Touchpad Issue

Hi all,
I just recently received my laptop back from an LCD panel RMA with ASUS, and currently, my touchpad does not work (external mice do). Under the device manager in Win7, it recognizes the installed driver, but says the device is unplugged or there is an error. Any tips on what i should do to try and solve this? I've already tried unplugging the ribbon cable and plugging it in again, and reinstalling the driver, and no luck. In all honesty, I never want to have to deal with ASUS's RMA system again, so I'm trying to get this working myself. Thanks!

 

Totally forgot to list the specs:
ASUS G53JW
12 GB RAM
Intel Core-i7
Synaptics driver v 15.11? (i think?)

 

What is the exact text of the reported error?

You did disconnect the USB mouse and attempt to enable with Fn-F9, correct?

You could also right-click on the ATK Package in Control Panel and choose "Repair" from the popup menu.

Did you check to see if the touchpad device is a) disabled or b) locked (in Advanced-Security) in the BIOS?

While in the BIOS, choose to "Load Optimized Defaults"(F9) then Save & Exit.

 

the error is:
This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed. (Code 24)

i did try unplugging the USB and Fn-F9, but it remain unresponsive, and the ATK notification doesn't even pop up.

I'll try checking the bios, as that didn't even occur to me. Also, i was going to try cleaning the contacts of the ribbon cable with isopropyl alcohol, would that help anything?

 

That would be a reason for attempting to repair the ATK Package in Control Panel (i.e. you could be stuck in "disabled" mode). You could also attempt to reinstall it after uninstalling it and rebooting.

Are you absolutely positive you have a Synaptics touchpad? I know ASUS ships G74SX's with both Synaptics and Sentelic touchpads.

Can you uninstall the Synaptics driver from Control Panel or Device Manager, then reboot and let Windows install its Plug N Play touchpad driver? Does the MS Driver allow the touchpad to function?

You did choose to "Load Optimized Defaults" (F9) before you exited, correct?

I think the odds of that helping are minimal.

 

touchpad was enabled in BIOS but I'll check out the ATK Package. It seems the most likely, because the same thing happens when i try to adjust my keyboard brightness

I'm going to try uninstalling the ATK package and the synaptics driver, the rebooting and going from there. AFAIK, it is a synaptics touch pad, according to the driver listed on ASUS's support page

 

The ATK Package drivers do appear to be borked on your system. You definitely want to get 'em working right.

Your touchpad should function, albeit with limited features, with the Microsoft Plug N Play touchpad driver installed. It'd be good to confirm this prior to installing the Synaptics driver.

You did choose to "Load Optimized Defaults" (F9) before you exited, correct? I'd like to eliminate that from potential resolutions you haven't tried yet if ATK Package reinstall fails to resolve your touchpad issue.

 

Yep, made sure to do that before i exited. I uninstalled the synaptics driver, and it shows as a Microsoft PS/2 Mouse with the same error. I'm going to try reinstalling ATK

 

I'm not liking that the touchpad continues to display an error with the MS driver. It makes me think something else is required besides ATK Package installation. Unfortunately, Code 24 can be indicative of hardware failure.

Here are some Google hits for your issue: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclien...f.,cf.osb&fp=400ec051c2be5a6d&biw=695&bih=541

I checked several but found nothing that appears relevant. You may want to try Driver Sweeper in Safe Mode to uninstall any Synaptics driver remnants (or Sentelic, if they exist) or run CCleaner.

As a last attempt, you could try an ASUS Factory Restore by pressing F9 at the ASUS splash screen and following the directions.

 

reinstalled ATK after rebooting, no change

that was my concern too, and makes me worry that this is a hardware issue, but i REALLY don't want to send it back in, after having to put up with ASUS's rma process four times now.

 

It could be the touchpad is shorting out. You could try removing the tape and adhesive from the back of the touchpad. I believe there are other posts on this forum that describe this procedure in detail.

Check out this post http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...nImdCQ&usg=AFQjCNGwVGcibX87VbB1lIjo9cQ1J6Rr6Q

Here is a G53SX disassembly video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdQi2GMQRu8) if you decide you want to install a new touchpad.

A different model, but the idea is the same. If you find no alternative to RMA, I recommend you PM Chastity on this forum for assistance. Chastity is the erratic touchpad specialist at ASUS (although in this case I suspect you'll need touchpad replacement).

 

Well, bit of an update; i rebooted and all of a sudden the touchpad and fn-f9 both worked, and then....it didn't. Which is disheartening to say the least, so i'm still not sure what the problem is, at this point i'm going to call asus and complain at them for a while. But thank you for all your help.

 

It sure sounds like an electrical short issue from that described behavior.