Troubleshooting

Getac F120 troubleshooting: battery, touch, Wi-Fi, docks, BIOS

Charging and battery health, hot swap shutdowns, touch with gloves or pen, Wi-Fi and mobile data, docks, BIOS access and Windows recovery on the Getac F120.

15 min Difficulty: Medium Updated: By SCANSHOP team
In this guide

    Most Getac F120 problems come down to a battery pack, a setting in Getac Utility or the BIOS, a dock connection or a driver. Find what you see and open the matching fix.

    Find your symptom

    What you see Likely cause Fix
    Tablet does not charge, or one pack stays at the same level Adapter or socket, or a pack not recognised Fix 1 →
    Battery percentage jumps or runtime is short The pack has worn, or firmware is out of date Fix 2 →
    Tablet switched off during a battery change Both packs removed, or the remaining pack was too low Fix 3 →
    Touch does not react to gloves or the pen, or reacts on its own Touch setting, missing digitizer option, dirty screen or film Fix 4 →
    No Wi-Fi, or slow and dropping Wi-Fi Airplane mode, driver or network settings Fix 5 →
    No 4G/5G, or no GPS signal Radio turned off, SIM or eSIM, antennas or a driver Fix 6 →
    Dock does not charge, or its ports do not work Seating, dock power or firmware Fix 7 →
    You need the BIOS, or Windows will not start Firmware setting, or Windows needs repair or a reset Fix 8 →

    Fixes

    1. F120 not chargingBattery level stays the same on the adapter

    CauseNo power from the adapter, or a pack that is not recognised.

    Fix

    1. Check the socket, the adapter and the DC-in plug, or try a USB-C adapter in a Thunderbolt 4 port.
    2. Check the battery status in Getac Utility and give both packs time on the adapter.
    3. If a pack is never recognised, test it in the other bay with the adapter connected, and test a good pack in both bays.
    4. A pack that fails in both bays needs replacing. A bay that rejects every pack: update the EC firmware (Fix 8), then contact support.
    2. Battery level wrong or runtime shortPercentage jumps, tablet shuts down early

    CauseThe pack has worn, or the BIOS and EC firmware are out of date.

    Fix

    1. Check the battery status in Getac Utility.
    2. For a history, open a command prompt and run powercfg /batteryreport. Windows saves an HTML report of battery use over the life of the tablet in the current folder.
    3. Install the latest BIOS and EC firmware with Getac SmartUpdate (Fix 8).
    4. Replace packs that still run down early. If you are unsure, contact us with the battery report.
    3. Tablet turned off during a hot swapScreen went black when a pack came out

    CauseBoth packs were out at the same time, or the pack left in the tablet was almost empty.

    Fix

    1. Fit a charged pack, connect the adapter and switch on. Unsaved work is lost.
    2. Next time, change one pack at a time.
    3. Swap before the level gets very low, or connect the adapter during the swap.
    4. Touchscreen problemsGloves or pen not recognised, ghost touches

    CauseSmart Touch adapts to finger, glove and stylus automatically, but a manual touch mode, a missing digitizer option, or a wet or damaged screen film can get in the way.

    Fix

    1. Wipe the screen dry and clean. Replace the protection film if it is lifting, scratched or has bubbles.
    2. Open Getac Utility and check the touchscreen mode. If someone chose a fixed mode, switch back to the default setting.
    3. The digitizer pen only works on tablets with the dual-mode touchscreen. A tablet with standard multi-touch needs the capacitive stylus.
    4. Restart the tablet. If touch still fails, install the latest touch driver and firmware from Getac (see Fix 8).
    5. Wi-Fi does not connect or keeps droppingNo networks, no internet or slow Wi-Fi

    CauseWi-Fi is off, the saved network is out of date, or the driver needs an update.

    Fix

    1. Open quick settings in the taskbar. Turn off airplane mode and turn on Wi-Fi.
    2. Forget the network in Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi › Manage known networks and join it again.
    3. Install the latest Intel Wi-Fi driver with Getac SmartUpdate or from Getac's download page.
    6. No mobile data or GPSNo 4G/5G connection, no position fix

    CauseThe radio is off in Windows, the SIM is not active, the modem driver is missing, or the dock antenna setup is wrong.

    Fix

    1. Turn off airplane mode and check Settings › Network & internet › Cellular.
    2. Check that the nano-SIM is fitted and active, or that the eSIM profile is turned on.
    3. If you have two SIMs, choose the active one under Use this SIM for cellular data.
    4. No Cellular page at all? Install the latest drivers and firmware (Fix 8), then contact us. The modem may also be disabled in the BIOS.
    5. Poor reception only in the vehicle dock: the tablet needs the RF antenna pass-through option and the dock its quad RF option, with the vehicle's external antennas connected to the dock's RF connectors.
    7. Dock not charging or ports deadKeyboard dock, DS100 or vehicle dock

    CauseThe tablet is not fully seated, the dock has no power, or firmware is out of date.

    Fix

    1. Undock, check the docking connector for dirt, and dock again until the tablet locks.
    2. Check the dock's own power: the DS100 needs its AC adapter, and the vehicle docks need 19 V DC from the vehicle adapter.
    3. Install the latest BIOS, EC firmware and drivers.
    4. Try a second dock to see whether the dock or the tablet is at fault.
    8. BIOS setup, updates and recoveryChange a firmware setting, or Windows will not start

    CauseSome settings are in the BIOS; a damaged Windows needs a reset or the original image.

    Fix

    1. Open the BIOS: in Windows, use Settings › System › Recovery › Advanced startup › Restart now, then Troubleshoot › Advanced options › UEFI Firmware Settings. This works without a keyboard. Getac has not published a BIOS key for the F120; ask Getac support if you need one.
    2. Update: run Getac SmartUpdate, or download the BIOS, EC firmware and drivers for your serial number from Getac Drivers & Documents. Keep the adapter connected.
    3. Repair or reset Windows: use Settings › System › Recovery › Reset PC and choose Keep my files or Remove everything (Microsoft's reset guide). If Windows does not start, it opens the recovery screen after several failed starts; choose Troubleshoot › Reset this PC.
    4. Original image: the Getac Recovery tool creates a USB recovery drive (the drive is formatted) that restores the shipping image.
    Important

    Have the BitLocker recovery key ready before you change BIOS settings or reset Windows. On company tablets, ask IT first.

    For first-time setup, see the Getac F120 setup guide or the F120 guide hub; our configuration is on the F120 product page. If a fix does not help, contact us: the F120 has Getac's 3-year Bumper-to-Bumper warranty, including accidental damage.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I charge spare Getac F120 batteries outside the tablet?

    Yes. Getac's external dual-bay charger charges two packs at the same time, and an eight-bay charger is available for fleets. Both take the standard and the high-capacity pack.

    How do I check the health of a Getac F120 battery?

    Check the battery status in Getac Utility, and run powercfg /batteryreport for a Windows battery report. Replace packs that still run down early.

    How do I factory reset a Getac F120?

    Use Reset PC under Settings › System › Recovery. To restore the original image, create a recovery USB drive with the Getac Recovery tool.

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