraid of messing things up halfway. 

>> Here's more information about Chuwi UBook N4100: Comparison Between Chuwi UBook Pro 4100 VS Chuwi UBook Pro 8100 Review - IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews

I bought this device on Ali Express. You can find the product description in their Ali Express Flagship store.

2) Regarding answer # 4, we understand that you never tested with an external display. Are you able to try this and test using an external display to see if the behavior is the same? If yes, please report back the outcome of the test.

>> I have not tested if a similar issue occurs with an external display. I assume what you mean is to connect my laptop to an external monitor, like a desktop PC monitor. I'll test this out.

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,

I can't test the display on an external monitor because my desktop PC monitor uses that old school blue cable. My laptops only support HDMI to HMDI connection. I don't have a suitable device to test this out. 

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for all the information and details.

Based on a previous screenshot, we noticed that the ACER* laptop was running graphics driver 27.20.100.8280 which might have been either the customized driver from ACER* or the generic one from Intel® since both versions are available on ACER® and Intel's websites.

Now, checking the Intel® SSU reports, we noticed that both systems are currently running the latest Intel® generic graphics driver 27.20.100.9316. In this case, we would like to recommend trying a clean install of the graphics driver to see if the behavior is fixed and in order to discard issues related to previous update processes/installations.

Since the driver or software for your Intel® component might have been changed or replaced by the computer manufacturer (OEM) and OEM drivers are handpicked and include customized features and solutions to platform-specific issues, the usual recommendation is to use the OEM driver as the first option. Please follow these steps for the ACER® Laptop:

1- Download the latest ACER* driver from this link and save the file on the computer: Intel® VGA Driver Version 27.20.100.8280*

2- Disconnect from the internet to make sure the driver will not be automatically updated by Windows.

3- Right-click the Windows Start button. Select Device Manager.

4- Expand the section Display adapters and look for the Intel Graphics entry in Device Manager (e.g.: Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics).

5- Right-click on Intel Graphics and click Uninstall.

6- In the device removal dialog box, check Delete the driver software for this device and click OK.

7- Restart the computer after the uninstallation is complete.

8- Open Device Manager once more.

9- Very Important: Expand the Display Adapter section again:

• If the graphics entry still displays Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics or similar, repeat steps 5-7.
• If the graphics entry displays Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, run the previously downloaded Acer file to install the driver.

10- Reboot the computer when prompted.

If the issue persists, you can repeat the process using the latest Intel® generic driver (.exe file) from this link: Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics Windows® 10 DCH Driver, Version: 27.20.100.9316 (Latest).

If the installation is unsuccessful with the Intel's .exe file, try installing the driver using the .zip file:

1- Download from the same link on Download Center and save the .zip file on the computer (igfx_win10_100.9316.zip for Windows® 64 bits).

2- Disconnect from the internet to make sure the driver will not be automatically updated by Windows.

3- Follow the previous steps 5-7 above until the driver in the Device Manager displays as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. Go to where the .zip file is saved and unzip it.

4- Right-click the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.

5- Select Update driver.

6- Click Browse my computer for driver software.

7- Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.

8- Click Have Disk.

9- Click Browse. Select the location where the driver files are located.

10- Click Next. Drivers are being installed.

11- Reboot the computer when prompted.

We recommend also trying those steps on the Chuwi* laptop. We suggest trying to get in contact with Chuwi support to see if they can provide you with a custom driver from their side in order to test this. This is since we were not able to find a direct link from their site regarding drivers, only found some results on their forums*, but those were pointing out to download links on third-party websites, like "file hosting" services, and we cannot guarantee those are valid drivers.

If you are not able to get a custom driver from them, you can just try the steps using Intel's generic driver for Intel® UHD Graphics 600, Version: 27.20.100.9316 (Latest).

Please feel free to report back the outcome. You may refer to this link What's My Intel® Graphics Driver Version? to review the driver version installed.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the suggestion. I've got several questions:

Question 1: Reinstalling the driver

1- Download the latest ACER* driver from this link and save the file on the computer: Intel® VGA Driver Version 27.20.100.8280*

>> I've downloaded the driver that you shared. However, the ZIP file has many tiny files in the folder. I'm not sure which one I should click first. Could you provide step-by-step directions on which files to click? I'm afraid of messing things up as I've never done anything like this before. Perhaps uploading some screen captures containing annotations would help! Thank you.

>> Also, if I reinstall the driver, will my existing files be automatically deleted? Should I save my important files in an external memory drive? 

Question 2: ACER vs Intel driver

>> Acer does have its own driver as you mentioned. When I attempted to update the Intel driver as recommended by the Intel auto-update website, it was blocked by existing system for some reason. I think ACER disallowed the update. Is this a good or bad thing? 

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response.

Regarding question # 1:

Point 1:

• The latest ACER* driver, since this is a customized driver released (and perhaps recompiled) by Acer, the file repositories, installation process, launchers, etc., may vary in regards to Intel's drivers.
• Checking the file "VGA_Intel_27.20.100.8280_W10x64_A.zip¨, we only see on the root of the directory one file that seems to be the one that starts the installation process: "Setup_Driver.cmd". However, in order to obtain the proper installation instructions for this, we would like to suggest reviewing with ACER* support for more details.

Point 2:

• Reinstalling the driver should not cause that your existing files to be automatically deleted. The reinstall process and the option Delete the driver software for this device only refer to files associated with the graphics driver software. Nevertheless, it is always highly recommended to have a backup of important files, as there are always different possibilities when it comes to computers and electronic devices that may lead to losing information.

Regarding question #2:

We provide generic drivers for general purposes, so it depends on a case-by-case scenario if it is good or bad disallowing a system to install generic drivers. Definitely, there is a change that a manufacturer may decide to limit a system to only customized drivers, especially when they have made very specific customizations. However, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is the one that can confirm if that would be the case, since they are the ones that handle all the technical details about the system.

This behavior is also expected when the currently installed driver on the system is non-DCH. DCH driver 26.20.100.8141 or newer drivers will only install over OEM DCH drivers. This is why a clean install of the graphics driver is recommended in order to avoid that behavior. Here are more details about this behavior:

• Error Message Appears When Installing Intel Graphics Driver 26.20.100.8141 or Newer

For any other inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the detailed reply. I've been using my laptop for the whole week and things seem stable after I've updated the drivers: no zoom screen blackout issues or flicking Microsoft office apps.

I'm still having two minds about reinstalling the driver as Acer recommends sending it to their service centre for further inspection. The technician suspects that this is an issue with the software and the driver.. I'm afraid I'd need to leave my laptop with them for several days. This means I won't have a proper laptop to work on!

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response.

We understand that after you updated the drivers, so far this week the laptop seems to be stable. Let's monitor the behavior for the rest of the week. Please feel free to report back any feedback either if the system continues running stable or not, or if you decide to proceed as per Acer* recommendations.

If you have additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks a lot for your support. 

I'll monitor for two more weeks to and post a reply here if the issue has been resolved. On 7 April 2021, one of my participants faced a similar problem when I sharing my screen in Zoom. At that time, I was projecting a Power Point 2019 slide and using Zoom annotations to annotate some texts on that slide. The participant's screen went blank. The others were ok.  As soon as I stopped sharing the screen, everything went back to normal. Not sure if the participant was using Intel graphic card or other versions on the HP laptop.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response and for your feedback. Sure, no problem, we will provide you with the time to test and monitor the behavior. In case we don't hear back from you in the next 2 weeks (April 22nd from your last post), we will be following up with you here in the thread.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

We are checking this thread and we would like to know if you need further assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us back if you have additional inquiries.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Hi Andrew,

So far everything has been ok for these past few weeks. There's a recent update recommended by Intel, but it says that it will override my Acer Driver. I decided not to proceed with this update as I'm afraid that there'll be complications. Since everything is ok now, I'll just leave it. Would that be ok do you think? 

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response. We are glad to know that everything has been ok for these past few weeks.

Regarding your inquiry, the Acer* driver is the one that has been customized and tested by the OEM (Acer*) already. If the system is working fine with this driver and considering it is the valid driver offered by ACER® for your system, it is ok to keep with that driver and there is no need to update to the Intel® generic driver unless you want to test any potential new fix or feature that the OEM may not have customized yet to address platform-specific needs. The usual recommendation is to use and keep the OEM driver as the first option if the system works fine with it.

Having said that and since everything has been fine, we would like to know if you have additional inquiries or if we can consider this thread "Solved".

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[coolpolar]

Yes, everything has been resolved and there are no further issues. Will contact you again if further support is needed. Thank you. 

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello coolpolar

Thank you for your response.

We are glad to know that everything has been resolved and there are no further issues. Having said that, we will proceed to close this inquiry now. If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

It has been a pleasure to assist you.

Sincerely,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician