Alternate methods to unlock LightBoost on Acer GN276HL

[Jaqenn]

Hello BlurBusters community. I have an Acer GN276HL which I find to have terrible ghosting problems. When I activate Lightboost according to your guide here I've been pretty satisfied with this monitor.

The guide's recommendation to use ToastyX Strobelight appears to not be applicable for this model of monitor. Alternatives #2, #3 and #4 all depend on getting NVidia to unlock LightBoost by temporarily enabling their 3D glasses. I've been using this successfully for a few years, but recently Nvidia announced that version 425.31 would be their final driver to support Stereoscopic 3D, and it's since been removed from more recent Nvidia drivers.

For a while I would downgrade to version 425.31 of the Nvidia driver whenever I needed to activate LightBoost, then revert back to the newest Nvidia driver. Now I find that recent versions of Windows 10 won't allow the 425.31 driver to install any more.

I read the forum posting here suggesting that LightBoost was always unlocked on Acer monitors, and you only need to configure custom refresh rates to activate LightBoost. My experience suggests that custom refresh rates can only activate LightBoost if it has ever been previously unlocked since the last time the monitor lost power.

My current solution is that I arranged a dual boot to a trash Windows 10 installation old enough to use the 425.31 driver, which I use to activate LightBoost on my monitor. I then return to my preferred Windows installation which runs the newest Nvidia drivers and I'm able to use LightBoost successfully until next time the power goes out.

I do not enjoy this strategy. Is there any preferred method to unlocking lightboost on the Acer GN276HL? Alternative #4 on the LightBoost tutorial suggested hardware modification, but the guide seemed to be for a different brand and model than I have. Is this an option for my monitor?

[exill]

Now I find that recent versions of Windows 10 won't allow the 425.31 driver to install any more.

I believe that I have the latest update of Windows 10 and I didn't have any problem installing the 425.31 driver. However I uninstalled my old (new) driver with DDU so maybe that made a difference..?

[j0keri]

im looking something too to get that work.anyone has solution?

[Chief Blur Buster]

Try to Install ToastyX Strobelight -- it will fail to detect monitor -- but correctly install those EDIDs.

1. Run strobelight-setup.exe and let it fail
2. Reboot.
3. Run strobelight.exe
4. See if it works.

This only works on Acer GN246HL but possibly may work on the GN276HL.

[Lightbooster]

Now I find that recent versions of Windows 10 won't allow the 425.31 driver to install any more.

I believe that I have the latest update of Windows 10 and I didn't have any problem installing the 425.31 driver. However I uninstalled my old (new) driver with DDU so maybe that made a difference..?

Today, I had a power outage so that I had to reactivate Lightboost on my GN276HL by running the following steps:

- Downloading DDU
- Running DDU after booting into safe mode
- Updating the device in the Monitors section in the device manager via Windows Update that shows a question mark
- Installing the 425.31 driver
- Using this tutorial "Alternate LightBoost HOWTO #3: ToastyX Custom Resolution Utility"

After using DDU without updating the unknown device in the device manager, I couldn't even install the latest available driver or the 425.31 one

[Chief Blur Buster]

After using DDU without updating the unknown device in the device manager, I couldn't even install the latest available driver or the 425.31 one

Although Strobelight doesn’t directly support Acer GN246HL or GN276HL, it apparently works if you do:
1. Install ToastyX Strobelight via installer
2. Let the installer fail, then reboot or run restart64.exe
3. Run the main Strobelight executable
4. You can now turn ON/OFF LightBoost

[Lightbooster]

I just tried the ToastyX Strobelight method and it didn't work on my GN276HL.

I expected that the installer would fail but somehow the refresh rates got installed successfully.

strobelight-setup.exe.PNG (4 KiB) Viewed 4329 times

refresh rates.PNG (1.46 KiB) Viewed 4329 times

Sadly, the Strobelight executable failed and it showed "No compatible displays found.".

strobelight.exe.PNG (3.72 KiB) Viewed 4329 times

Nevertheless, I just turnt on Lightboost with the 425.31 driver again and hope that someone can tell me about their experience with the ToastyX Strobelight method on the GN276HL

[Chief Blur Buster]

Try ignoring the popup dialog and using the system tray to switch between 120Hz and 121Hz to turn on/off LightBoost.

Now that the refresh rates are installed, and you activated LightBoost through a different means...

[Lightbooster]

Try ignoring the popup dialog and using the system tray to switch between 120Hz and 121Hz to turn on/off LightBoost.

I just reverted my settings to try it out again and I don't have a lightbulb icon in the system tray area.
After clicking on strobelight.exe the popup dialog shows up but the system tray doesn't change