Asus UX32vd owners lounge.

On the Asus member web site, there is a link titled "Windows 8 Product Key": http://vip.asus.com/eservice/win8/. Every time I click on the link, I get a message that the server is busy, so I don't know what information is there.

 

Sorry for posting this twice.

On the Asus member web site, there is a link titled "Windows 8 Product Key": http://vip.asus.com/eservice/win8/. Every time I click on the link, I get a message that the server is busy, so I don't know what information is there.

 

I've bought and installed the 15$ windows update.. It works well (though I don't like metro - it is hardly 'windows' anymore since you can't resize the windows)..

For some reason my screen will never turn off.. I've tried different profiles, but nothing works. My computer won't sleep either. Any suggestions on where to start to trouble shoot this?

For what its worth:

Pros of windows 8
- boots really fast
- handle my bluetooth orochi mouse really well, (i eventually got windows 7 to work well with it, but it was quite the pain)
- handles my logitech h800 bluetooth headset really well (again, i got windows 7 to work well, but it took a lot of tinkering to get it to work)
- A lot of the info screen have gotten a lot better. when you copy a file the "more information" shows how fast the file is being copied in graph form, - super slick

Cons of windows 8
- Metro is a real step back for desktops. Its not really "Windows" anymore, since you can only have one fully maximized screen at a time. I almost never use apps maximized to full screen, opting for many half / 3/4 sized windows. the close button on metro apps is gone, you have to grab the top and drag it down to the bottom to close. It would make for a great tablet interface, but i dont want to use my computer like a tablet.

 

I just cannot fathom why you guys are clamoring to get Windows 8 on your devices. I'm not even remotely interested.

 

Wait, so you're suggesting that I can swap out the HDD and I don't need to activate the product?

Does this mean it's impossible for me to dual boot with Ubuntu because of some restriction in the BIOS?

Also, to the point above: I would GLADLY downgrade to Windows 7 if I thought I could.

 

Are you sure its in the bios? If you used the recovery disks you created the product key is embedded in the recovery disks. I have never had to insert a product key when using the factory recovery disks.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

i´ve installed a new HDD (now SSD) and I didnt use the recovery disc because I have Windows 8 from MSDNAA. The only thing I can think of is the BIOS or the iSSD... I´m really not 100% sure and just telling you my experience.

 

I don't have MSDNAA - does anyone have a download link to the Windows 8 x64 installation .iso?

 

So I got my ux32vd today with win 8 already installed. Also it has 6GB of ram, the 24 GB issd and it appears no way to make recovery media with the ai recovery burner program. ai is not installed out of the box and doesn't seem like you can install it. I wanted to create the iso backup files for DVD which the user manual says can be done. Has anyone else with a ux32VD that has win8 preinstalled figure out how to create restore media? I need to do that before I do the SSD upg.

thanks
jimi

 

It does sound like there is some new activation method being used. If it is in the bios as you suspect this would actually be much more convenient than having to have a product key. thanks for sharing this.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

I just ordered:

Crucial 256 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT256M4SSD1
Kingston ValueRAM 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 (PC3-12800) Non-ECC CL11 SODIMM Notebook Memory (KVR16S11/8)

Questions:

1. I have a OEM copy of Win 7 Pro. Can it use this to install premium and then enter the CD key from the power supply to activate it? Would it be possible to use the Win 7 pro install and install Pro? I only have used one activation and I don't remember how activation works. I don't want to invalidate my other install.

2. If I need to DL Win 7 from MS, can I stick it on a flash drive or do I need to use a external DVD drive? Not sure since the USB are all USB3.

Anything I am missing or any helpful tips that anyone has who has done this already, please let me know.

3. I'm planning on downloading all of the drivers from the ux32 Asus page and installing them from a thumb drive. Are there any drivers that aren't included on the Asus page that I will need?

 

I wrote to Asus technical support regarding cloning my Windows 8 HD to an SSD. I received this reply:

"First of all you need to read up on SSDs. It often does not work to image an HDD to an SSD. The drive geometry is very different. HDDs have sectors and tracks and the hard drive controller takes into account a spinning platter. An SSD has none of that. That is why performance is poor after imaging from an HDD to an SDD.

You need to install Windows from scratch, including creating a new partition so that the SSDs partition table is written by the SSDs controller. Your Asus copy of Windows was preinstalled at the factory from an image and is not a standard Windows disk. It does not offer you the option to prepare the hard drive. Thank you for understanding!"

It looks like she is telling me that I need to buy a new copy of Windows 8 in order to use an SSD in my UX32VD.

 

I will say this.... I think that it is possible, but a fresh install is better. I purchased a SSD a year of so ago and cloned my HD windows partition to it. It was an absolute huge pain in the to get it working correctly. Twice the time it would have taken to reinstall.

 

So if I am reading everything correctly it seems that torrenting an official Windows 8 .iso and then letting BIOS activate it is probably the best way to go since ASUS's imaging software is going to make an inefficient install onto my new SSD?

 

I'm not so sure that Asus Windows 8 activation is in the BIOS. From the response I got from Asus, I gathered that if you want to do a clean install from an .iso, then you will need to purchase a new copy of Windows and activate it. Our Windows 8 laptops have a system builders version of Windows 8, not the regular retail Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. There's no changing the current setup, unless we buy a retail version. We can probably clone the setup to a new HD, but for an SSD, we need to buy a new copy of Windows 8.

I think that we would have been much better off if our UX32VDs came with Windows 7 installed and received a product key. Windows 8 changed everything.

 

Ok, second option for me: I am actually replacing a stolen Windows 7 laptop with my Zenbook Prime. Would it be possible to use my Windows 7 product key from the stolen laptop on my UX32VD? Or is there something in the BIOS which would prevent this?

 

I'm going to try to install Windows 7 and then download the Windows 8 upgrade for $39. I don't think there would be anything to prevent installing 7. I think I read in a previous post that Windows 7 doesn't have native USB 3 support, so you need to have the driver handy for installation.

 

What you have to do is install with the recovery discs. What Asus support is telling is right, but your asumption is incorrect.

Cloning the HD to the SSD is incorrect You should reinstall windows into the SSD. (you can clone but its absolutely not recommended) You are right about OEM version of the OS, but you will waste your money buying another copy of Windows. You already have a valid one. Just reinstall the os from the recovery DVD/CD/BR. If you don´t have it, just burn it with ASUS AI Recovery. Its standar procedure for all OEMs.

 

A fresh install is better but I have had good luck with cloning the old drive onto an ssd. Everything worked just fine and no fussing around afterwards. I have done this three times and it worked. Probably just got lucky. If your putting in a new drive you don't have much to lose by trying to clone. If it doesn't work you format and install fresh.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

I don't think the Windows 8 version comes with recovery discs and AI Recovery was not provided either. On Asus' download site for my model, AI Recovery is not available. I wonder what their reason for not including it and does it work for Windows 8? The manual says to press F9 during the boot process to enter recovery. It will recover Windows from the recovery partition.

 

I agree with you. Use the recovery disks. Buying new is a waste. You will end up with factory bloat ware once you install but you can easily get rid of most of that. I am no expert but cloning to the ssd has worked fine for me. I think the biggest issue is to use cloning software that understands ssds. But no question a fresh install is much preferable. I am a lazy sod so I have cloned and carried on. It worked for me but your mileage may vary as they say.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

Gee I hope they haven't eliminated recovery disks. That would really be a step backwards in my humble opinion.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

I have a problem with windows power options. I just can't change 2 very important parameters for battery saving:
1. CPU (change minimum or maximum state)
2. CPU cooling policy (change in battery to pasive)

I am trying to change the power settings when on battery as follows: minimum CPU state to 0% or 5% and maximum to 50% or 60% and also cooling policy to pasive. It just is impossible. It resets to 100% for minimum and maximum and active cooling policy just minutes after applying the changes. For the few minutes that the changes last, battery life improves by 1 hour according to windows. The problem is that it just doesn´t stick.

I have tried reinstalling drivers, installing Power4Gear, uninstalling it. Nothing works.

I am on Windows 8, clean installl. But I think I had the same problem on windows 7 (I did hear the fan while on battery), I just never tried to fix it. Does anybody know how to fix it????

 

Hey guys, ever since updating to Windows 8, I've had several problems.
1. Sometimes after waking from sleep, the laptop just freezes, every program I try to go to says its not responding, and the start menu becomes blank, and when I try to shut down the laptop, the whole thing just gets stuck and I'm forced to hold down power button to restart.
2. Everytime after my laptop boots up, immediately it gives me the "Restart your computer now or later" dialogue.

I'm wondering what I can do to fix these problems, I have not installed any new drivers from the asus webpage for windows 8 except for the touchpad drivers, are there other drivers that I must install? Thanks!

 

Here's another update from Asus regarding installing Windows 8 on an SSD

"Yes, you cann't use the copy of Windows 8 that was preinstalled on my UX32VD HD, you should buy a copy of Windows 8, or you can use the third party software to create the win8 recovery disks firstly, then reload it to your new SSD. Asue haven't had this software for win8 OS so far. Thank you for understanding!

If you buy a new copy of Windows 8, here is the spec of UX32VD's hard drive, you can install the SSD in to the UX32VD and then do a fresh install of Windows 8, but the maximus SSD in UX32VD is 256 GB.
http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX32VD/#specifications

Up to 500GB RPM With 24 GB SSD
Or
up to 256GB RPM With 256 GB SSD "

Why would an SSD be limited to 256GB? Isn't an SSD just like an HD to the system? I have a Samsung SSD 840 500GB. When I had it in the laptop, I could see it listed in the SATA section of the BIOS. I'd hate to have paid as much as I did and not be able to install it.

 

Just want to make sure. Does anyone's Zenbook actually last the amount of time stated on the standby time on the 'instantOn' gadget? It says it lasts 200 days on standby or something, and my Zenbook dies within a couple of days.

 

Does anybody know, if it's possible to configurate the ambient light sensor on my own or let's say to disable to automatic adaption?

Concerning the integrated HD4000: how much memory should I allocate? I upgraded mine to 10gb too, so should I use the max? - I think that would result in 512mb for the HD4000

 

I don't think they mean that it can't use an ssd bigger than 256. I think it means they don't sell one from Asus with an ssd bigger than that. I am pretty sure others have upgraded to a 500 GB drive with out problems.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

There's an Fn key combination to disable it (don't have the computer on hand to check which).
I'm not too impressed with excecution of the keyboard lighting, with all the light spill to the sides and would like to be able to set it to a level lower that what I can get with the keyboard combination. Any ideas?

 

But this only changes the light of the keyboard. I'm looking for the option to change/disable the automatic light adaption of the display (sorry, missed that point)

 

Did you run a disk benchmark after cloning the HD os to the SSD? When I did this, everything worked fine but I was getting like 1/2 the speed I was supposed to. Something to do with sector alignment or something of that nature (its been a while and I can't remember the issue exactly). I eventually got it to work but it was a big pain in the . Maybe cloning software has improved since then to the point where this is done automatically. Anyway, I'd consider benchmarking your SSD to make sure that everything is indeed functioning optimally.

 

I noticed that we can allocate memory to the graphics card in the bios. What is the maximum that we can allocate?

 

I'd like to know this as well, also what effect it has on performance would be nice to know also. Seems like a no-brainer if you have 10gb of ram. I am getting my upgrade stuff tomorrow so if no one else posts on this I will test it out.

 

Anyone know if the GT 620m in these is the GF108 or GF117 chip?

 

Please help!
Could you guys tell me if your ux32vd flexs when you push on the bottom of the case under the 2 usb ports.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

My benchmarks were just fine and very close to what you would expect. The cloning software (arconis) recognized the ssd and set the parameters properly.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

Sorry man. Mine is being RMA'ed. Do share if you tested.

 

From what i heard is the older chip.

 

A little I guess. No more than I would expect it to. What is your concern?

 

Hey guys, any of you come across a hard shell case or skin (not sticker) ?
I'd like to keep it from scratching, and I have been holding myself from using it regularly, as I am kinda babying it..

 

Yes , on both sides

 

OK. So I brought my ux32 to work since I have my SSD an memory coming and was going to install the drive here. I read in a couple of places that you need a torx 5 to get the back off. My back screws are not torx 5. The are much smaller like a 3. Good thing I brought it to work otherwise I would have been pretty ticked off when I sat down to do the upgrade tonight at home. I'll post back what size ended up fitting. Going to go have to buy some more torx bits at lunch.


EDIT:

As noted by someone else in this thread, I checked a better t5 bit at the hardware store (I had a cheap Chinese torx set) and the screws are indeed T5.

 

Hey guys, I just bought a bran new UX32VD-DH71 (win8) and I have been running on the win8 re-installation issue.

Anybody tried to create a restoration disk with the restoration image on it? I'm guessing it wouldn't work since an external DVD drive connected via USB wouldn't work either right? (would be the same as trying to restore via a USB flash drive).

Can't belive how hard MS made switching HDD for a SSD a PITA because of win8 no-serial-provided-cuz-win8-is-preinstalled-crap...
Anybody had luck contacting MS to obtain their serial# and re-install from an official .ISO?

I'm just having a moral issue about throwing my win8 key away since I paid for it, even if I may end up installing win7 instead.

 

What is the problem with restoring via USB? How exactly would they expect you to do a restore without using the USB?

 

After creating a rescue disk containing the restoration image (hidden partition on the HDD), I realized it didn't work so I dug up the issue on google and I found this: Recovery Drive - Create with USB Flash Drive in Windows 8

From the warning note on top:

It seems a RECOVERY Usb disk is not able to restore windows 8.

A fresh install will work but not a recovery.
So my question above was: will I get the same result if I try to do this (recovery disk containing restoration image) by using an external DVD?

 

This kind if begs the question of why the heck anyone would want to "upgrade" to win 8, but to each his own I guess. There has to be some way to do this. There will soon be millions of win 8 laptops out there with no DVD drives in them. I have a hard time believing hat Microsoft would make it not possible to do a restore from USB. Maybe it has to be an external DVD drive. With the whole movement away from physical media however, I just don't see why they would do this. Might be a good idea to post this in a windows 8 help forum.

BTW - If anyone else out there is going to upgrade to a SSD, be careful taking the cover off. My was freaking razor sharp and I cut the heck out of my finger trying to get it off.

 

Yeah, I figure it might just be a question of time before somebody comes up with a solution. But in the meanwhile it's disappointing.
I might try up the external DVD solution but my guess is that the result would probably be the same since it will be via USB.

 

I looked at that link and from what it says, it looks like you can only repair win 8? I guess I'll add another reason to my "reasons not to upgrade to win 8" list. What do they expect people to do if their hard drive crashes? Buy another copy?

 

I would suggest to call asus support centre to ask?

 

The AI recovery Burner software from Asus would technically do the trick. Except it doesn't work on windows 8 yet (and it is not pre-installed on the newer ux32vd win8).
I'm guessing that creating the recovery .iso image with that and copy it on a bootable usb drive would work.
There is no information on Asus's website about an upcomming win8 version though