ASUS VivoBook X202E / S200E / Q200E Owners' Lounge

Pick up one on these X202e based Vivobook for cheap yesterday. Mine had the lesser HM70 motherboard, 2GB onboard memory, and just a slow old Sandy Bridge Celeron 847.

The slow Celeron 847 was no worries, and was not expecting any records. The memory is a concern, but was not going to heavy multitask.

Most impressive thing about this notebook was the build design for what you get, its excellent.

The deal breaker, and is a huge one, the cooling system is so terribly poor, it cannot keep the machine from throttling even with some very insignificant loading. And this it even with a lowly 1.1 GHz ULV Celeron, which should in theory have excellent thermals, but is not the case. Watch out for the Celeron, these things maybe ULV but they run at about 1v @ 1.1 GHz which is a lot on 32nm processor.

Regardless of CPU, personally I could not recommend this machine, unless you are going to do a lot of idling. Under load, this thing lags and throttles. The heat sink is a single metal plate, there is no heat pipe, and most importantly there is no actual copper fin heat sink. All it is a metal plate with a fan stuck on it. Noise little fan, that get creates more noise within a few second

Great machine let down by the worst cooling possible. Other than the rest to the fantastic machine, shame really had to return it, throttling is unacceptable.

 

Hey All, I am the proud owner of a q200e purchased from Bestbuy or I think it is. When I go into system information it reads.

System model: x202e
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3217U CPU @ 1.80GHz, 1801 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
Name Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000

I don't think I have bluetooth (at least I can't figure out how to turn it on). So I am a bit confused. Anyhow I want to update my touchpad drivers that will include the smart gestures but am not sure to look up drivers for the q200e or the x202e. Also, if I download the bluetooth drivers will it work?

Any help appreciated.
Thanks, Rob

 

Your confusion is understandable Rob. The info on the first post is outdated. Best Buy updated their Q200E model. The current model is the Q200E-BSI3T08. It is for all intents and purposes the same as the S200E model including the 3rd gen i3-3217U processor (Best Buy does not include an external optical drive.) Asus does not market it as having bluetooth like the X202E.

Best Buy silently changed models in February/March at the same price point. When I found out I returned my old model for the newer one. Anyone else planning on purchasing this laptop from Best Buy should double-check that they don't try and sell you the old model because everything looks identical (box and aesthetics of laptop).

Aside from a random BSOD and unexpected shutdown after wake the laptop has been reliable. If you are open to Windows 8 this "ultrabook" is quite enjoyable.

 

Regarding Windows activation... ASUS replaced my hard disk and gave me back an install that says the Windows key is invalid.

I don't want to lose the laptop for another long period of time, and I've got the Windows 8 media. When I tried to re-install Windows 8 from USB, I didn't get the hard disk formatting menu or the overwrite screen, just a message saying the key found was invalid and a prompt to enter the new key.

I'm thinking if I zero out the hard disk it will pick up the key from the static storage on the motherboard. Can anyone verify that? I asked a couple ASUS chat techs, they verified the key is "on the motherboard", but wouldn't verify that my plan should work, due to "how Microsoft handles licenses".

 

When I installed my SSD, I failed at cloning the drive and ended up formatting and just installing a fresh copy windows 8 (from a retail WIN8 pro box) and it picked up the key and was authentic, kind of surprised me how easy it was...

 

Great, thanks for the verification.

 

Hello there,

I got an Asus S200e and I use those drivers : Elan Version 11.9.6.5

ELANTECH Drivers

They works very well.

PS : You need to install first the Asus smart gesture or at least have the AsusTPDrv installed (it's included with smart gesture).


I don't like to install *useless* drivers. For unknown devices you only need² :
- Intel MEI (for remote management)
- Intel DPTF (seems to be for CPU power management)
- Asus Wireless Radio Control (to allow Fn +F2 to disable Wireless)


IntelHD Graphics drivers is also required.

² :If you really dod not want any useless part of the driver, extract the stuff but do not install. Go to the device manager and use *old school* way : Search driver on my computer... Give the folder where you have extracted the stuff and let Windows search himself.

 

Well that was a bummer, both the Windows 8 and the Windows 8 Pro usb sticks are asking for an activation key. I used DISKPART to delete the disk, and the Q200E is happily failing to boot from it, but it's not automatically finding of the activation key. Weird.

The repair before the hard disk was a motherboard replacement. I didn't notice whether Windows was active or not. I suppose the replacement board might not have the key in it, but that would be strange.

I think I'm stuck with getting a key (or sending it back to ASUS if they're too protective to give me my rightful key over the phone), unless anyone else has some suggestions.

Incidentally, all of these repairs so far have been due to spontaneous sudden shutdowns, occurring within a couple weeks of each other. It's an ok machine, but I'm not to happy with ASUS right now.

... I had the patience to get on IM support with ASUS again and explained the key wasn't found. After re-explaining that, and telling him I was told the key was on the motherboard, he said "yes, the activation key is on the motherboard". Then I said "wait, is the key in non-volatile storage on the motherboard, or is it a sticker?". He said it's a sticker. For kicks, I asked him if there's a link to open the case, and he said no.

My machine is definitely acting like it doens't have a key stored in nvram. The one good thing he said was to call Microsoft. I didn't see the use, but I did anyway. They were very helpful and listened to the situation, and explained that usually they would send me to the manufacturer. But since they manufacturer sent me to them, they gave me a retail key. Definitely points for Microsoft.

 

The key is stored in a reserved BIOS area and is activated before it leaves the factory: Search for the OEM Activation 3.0 Whitepaper on Google.

Also make sure you are installing the correct edition of Windows 8 otherwise it won't activate. This Asus comes with just Windows 8 Core.

 

Well after using the laptop for a couple of months now, overall i'm really quite happy with it, keyboard has a good feel/response (mousepad is a bit big, I tend to hit it accidentally), I will say I almost never use the touch screen at this point. HDMI and VGA work well connecting up to a 24" LCD for doing mapping, temperatures seem to have settled down a bit, although it still runs hot, but no issues. The biggest complaint for me is the battery life with wifi on, under 1/2 brightness, with a SSD installed I'm at 2-3 hours, 3 hours if I am lucky, more like 2.5-2.75 hours most of the time depending on what i'm doing.

So what tricks are there for getting a bit more time out of the battery?

 

Make sure you are on the balanced power plan.

 

Just bought this model and my son has already forgotten the windows 8 password. Is there a free utility I can download onto a usb stick that actually allows me to boot up from the usb and bypass or change the password. I wasn't given a copy of Windows with the machine so can't reinstall Windows which apparently is the standard advice from MS . Would love to provide a review on this if I could get to use the damn thing!

 

Anyone tried upgrading the screen to an ips one?

 

I had this exact same issue today going from the stock HDD to the 250GB Samsung 840 SSD using the provided Data Migration Clone software.

How are folks getting around this issue?

 

I installed the Intel 6235 wifi card into my Windows 8 S200E with no problem. The device manager recognizes it. However, I cannot get a wireless connection. Does this sound like a driver issue?

 

This is absolutely maddening. I followed posts 46 and 85 to a T and can get to the step of recovery drive. No matter what media I use (UEFI USB stick) or windows made recovery DVDs), I always get the message "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer". I went into the DOS prompt and checked the contents of my DVD files and it looks like everything is there. I tried googling this issue pretty extensively with no luck.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

I forgot my password, called ASUS Support & they talked me through a fix, but I don't recall the details. Seems to me they had me do a full restore, so allow some time to do this.

Also, see What to do if you forget your Windows password - Microsoft Windows Help

I've had an X202E since 1/2013 & am very pleased with it and ASUS support.

 

I wish I could help with cloning issues, those posts you mentioned seemed promising.

I never got around to going back and doing a proper clone though, I ended up doing a fresh install of Windows 8 from a DVD I downloaded from the MSDN website using a link provided by my university. The bios already contains a serial number for Windows 8, which the DVD detected automatically. MSDN charges something like $100/month iirc, so this may not be the most economical option for non-students.

 

--------------
I have the "high power" problem also. I even tried refreshing the operating system, and this time did NOT reload the Power4Edge software. The problem persisted.
I found a workaround that is acceptable. Since this Asus loves High Performance so much, I made a copy of the stock high perfomance and called it My Custom Plan, then configured it with the low power settings.
That keeps the system happy until I reboot windows, when it again chooses High Perf. I then change it to My custom plan and the system retains that setting until I reboot again, which is not too often.

 

Hello!
This is happening to me as well. It generally happens right after waking from sleep. I have not been able to determine the cause. Does anybody know what the problem is?

 

I have a ASUS Vivobook x202e

Problem firstly is the onboard ram - A virus damaged my RAM and I now have to rplace whole pC because my windows 8 crahes the whole time

It is a great PC to have but what do youdo when a problem like this occurs, ive run memory tests which confirms the bad ram
Deleted all Manufacturers partitions and reinstalled windows which now does not want to install because of bad ram giving me error 0x80070570
Is there any other suggestions to help fix the notebook???????

 

A virus would be hard pressed to damage ram. It's likely you just had faulty ram if anything.

 

I was wondering if anybody could give me some insight. I am trying to install a Samsung 840 250GB SSD. First, I created a recovery media bootup on a a 16GB USB drive. Then I swapped the HDD for the SSD and tried to boot from the USB but it said I was missing recovery disk. I changed the couple settings I read to change in BIOS I think it was Boot Security and one other thing. While having no luck there I decided to just do a clone partition program. After I cloned the partitions and swapped the drives once again it says PC needs to be repaired and only option it lets me do is go back into the BIOS. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Start fresh, download an ISO for windows on the forums here (it's legal) and use the key on your notebook.

 

Not a way to disable the fn key as far as i know, BUT easy answer. Goto Control Panel, Power Options, Change what the buttons do. Make it so your power button sends the system to sleep when pressed.

Like a lot of you, I recently purchased a Q200 from Best Buy - I had done all the research to know that the X202 was identical, except for Bluetooth. So, best buy won....Very happy with this little system right out of the box.

Things I've done:
Upgraded to a Samsung 840 250G SSD - used EaseUs Partition to resize the 500G issued drive to the same logical size as the Samsung, booted from a USB disk I created with EaseUs Disc Copy (needed some help from others in getting the BIOS set to boot from USB), and did a sector/sector copy from the 500 rotational to the SSD. Done, placed the SSD in the system, and booted normally. Better., not a HUGE change, but subtle differences in boot time. AGain VERY HAPPY.
This little machine ROCKS., esp for the price.
I've always avoided having folks buy i3 systems, but this little one does very well.

Cheers!

Same here - bought one from Amazon - said to be compatible - NOPE. plug shaft was VERY thin, and wouldn't make contact. I'm simply wanting a 2nd adapter and not pay Asus ~$50 for another original. I'll look at my local surplus houses I think....

 

Hey everyone, so my friend at my old job just picked up a S200E for work purposes, but the people at work don't seem to like the Win 8 OS. Does anyone know of any available win7 drivers?

Otherwise if i just install win7 on, what kind of functionality will it miss out on? They don't need really good utilities just basic use of word and excel i think.

 

Does anyone know how to turn off the touch keyboard on the screen? When using Word, if I touch the screen the touch keyboard automatically pops up. Thanks

 

How to disable the On-Screen Touch Keyboard in Windows 8 - Scott Hanselman

 

So I'm not the only one whose X202 is idling around 70c?

 

I have win 8 pro with media center installed and its still asking me for activation key. any ideas?

Should i install window 8 one with out media pro center?

 

Media pro centre needs its own key since its a paid upgrade, did you buy it?

 

If you are just trying to reinstall WITHOUT a key , you must use std Win 8 or your key in the BIOS wont validate

 

If you did buy media centre you should have recieved the key to use.

 

For those you are looking to disable the on-screen touch keyboard I tried the suggestion above of going into Device Manager and selecting Manual Start. That did not work but Disabling in Device Manager did work.
Also, those with the WIFI dropping out problem: I tried changing the power settings in Device Manager and that did not work. It's a little early to tell but going into Power4Gear and in both battery on plugged in modes I configured the card to run on maximum power rather then the other available modes.

 

I've install window 8 pro but my key is still not activated. I wonder if me updating the bios to version 207 has something to do with it?


anyone have this issue? or is it my version of windows 8 is not the OEM version.

 

The reason is if you are trying to install pro without a "NEW" key it wont work, it must be W8 home

 

I just bought my Q200e from Best Buy yesterday. I needed a smaller laptop to travel with and did not want to
pay more than $1000 for a ultrabook. I am kinda waiting it out til christmas for the Haswell Ultrabooks with > 1080p resolution.

Anyway, the Q200e is much snappier than I expected. It has only been one day, but the machine seems a good buy for less than $500.

There are a few short comings I wanted to see if I can fix. Is there any way to remap the <> (the VivoBook) key on the keyboard? Seems
pretty useless. I would like to use it as an INSert key. I used AutoHotKey to remap the PrintScreen and Pause keys to PgUp and PgDn.
This works very well. I could not get AutoHotKey to see the VivoBook key. Any ideas?

Also (this is a long shot), what I really miss is a backlit keyboard. Since this is perhaps the same size keyboard as the Taichi 21, it is
possible to swap a taichi keyboard into the Q200e and just maybe (somehow?) have a backlit keyboard? Maybe ASUS has another
11.6" laptop with the same keyboard that is backlit?

Thank you all for the help. I have read all of the messages in this 14+ page thread. I may try to upgrade to a SSD later.

Darrin

 

You could try using a software key remapper but beyond that, not through firmware.

There would need to be a motherboard header for the LEDs.

 

I tried KeyTweak with no success to remap the Vivobook key. This key is used by Vivobook.exe started by scheduler, so first you need to kill vivobook.exe process, but then KeyTweak did not detect anything by pressing the Vivobook key (no scan code).

I am afraid that the solution would only be a firmware (BIOS) option, which is hypothetic.

 

Just wanted to put my two cents in, in case anyone was interested. Bought the Vivobook X202E about a month ago for $350 as advertised on Slickdeals. I found the Wifi to be buggy at best. It would cut out occasionally for no reason and somehow it interfered with my PS3 connecting to the internet? Anyways, I'm guessing it was something with the software because I reinstalled Windows 8 today and manually installed the drivers on my new SSD. The Wifi has been flawless since. Not sure if I'll need to, but I was planning on swapping out the Wifi card if it still acted up.

On another note, I'm really glad I put a SSD in this thing. It is SO much faster now! My boot time is 3-4 seconds! Using a Plextor PX-12M5Pro(another Slickdeals I got bundled with HoS for $99). Here are the benchmarks.

 

My experience was similar, wifi dropped a few times before I installed the SSD and did a clean install of WIN8. Since that the wifi has been rock solid, hasn't dropped once at home in many months and only a couple times at school but I think that was them. The SSD is a wonderful upgrade, boot and wake times are lighting fast!

3.5 months later still liking it, runs hot but seems to be no issue. Biggest complaint is battery life is bad...

 

@Meaker: I bought my refurbished X202E a few days ago. Kinda worried about creating the Windows 8 Home 64-bit image backup disk/flash drive. I understand that one way to do it is to create the restore image on 16 GB USB stick. You suggested that there is a way to download the copy of Windows 8 image (ISO?) here/ Could you post a link, please? Also, how to I get to see my current Windows 8 key on my X202E? Thanks beforehand.

 

Hi
Have purchased two S200E's in the UK they both have the upgraded i3 processor and i think blue tooth. I'm thinking of an SSD upgrade on one of them probably a Samsung 250 PRO or similar
Have a question regarding the screen know the resolution isn't great but was wondering if a screen protector would help the viewing experience as it seems very dull even with brightness turned up
almost as if their was a screen protector already on their. So can anyone recommend a screen protector ?
Thanks

 

Putting extra layers over the screen wont make it brighter.

 

Thanks
I was under the impression it was a glossy screen ? .Thought the protector might make it more readable
Regards
Ian

 

In general, anything you put on your screen will take away from the picture. You can add an anti glare coating but you will have lower brightness and more washed out colors. The panel is already not that bright, so I wouldn't risk it personally

 

I'm really surprised no one is talking about the horrible throttling. Has anyone found a fix to this? I was trying to find some micro heat-sinks to attach to the copper plate, but I wasn't able to find any that would fit. The throttling is horrible. It limits the CPU to almost 50% of its stock speed. IDK about you guys, but this is unacceptable. It's false advertising with a potential class-action lawsuit.

 

Which processor do you have?
and What temperatures is your CPU reaching?

 

It's the i3 3217u. Temps are standard: 90 degrees max, then throttling. Only two other people mentioned it in this thread (see below), does surprise me because the 1st thing everyone should do with a new computer is stress-test it for stability.

 

Only if reflections are the major issue, all other aspects of the display will become worse.