Help Android on ainol mini pc

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

I was able to install Android x86 in my Ainol mini pc. But now, I can't get audio or bluetooth working. How can I make them work?

This Ainol mini pc has an Intel Z3735F processor. I've been able to install Ubuntu on it, but only with a special ISO file, and I had to do extra steps to get sound and bluetooth working. When I first got the mini PC, it had an installation of Windows 8.1 that was not activated, which is why I wanted to install another operating system on it.

 

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

Also, it shows that I have only a few MB of storage left after an installation. I can't be installing apps on it. Bummer...

What did I do wrong here? I'm sure I installed it into the whole internal eemc drive, which is 32GB and in Android it shows only about 300MB. I used a fat32 partition for the installation; I tried ext3, but it did not boot completely; stuck at the Android boot screen. Oh, and the version is Android 4.4-r5.

Am I using the wrong ISO or ROM? How am I supposed to install Android properly on this device? Is Android just not fully supported on this device?

 

[mikedt]

You must have the exact correct ROM that was specifically built for this device's hardware. If that actually exists or not, or could be built, have no idea. Otherwise you will get things not working, storage partitioning issues, or it just won't work at all.

This Intel Atom tablet from Shenzhen Ainol comes with Windows. Although there's a few of them that either come with Windows or Android pre-installed when you buy it. But the pre-installed OS isn't usually easily changeable though. Apart from installing Ubuntu or something, like you might do with a desktop PC. I've got one of these things myself, a Ramos, same Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor as your Ainol. But I'm just using it as it came with activated Windows 8.1, that I upgraded to 10. With Windows versions of these x86 Chinese tablets, the internal storage is formatted as NTFS, along with a system restore partition and a BIOS, just like you would find in most PCs. But Android, it will be however the partitioning has been decided by the particular manufacturer, and EXT as well, like the root and user partitions and things. Like it is with ARM based devices, like phones.

With Ubuntu might be able find and install the appropriate drivers for the device's hardware yourself, the extra steps. But with Android, essentially being an embedded mobile OS, it has to include the drivers and be compiled for the device's specific hardware and configuration.

Presumably you're trying to get it to successfully run Android-x86
http://www.android-x86.org/
That can be difficult to run on an actual PC anyway, unless you have the Asus netbook or whatever that was built for, or you're running it in Oracle Virtual Box in a host OS, like Windows, Linux or Mac.

 

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

Oh. I thought Android x86 is supposed to work on any computer that has x86 architecture. Just standard PCs and certain Intel-based tablets, then... The hardware on these "mini PCs" is...pretty weird...

I installed Windows on it again, and used the activation key that came with my gaming PC. Now to find the drivers for it...

 

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

Now I can't find most of the drivers for it. I was only able to install the wifi drivers; no bluetooth, no 1080p resolution, etc.

I went to the Device Manager, I saw most of the devices without drivers installed are displayed as, "Unknown Device". I tried to install the drivers for them automatically in the Device Manager, but Windows could not find the drivers. I downloaded the Intel HD Graphics drivers from the website, only to get the message saying, "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software." One bluetooth driver that I installed was not compatible with the bluetooth hardware.

If Windows 8.1 and search engines do not help me, what can? I don't think I'd want to buy into those "Driver Updater" software that I find on the search engines; I believe they are scams.

It would be nice if Ainol's website actually has the Windows ISO that is actually made for the hardware, so that I don't have to pull my hair out in trying to find the appropriate hardware drivers for it.

 

[mikedt]

Now I can't find most of the drivers for it. I was only able to install the wifi drivers; no bluetooth, no 1080p resolution, etc.

I went to the Device Manager, I saw most of the devices without drivers installed are displayed as, "Unknown Drivers". I tried to install the drivers for them automatically in the Device Manager, but Windows could not find the drivers. I downloaded the Intel HD Graphics drivers from the website, only to get the message saying, "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software." One bluetooth driver that I installed was not compatible with the bluetooth hardware.

What version of Windows are you trying to install? If it's 8.1 or 10, it came with 8.1, it should detect the hardware and install all the required drivers automatically. But if you're trying to do 7, Vista, or heaven forbid XP! you're going to get a lot of "unknown device" probably, because there is no drivers made. Being quite recent devices, these were designed for 8.1 or later, and that's what they support. I suspect my Ramos i9s is similar to your Ainol probably, the Bluetooth driver is Microsoft, WiFi is Realtek, graphics is Intel HD, sound is Intel. But then you've got the touch-screen, orientation accelerometer, GPS, etc, and those require drivers as well of course.

If Windows 8.1 and search engines do not help me, what can? I don't think I'd want to buy into those "Driver Updater" software that I find on the search engines; I believe they are scams.

Those are scams, avoid!!

It would be nice if Ainol's website actually has the Windows ISO that is actually made for the hardware, so that I don't have to pull my hair out in trying to find the appropriate hardware drivers for it.

FWIW most PCs don't come with restore media either these days, they have a restore partition on the HDD or SSD, and that's it. And if you want a restore DVD or USB stick, they'll often charge you for that. But frankly with these Chinese tablets, there isn't, or if there is the information is in Chinese only, or contact details are China only.

That's the only contact and support details for Ainol, in Chinese:
http://www.ainol.com/plugin.php?identifier=ainol&module=page&action=info&pageid=5
Their English site is:
"HTTP Error 404. The requested resource is not found."

 

[mikedt]

Oh. I thought Android x86 is supposed to work on any computer that has x86 architecture. Just standard PCs and certain Intel-based tablets, then... The hardware on these "mini PCs" is...pretty weird...

The hardware on these tablets is rather recent, and there are some items you won't find on a desktop, e.g. touch-screens and orientation sensors. Even the Intel Atom mobile CPUs and chip-sets, which were designed for low-power tablets and phones, these are all quite recent.

Android-x86 might boot and maybe run on most PCs, but likely find you've got no sound, graphics is in VGA 640x480 256 color, no networking, etc. I've not looked and tried Android-x86 for a while now, but they do have specific builds for certain laptops, that presumably their developers have, e.g. Asus netbooks. And if fact I remember trying one on an Apple Macbook, sure it was 4.4 RC something, and it booted with a warning, "THIS IS NOT AN ASUS COMPUTER!". It wouldn't even get to the home-screen, just boot-looped.

 

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

What version of Windows are you trying to install?

Windows 8.1.

I did find a recovery file in a search engine. It's in a blog website run by Geekbuying, the site where I purchased my Ainol mini pc: http://blog.geekbuying.com/index.php/2015/06/23/ainol-windows-mini-pc-intel-z3735f-2gb-32gb-firmware-184773-20150616/

EDIT: This again? What's so bad about Geek Buying? I get it, it's another China-based online store like Ali Express and Gearbest, where I won't be buying from anymore.

 

[mikedt]

Their reputation precedes them I guess. Usually things like that are blocked because of spammers. Of course when I want to buy my cheapo China hoverboards and drones, I just go down the road.

 

[ROBOCRIPPLE]

I tried the recovery file from that blog website; I was able to boot it up but it stopped with an error saying it couldn't find drive E: or something...

I give up. I'm going back to Ubuntu. I'll have everything after I install Ubuntu with that special ISO and the extra steps: bluetooth, wifi, audio, 1080p, etc.

I just wanted to turn this "mini PC" into a HTPC. Although Android and Windows are the most common, Ubuntu is still a good alternative. I can still run XBMC/Kodi in Ubuntu as well as videos from Youtube or Netflix in a web browser.

 

[mikedt]

I use my tablet has a HTPC as well. But I've kept it as Windows, because some of the software I use is Windows only, e.g. Rosetta Stone Learn Russian, which comes from the school.

It's easy because these things have a HDMI out, connect straight to the TV, no adapters needed.