Asus UX31E Zenbook/Ultrabook Owners Lounge

I must have gotten a "good" UX31 because I don't have nearly the number of problems some of you guys have. The main issue for me was the wireless disconnection, but the power profile tweak seems to have fixed that.

I updated the BIOS to 206. Anything else I should download from the support site?

 

Anyone got their from bestbuy? If you did were you missing any accessories? I read a review and the UX31 comes with cable organizer, and LCD screen cleaner. I check my box and both are missing. The seal on the box was not broken when I receive it. Weird


This is weird, for some reason charger light indictor is not turning green even tho its fully charged. Its still showing orange. I noticed this last night when charging I thought why is it taking so long (over 4 hrs) I power up the notebook and noticed that it was fully charged but the light was still orange. Right now its fully charged and still show orange instead of green. I try unplugging the cord from both the wall and notebook and plugging it back in and it still shows orange. Never had this issue before, the only thing I did last night was update the bios.

 

I realized I have this problem too.
Seems like I really got a bad egg.. but I may keep it.. seems to be growing on me

 

I've just identified another strange behavior of my UX21.

I started to notice that some time after the system goes idle, the fan kicks into high gear, suggesting the CPU is being put to work with some heavy lifting. I thought it was my Norton Internet Security doing background virus scans at first, but going into NIS's "performance history" area, I was able to track down the program, fspuip.exe, that was hogging the CPU. Te CPU utilization hovers around 25%, suggesting the program is taking over one of the two hyper-threaded cores with a single-threaded process. This happens consistently after an unknown period of inactivity, and seemingly doesn't stop until the idle state is interrupted. I don't know whether it would stop on its own because I always wound up interrupting the idle state for legitimate use or fear of the system overheating - I let it go for at least 20 minutes once. Fspuip.exe is apparently associated with the Sentelic touchpad.

Has anyone noticed something like this?

Edit: This happens both while plugged in and on battery. I had to increase idle-time-to-sleep in my power settings to test the latter.

 

Did you update your bios? I dont think it has anything to do with the bios update but for me it started the night after I flash it.

 

Anyone using Ubuntu managed to pair a bluetooth device? Having the same problems as described here: [ubuntu] Bluetooth doesn't pick up devices - Ubuntu Forums

 

Here's our Zenbook Review:
ASUS Zenbook UX31 Review: MacBook Air Killer?

Discussion thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...acbook-air-killer-discussion.html#post8025508

 

Hm, I just let my UX21 idle on battery until it went to suspend mode (20 minutes). Upon waking it up, fspuip.exe has zero CPU time recorded in Task Manager. I don't believe the fan ever kicked in, at least not audibly.

 

When I just got my UX31 I immediately flashed it to BIOS 206.. so I'm not sure if it was okay before.

Does anyone else have this issue?

 

Anyone with UX31 did a clean install of Windows 7? I want to install my copy of Windows 7 Pro. Is it as simply as dumping the image on a usb flash drive and booting from it?

 

The simplest way is to enter the new serial number of your win7 pro. It will automatically upgrade. no clean installation is necessary. I upgraded to win7 ultimate in this way.

 

Thanks for the info. The Atheros card in the UX31 is a piece of crap!!! Its pissing me off. First of all the range on this card is very short. Was never happy with the transfer rate (getting about 5MB/s) about 8 feet from the router. In order to get higher rate I need to place the notebook right next to the router..... While download a file (400MB/s) I then try to play a file from my Server with vlc and the video it will stutter every 5 seconds. So, it looks like I cant do both at the same time. Also Remote Desktop will take a long time to load when trying to access my Server.... I cant believe how bad this card is..... Never had this type of issues with my dell xps which had the intel 5300.

 

I totally agree with you on the wireless adapter. It does not support 5GHz and only support one stream at 2.4 GHz, which means the theoretical maximum link is capped at 150Mb/s. It is ironical that my latest laptop is the only wireless capable device in my house that does not support 5GHz. I had to set up a dedicate router for it. Even at 2.4GHz, the machine picks router. I have one 802.11n netgear router works well for a dell vostro and a thinkpad t60, but with ux31 I got < 2MB/s. After setting up a different router and upgrading to the latest driver, I got > 7 MB/sec within the same room. To me, the wireless adapter is the weakest part of this laptop.

 

I've try the latest driver and its not playing nice with my Dlink 655. Ive been using driver version 9.2.1.432 which someone over at Asus ask me to try it out and its been petty good. With the latest driver I was getting about 2-3MB/s, now its up to 5MB/s with the 9.2.1.432. I totally agree with you that the weakest part of the UX31 is the wireless card. Other then that I really like this notebook. I dont believe drivers will even resolve the slow performance of the card. Its just a piece of crap......

 

Hi. I need your help!
I want to buy a ux31 laptop but I'm corporate and I need security options. Does it have any security password in BIOS ? Does it have HDD PASSWORD in BIOS? Does it have any encryption software installed?

Mainly I'm interested if it has hard drive password under bios security tab.

Please help me out because I need to know this before buying.

Thanks alot!

please anyone ? hdd password in bios on ux31/ux21? thanks

 

This is a really disappointing thread.

After waiting patiently for the UX21 since seeing the photos and clips of it back in May it is sad to hear so many users with so many issues.

I have objections to Apple so I guess its back to the drawing board - but none of the other players (Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer) seem to be offering an 11-12" model or is there news that one may be on the way?

 

Hi Drummo

I have the UX31 for about a week now and the only thing that I am not happy about is the wireless card. Other then that I think its a amazing notebook. I have no regret about purchasing the UX31. Its a amazing looking notebook. There is no ultra notebook on the market which has a 1600x900 and sata drive for this price.

 

I don't see any encryption software pre-installed. Asus sometimes gives their software non-intuitive names though, so there could be something in there.

I've attached a photo of the UX21's BIOS security settings screen. There is something there that has to do with HDD passwords.

Despite my grumblings about the problems I'm having with the UX21's headphone port, I'm actually quite happy with it. Hopefully the audio issue is not an endemic problem, and was isolated to a few units.

I think the only other current offering in this class with a similar screen size is the Samsung Series 9. Technically, it's not an ultrabook, but if it acts like one and quacks like one ...

 

Thank you very very much!!

 

possible to change the wireless card? or built-in?

 

Thanks for the input daz87 and kanishka42.

I wont give up on the UX21 just yet - there doesn't seem to be a suitable alternative at the moment!

I did consider the Samsung Series 9 when it came out but I think it was a bit crippled by its CPU and small SSD (was it 64GB?) at that stage. I think the SSD has grown to 128 but not sure about the CPU, and will re-visit it before making a decision.

The Toshiba looks quite classy but is only available with a 13" screen, and a low resolution one at that which rules it out.

I guess for a light 12" PC the choice is still between the UX21 and Samsung.

 

i'm a bit confused. is this a UX21 lounge or a UX31 lounge? Most people seems to be talking about the UX21's wifi problems? Does this occur on the UX31 also?

 

The people with problems will always be the loudest. For the people who are loving their Zenbook, there's not much to post except that it's an amazing product

I do have a question though: where do I go to adjust the two-finger scrolling speed?

 

For what it's worth, I just got a replacement UX21 from Amazon this morning, and its headphone jack is working fine. This one came from a different warehouse than the defective one according to the UPS tracking, so maybe it's from a different/newer batch that wasn't affected by whatever the problem was.

Good luck with your replacement.

 

Yes to your first two questions, and since you're corporate, your IT department should usually supply your specific method of HD encryption.

Built in, and a new form factor at that. You're unlikely to find a similar build at this point.

Notification area->Sentellic driver options

 

I ended up returning my defective UX21 and buying a Macbook Air with same specs. I've never used a Macbook or OSX and never thought I'd buy an Apple product in a million years but I should have done this a lot earlier. I don't have a single bad thing to say about this laptop (additional 30-45 minutes to install Windows 7, trackpad is missing a couple of advanced gestures in Bootcamp but that's about it). If you are on the fence, consider at least giving it a try while Asus is working on the fixes.

 

Wireless Lan Driver and Application Update:
Version: V9.2.1.459
Release date: 2011/10/22

Have you installed the updated driver? What is your experience?

 

I have taken the plunge and ordered the UX21E-DH71 and am holding thumbs that I am one of those without problems who loves their Zenbook!

 

I have two UX31 from Bestbuy. I am experiencing a electric shock when a usb hard drive is plug in. I have two portable harddrive a docking station and WD element 2tb drive. I noticed this slight electric shock whenever I touch the the UX31 case while the hard drive is plug in. This happens on both the UX31..... Anyone with a UX31 could you please and see if you have this issue. Thanks. Wow really trying hard not to return this notebook and getting something else. This is a major issue.

 

Just received my UX31. Looks gorgeous, and I'm impressed by the effort Asus went into the packaging as well.

I want to do the BIOS update right away. A few questions:

The Asus website says to use WinFlash. The sticky in this forum recommends EasyFlash. What did you guys use?

I tried WinFlash after downloading the BIOS update zipfile from Asus. WinFlash did not recognize the file to begin the process. Do I need to unzip the BIOS update file first? If so, is there an unzip utility built in, or do I need to download?

Thanks!

 

You need to unzip the download and then select the unzipped file using winflash. However, your UX31 may already have the latest bios.

Are these USB hard drives plugged into an external power source?

 

WinFlash is trash don't use it. Use EasyFlash. Download the bios and unzip it to C drive. Reboot the ux31 and hit f2 to get into the bios. Go to Easyflash and then locate the bios file on your C drive and load the file. Pretty easy

Yup. I'm suprise no one has this issue. This happen on both the UX21.p and two different usb drives........Not cool at all...

 

Thanks for the prompt responses on the BIOS install. What do you use to unzip the BIOS file?

 

I really don't recommend doing this with a UX31. There appears to be a secondary step to the flash, an e-prom write.

Windows 7 natively supports zipping/unzipping files.

 

Thanks for the help. I used the WinFlash and it worked fine. By the way, the BIOS version that came on my Zenbook was 204. Update took it to 206. I think my machine is a recent build; it arrived at the U.S. port in Tacoma, WA on Friday, and I got it yesterday.

The trackpad works well after the update.

 

There is a electric shock when I touch my UX31 when its plugged into the wall charger. There is a tinggling sensation when my fingers touches any part of the case while the notebook is charging. Its happening on both the UX31 that I got from Bestbuy. Im planning on returning both of them and look for something else.

 

I can see the marketing now:

You have to see the UX31... it's electrifying!
The UX31 is so shockingly thin!

 

hahhahah. I think its part of Asus, cause I also have a transformer tablet and I get have the same issue. In order to temporary fix the issue with the TF is to plug in the wall charger upside down and the electric shock will disappears. I try plugging in the UX31 charger upside down and its still there. You have to gently run your finger accross the metal to feel the tingle. Reading around the net and it looks like its cause by the brushed metal finish on the UX31 which is the entire notebook..... The electric shock (wall charger) is there but not as bad as when I plug in my usb hard drive.

 

Now come on, we have to remain grounded on these issues.

 

Sorry... I didn't mean to be polarizing.

 

Hiya folks. My ux31e-dh72 arrived today, and I'm doing the usual round of driver updates and installing software. I'm not having any serious issues with the keyboard, touchpad, or wifi, but I'd still like the latest software.

My Asus Live Updater briefly showed about 7 updates, but it seems to have crapped out when updating itself and now it doesn't see any of the other new drivers. It keeps giving me an 'Update Interrupted' message. Any idea how to get it back on track?

 

The Asus Live Updater has rather checkered past as far as usability. From an everyday user, I recommend just grabbing updates from the support page. Simpler, and more expedient all around.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download UX31E

Glad to hear that, my warning was from real world experience.

I had a coworker whom was used to doing what Dazz87 mentioned and went against Asus's directions on the support page (Use Winflash instead of ez-flash) and flashed from the BIOS directly while I typed something out on mine seated next to him. The end result was him turning his UX31 into a finely crafted brick of unusable aluminum. It won't even turn on. Luckily Asus customer support is excellent and has the system for an RMA.

 

So Linux users are screwed if another BIOS comes out?
I've used the BIOS flash utility on desktop motherboards in the past and they worked well... it's strange! :/

 

(Disclaimer: Always follow manufacturer directions)

I can't say definitively. Just to clarify, I used Winflash to update 204->206 with success (before loading Debian and Ubuntu), and noticed a secondary step offhand while walking around. My coworker's process was through EZ-flash in the BIOS, which seemed to accomplish the flash quicker, printed that it was successful, then bricked immediately after it initiated a system restart. The odd fluke can't be ruled out.

Anyone else recall the steps you observed during the Winflash process?

 

You may be on to something. My first UX31 I used ez-flash and everything went smooth. Then I noticed that my Charger wasnt turning green(the light) when it reached 95% charged I remember the issue started after I flashed the bios. My second UX31 came and this time I flashed it using Winflash. I quickly charge the notebook and when it reached 95% the light indicator turn from orange to green. I thought it was a faulty charger. So I used the first UX31 charger to test it on my 2nd UX31. The light turned green when it reached 95%. So something went wrong when I flash the bios using Easy Flash. The only reason why I went with ez-flash is because of the sticky thread I read on this forum.

"If you do not have EasyFlash and for some reason you cannot use AFLASH for DOS, you can use the WinFlash update utility for Windows. This should however be a last resort. The application is more poorly written than either EasyFlash or AFLASH, and there are many more things that could go wrong in Windows (for instance, Windows can crash for completely different reasons, leaving you with a half-finished update and a paperweight in the shape of a laptop)."

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/174395-bios-update-guide-asus-notebooks.html

 

No. It is misinformation.

Always flash from a freshly FAT-formatted USB stick with easy flash and you will have no problems, unless there is a freak accident. This is the way I've flashed for ages and I have owned quite a few ASUS notebooks (see profile).

DO NOT flash using easy flash in the BIOS from an NTFS partition/usb stick - this is how people brick their machines. There is some kind of incompatibility or bug with using easy flash from NTFS.

 

Hmm, here's a little quirk: I have the laptop plugged in and using Power4Gear Entertainment plan. When I unplug, it jumps to Power4Gear Battery Saver, rather than sticking to the Power4Gear Entertainment scheme. (Using most recent Power4Gear release)

 

Here's two videos that I made
Enter Key - Asus ux31 keyboard problem - YouTube
Hinge problem - Asus ux31 hinge loose - YouTube
Dead pixel - Dead pixel Asus ux31 - YouTube

HQ Video of Keyboard Issue - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmMU-Vk4ujs

 

Two more vids of the hinge problem:

UX21E Hinge Defect? - YouTube

UX21E Hinge Problem (vid 2)? - YouTube

 

ASUS Zenbook UX31 - Keyboard Issue (HQ) Pt.2 - YouTube