G73 Trackpad is god aweful...

This thing passed QA testing?

I know, it's considered by many to be a useless feature, but I use it quite often... I've searched up and down the forums and tried various fixes and I'm near ready to give up.

I'm having issues with and without the synaptic drivers, the thing always misses touches, jumps all over and overall just sucks.

Does the thing work solid for everyone? If people tweeked it to work right, what settings have you made, cause everything I try (disabling multi touch, adjusting touch ranges and sensitivity) nothing works good. After the millions of laptops sold, you'd think this was an easy thing to get right...

Any other suggestions?


UPDATE: Since this thread got 5+ pages long, I figured I'll move my update to the top.

I got in touch with Gary Key, who setup a RMA request with the head of the RMA team. This person personally looked through my laptop and determined the touchpad to be defective (Asus must have gotten a bad batch since this seems to have become a common issue). I sent my laptop out for RMA and it cost me about 40 dollars, 20 for the shipping box, 20 for the shipping. It was returned with 2nd day air fedex. Total time it was gone was 11 days, which isn't bad at all considering the issue rendered the laptop useless to me.

Since I've gotten it back, I have not experienced a single problem with the touchpad, and I use it alot and often. I highly suggest anyone with a very annoying and useless touchpad stop looking for software/bios fix, and just RMA it to replace the part.

Good Luck!

 

Nothing software-related that I've tried has worked. It just decides at random to be really crap.

Since I opened the computer up (to repaste the gpu) and put it all back together, it's been perfect... fingers crossed. (maybe I pushed the ribbon fully into position? Maybe because the top plastic cover is not sitting completely flush, and is flexed a little, the touchpad has magically reached its full potential? Maybe because the excess heat in my computer was affecting the touchpad sensors? Well, I shouldn't speak too soon...)

 

On the occasions that I use it, it seemed to work just fine for me.

 

This situation is currently under investigation as Gary stated early. Seems not to be a software problem since neither HP, asus, synaptic (with or without multitouch enable) has the same issue. For me, the touchpad works perfect, but suddenly start to do the same than yours do. Only the restart solve the situation. Stay tuned to the forum for any update.

 

This issue is also on a wide variety of MSI laptops. The model I purchased had this issue and it was very annoying.

 

This is the worst trackpad and button bar thing which I have encountered so far, since it also interferes with my typing.

I am not very good at controlling trackpads and always end up with sore fingers, so have disabled the trackpad in my BIOS, and just use the mouse and keyboard shortcuts instead.

A nipple would have been a lot easier to use, but they only seem to put these on smaller notebooks where space is limited.

 

I'm very satisfied with to touchpad (when it works) It's huge, wide and very sensitive. And of course, multitouch. Never had problem with the touchpad interfering while type in. My hands are average and I'm not suffering ataxia

 

Lets hope something is figured out. How hard was it to get to the trackpad and check the ribbion to make sure it's secured right?

 

I don't really know why mine is behaving better, yet. It could be because the heat issue is solved. In any case, don't go ripping apart your computer to try to fix it, many things can go wrong (destroyed keyboard and loss of speakers is possible).

If I did indeed fix it, it was totally by accident and I couldn't reproduce it.

 

Am I the only one with her mind in the gutter?

 

dirty dirty dirty

 

till now its working fine for me . But ya it goes crazy for 1-2min after that start working again as normal .

 

How 'bout that track button bar...thing

I need to start a track pad thumb callous thread. Post your callouses.

 

Bought a wireless mouse. That fixed it.

 

Thank you! I keep wondering why people use the built in trackpad. The G73 is so large I can't see using it anywhere but a desk and a mouse is so much more precise. One of the first things I do when i get a laptop is completely disable the trackpad.

Of course I use an external keyboard too.

Cheers,

 

Hehehehehe.

 

I guess for larger people it's not that large... I use it on a couch while watching TV, a plane while traveling, a bed at a hotel i'm staying at...

Size is all relative, it doesn't negate the fact we bought a laptop and one of it's features is horrible.

 

I just bought this laptop used. It does seem sorta large to use on my lap. After 2 days track thing not too bad.

 

I am far from small. Abdominal ledge makes perfect iPad support, however, using a G73 on my lap puts my leg to sleep and I just have a personal aversion to trackpads. If I had to use the native device I preferred the eraser nubs on the thinkpads and old Dells to trackpads. As it is I carry a mouse and keyboard when I take my laptop. Of course since I only game on the G73 I must have a mouse.

I really should look beyond my own use. ASUS should indeed correct the issues related to this device so that others may benefit.

Cheers,

 

I use the trackpad when checking on you guys here. For gaming I use a real mouse. (Must resist urge of getting a G700...)

 

The worst part is the button bar. Worst design I've ever used. I've been using this computer with a mouse only because of those buttons.

 

What in the world is mad with the buttons?????

I have no problem at all with them... I never need to press both at the same time.

 

anyways , what's the stock G73 mouse which comes with the B1? Its seems to be USB.. i wanted a wireless one.. brb..

 

Variation on the Razer Deathadder, isn't it?

 

I use the trackpad for everything other than gaming. It is a laptop after all, I don't have a mouse at the ready when at school and what-not. But yeah I have to agree, the trackpad is pretty terrible. I've had moments where nothing I did would move the cursor or the scroller would completely stop working and even sometimes when I tried to move the cursor and all it did was do the pinch actions and increase/decrease the size of what I'm looking at repeatedly. Terrible trackpad but luckily it works when I'm in a situation where it's important but frustrating at home.

 

+111

I like the g73 trackpad

 

I suggest looking up the two finger scroll app for Synaptics touchpads. This makes the touchpad MUCH more pleasant to use. There's also a driver pack out there that enables it.

Minimize the use of the horrible unibutton. Learn to tap with the touchpad for clicks. You can set up the corners of the touchpad to act as buttons too (such as right click or middle click).

 

this was the very first thing that i made when i received my g73, since I have already a pleasant multitouch experience in a old laptop with upgraded (from HP) synaptic drivers.

 

I already tried the new touchpad drivers that enabled 2 finger scrolling. It's not a user issue here, it's an issue with the pad itself. It lock up all the time and is becomming really really bad.

Hope we get something soon.

 

So... I just applied IC7 to my gpu and cpu, while putting everything back together I made sure all the trackpad plugs were solid and now I havn't had the issue happen in over an hour.

Plus my rig is running almost 20C cooler, idk if the heat is the issue or loose cables, but it appears to work fine atm. Will post back if it happens again.

 

I suspect a bad connection from the factory. Redoing the connections yourself seems to get results for a lot of people.

 

+1 for I like the trackpad. It is 1,000,000x better than the trackpad I had on my M15x.

Sure, the clicker button is a little hard to push but all the force exerted trying to push the button helps me get rid of anger and stress from work.

 

Trackpad has been the best I've used also. Including MacBooks, Acer, Compaq and Sony.

 

I feel sorry for you if this is the best touchpad youve used, becouse to me its the worst one ive had out of all my laptops (HP, Alienware, Clevo...). I dont mean this as an insult, but i really honestly feel sorry for you if you havent yet expirienced what a decent touchpad feels like.
The trackpads surface is too rough and causes too much friction, so my fingers dont glide freely on it and the button is just... its just awful to use. The force needed to press it makes the front part of the chassis flex if you have it on your lap (on the desk it has sufficient support) and you have to make sure youre pressing on the outer end of the button for it to work. I also miss an indicator for the scroll area.
But it seams Asus heard us there and changed the single button to a normal two buttons on the JW at least.

 

Add me to the "it's awful" camp.

The Asus drivers caused missed clicks which improved by using the standard MS ones but lacked any multi touch functionality. Eventually installed a older HP Synaptics driver, improved responsiveness and added additional multi touch gestures.

However nothing can physically rectify the awful button bar. Much too flat and should have been close to the edge so that it is reached naturally.

Guess I'll either get used to it or give up and stick with a mouse.

Core i7-720QM | 8GB RAM | 2 x 500 GB Seagate Momentus | ATi Mobility Radeon HD 587 | BIOS 211 | VBIOS 93 | HP Synaptics driver

 

well we have to live with this touch pad . i won't say great nor bad just ok . agree with hellcry about rough surface other then this i learned to use this touch pad perfectly without causing problem to my self

 

I don't have any of this. The touchpad surface is very smooth and very little friction. The force needed to press the button is a little more than other trackpads that I have used but is by no means too much or distracting for me. I use two-finger scrolling instead of a scroll area and don't miss the indicators at all- in fact I don't use that.

My biggest complaint is that it is one button, but I don't really have any issues with it. Sounds like we should be sorry for you instead of the other way around- for me the trackpad with multi-touch is great and I miss it whenever I use a laptop without it.

 

I have no problems with traction or glide. My surface is very smooth and my finger moves around with no effort on my part. I am beginning to suspect different OEM suppliers for the trackpad. Kinda like LG vs AUO for screens.

I am also pondering if the reason I have no keyboard lag is because I reseated both the kb and touchpad ribbon cables during my repaste.

 

How do you reset the touchpad???

 

I did it at least 5 times (when i changed parts) and it didnt solve the keyboard problems so id say its safe to conclude reseating the ribbons doesnt help.
But if there are different touchpads in out systems, then its possible its a hardware related problem and some of them have these problems while others dont...
But i havent seen any indication that touchpads would be different. And Gary said theyre going to solve it with software...

 

I've discovered that Gary likes to play with his cards close to his chest.

 

I know it...conspiracy, espionage and the tech soup.... this is a whole drama

 

Ya, i know were not going to get an answer to something like that. I wonder if/when well see the solution he promised...

 

I haven't a clue what he's talking about either. Apparently HellCry has both the most sensitive and weak fingers of any man I've heard of. Maybe he's the boy in the bubble.

 

HA! Best jibe ever at hell cry

 

Why is there always so much conflict here? I know gamers are usually very angsty, but let's try to be civilized. /sips tea

 

I had the same problem, I just disabled the Pinch Zoom function.

 

Just got back from a weekend vacation, started my laptop (technically day after I repasted) and issue came back. I am 100% sure the wiring isn't loose.

 

The button bar is my least favorite design for a touchpad on any laptop, and this is by far the worst one I've ever used. Just try clicking and dragging to select a precise area with it. Go ahead, try it. Are you screaming yet?

I don't have too much trouble with the touchpad area itself. It responds to my fingers just fine. Others who use my laptop don't complain. I've tried making life easier by adding buttons to the corners of the touchpad but they aren't responsive enough to work all the time.

So my wireless mouse is still more convenient, or for certain games, my wired mouse. But I've found the the small footprint of my wireless mouse actually fits and tracks perfectly on the right palmrest, so it's very convenient because I never need a mousepad.

Whenever I get around to repasting I'll have to jot down the touchpad's part number and maybe look for a Mfg. number or something to help compare for different manufacturers. Unless that's already been done.

 

If heat is the issue, has anyone tried using their touchpad while running a blow dryer directed at the palmrest? Perhaps someone with access to a blow dryer? Like not me?