ASUS U500vz/UX51vz Owners' Lounge!

I'm not 100% confident in doing this, but I can do some research and get myself comfortable.

 

I'm sure I have. To be completely honest I don't know what I would have gotten rid of that would affect the few buttons that don't work.

 

You can try this (at your own risk) How to fix ASUS Zenbook keyboard issues - YouTube
Check it out and see if you're comfortable doing so.

 

You should go to Asus website and search for you model.
I think the driver you need to install is this one: "ATKACPI driver and hotkey-related utilities"
But I'm not sure, give a try.

 

Perfect -- that did the trick for the back lit, and fn+enter problem. Is it my understanding that Fn+C and Fn+Spacebar should also do something for me? If that's the case those still aren't functioning, which I'm sure there are other utilities I need to download.

 

Fn+Spacebar I think you need to download Power4Gear Hybrid Utility, but I did a clean install of windows on my asus and this is one of the asus crapwares that I will not install. As I know it does basically the same as the Windows power plans utilities, like balanced plan, high performance plan.
Fn+C I think you need to download ASUS Splendid Video Enhancement Technology.

 

Just wanted to say "Thank You" for this!

I am planning on buying this awesome notebook and luckily I found some stores in a neighbor country that still sell it. (Most the touchscreen variant but also one that still has the non touchscreen one, which I need.)
In the mean time I was curious whether I could downgrade to Windows 7.
And yes, I gave Win 8 a fair try already. It's just not for me. It also has to do with the fact I LOVE the Aero GUI while I HATE the archaic old Windows 95 "lets go back to no glass and straight borders" style Windows seems to take.

Glad to read it's all doable.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/745131-asus-zenbook-nx500.html#post9564109

 

Still trying to make a recovery drive/disc for this laptop and so far with no success. Specifically, the Asus Backtracker application that I was pointed to by the worthless Asus customer support folks fails during backup creation complaining that it can't read the USB stick even though it wrote a bunch of system files and directories to the drive. After calling up another worthless customer rep on the phone he told me that Backtracker only works on Windows 8.0 --- but my Windows has already been upgraded to Windows 8.1 x64. The silly rep told me that Windows 8.1 is too new for Asus and that I should contact Microsoft for help creating a recovery disc for my $2,600 Asus laptop! What sort of customer support is this?

Windows built-in recovery backup won't allow me to select the checkbox that creates system recovery files because the checkbox is disabled.

I need to make a system recovery disk/drive because I need to repartition the laptop's SSD raid drive so that there is only one large C: drive instead of two drives C: and D:. After repartioning I will need the recovery disc/drive to reinstall the Asus system partitions and Windows 8 Pro that the laptop came with. Right now my C: drive is very full of photographs in My Pictures while my D: drive is completely empty and I don't want to be saving my photos in multiple drives. I just want one big 512GB C: drive. I also want to get rid of several unnecessary and uninitialized partitions that exist on my SSDs.

Does anyone know if there is an Asus UX51Z Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro recovery disk ISO online that I can download? If not is there an Asus program that will properly make a recovery image of my laptop running Windows 8.1?

Thanks!

 

Anyone knows how to change the hotkeys? For example I like to configure the notebook to don't sleep when I close the lid, because I use it on a TV at home with an usb mouse and keyboard. So when I press the Fn+F1 that is the "sleep" hotkey the notebook hibernate and it is different that when it sleeps. I wanna change this from hibernate sleep.

 

Not sure if you can remap the keys but you can change what closing the lid does in your power options. I have mine set to do nothing, it just turns the screen off if you close it but doesnt stop anything else from running.

 

Thanks, but I've already did that. This is the problem. Now when I close the lid it does nothing, and when I need to put the notebook to sleep I have to press Fn+F1 and then close the lid. So far it's ok, but when I open the lid the notebook doesn't wake until I press the power buttom because the FN+F1 hibernate the notebook.

I don't know if you'ill understand me. Sorry about my english.

 

I get what you're saying. You want the computer to do nothing when you close the lid but also want it to wake the computer from hibernation when you open the lid if you put it in hibernate with Fn + F1. Cant think of a way to do that.

 

After a few tries and a little luck I solved my problem.
I tryed to disable the hibernate function on windows (on the cmd as admin you type "powercfg -h off") and now when I press FN+F1 it sleeps (I mean sleep when the power buttom keeps flashing white light and on hibernate it doesn't).
Then I turned hibernate on again (powercfg -h on) and the FN+F1 still sleeping the notebook!
So the problem is solved. I only created a shortcut on desktop to hibernate the notebook when I need. In fact I never use hibernate.

 

There must have been an odd settings conflict which you reset when switching it, odd.

More and more people are moving to hibernate due to the power savings and speed of restart with an SSD.

 

That is a pretty strange symptom but glad that you have resolved it finally.
It is a good tip for others to use should they encounter such symptom in the future, thanks!

 

***Deleted***

 

Hi guys!

Can anyone tell me how I can reinstall Windows 8? How can I enter the recovery partition? I HAVE to get rid of this bloddy win 8.1.

Thanks!

 

Normally the recovery console is accessed by pressing F9 during boot up. It may have gotten wiped after updating to 8.1 but you can give it a try.

 

Thank you, I will try...

But if this piece of really also wiped that I am going mad!

 

The key is the same for both so you could find a windows 8 ISO and re-install it and do a nice clean install.

 

The licensing type, and edition type all come into the play.
If you have to enter the key during the installation, then it's a mismatching type, or both.

 

Hi guys,

anybody experienced/experiencing keyboard Keys collapsing in the main bottom area (n,m,j,k space bar in QWERTY)?

I'm very disappointed.... in italy it's very very expensive... what d'you think?

Thanks.

Enrico

 

You mean that it bends slightly? Yes my machine have that too. Personally I don't think that's a problem - don't notice it when actually typing and I have a very heavy typing style that flexes most notebook keyboards. The only keyboard I've used that didn't flex was that of a HP Elitebook 8560W.

 

Thank you very much Megol.

Yes the keyboard bends but not slightly. When you press Keys I told you (B,N,M right space bar and Others) Keys goes under the "laptop body" level. So the Keys are quite difficult to press....

You can easily verifiy this issue cause the keyboard it's not fully illuminated. In that area it's very dfficult notice the lights under the Keys.....

Sure I'm not happy to give back my laptop and loose my data and configuration but I think it'n not possible going on in this way.....

Thanks.

Enrico

 

hi guy's im new to the forum , but i would like to share with you mine experience with this notebook.
my dad bought me this notebook in other country because here in israel it is completely overpriced ( something like 4K USD)
he used while he was abroad ( skype, web,some video ) , and after like 3 months . BANG not charging anymore.
i gave it to the warranty service , changed my mother board and the charger. (took only 40 days)
after a week . same problem . BANG . not charging and not turning on. (this time it took about a 2-3weeks)
gave it to service once again .
in the same day i got it back there were terrible noise from the fans, the bios was up to date (204 on VZA)
sent it to service again , and yet once again new mother board . ( 2 weeks here also )


i got it not for few hours , everything looked fine until i had to charge it .
it took me like 4 hours to get 50% while most of the time the notebook was off .


im already desperate .

any advice ?

FYI .... im a software engineering student 2nd year , and this notebook was supposed to be an upgrade for my old half dead hp which is like 5 years old....
it is my tool and it the source of my knowledge, but for now it spent more time in service than in my hands .

 

Now that sounds bad! I guess it could be a bit improved by tightening the screws connecting the battery with the motherboard (the lower part of the keyboard is in the same area) but it's unlikely that it would be enough... Sadly I think leaving it for service is the only reasonable solution.

 

@ninickname:

I had the same problem with the non-charging battery. See this post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...0vz-ux51vz-owners-lounge-116.html#post9442861

Since I got it back from repair it is working flawlessly.

 

i had that , they repaired it ,it came back week after that , i think i had enough . im trying to contact my local asus service to have a new / other notebook.

 

Sorry if this has already been asked... I think in this day and age I should be able to download the ISO of my laptop recovery CD, but Asus wants me to order it from them... stupid.

Does anyone have an ISO of the UX51VZA model that I can download from somewhere? I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jason

 

I just downloaded an ISO of the WIndows 8 single language in portuguese-BR as it's the version that came with my Asus..
It's a clean ISO without ASUS crapware.
The serial is into the BIOS and you don'r need to insert it, the windows 8 installation program does that automaticaly.

 

Does it work with the latest version of windows 8.1 also?

 

Just wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I have a u500vz with 128gb +128gb. I'd like to upgrade the storage if possible to 512gb at least, what (if any) are my options? I had a quick look through this thread but couldn't figure out what type of ssd's i'd need. I'd also like to swap out the wifi card as im having problems with the intel one, has anyone done this already? would something like this fit ok?


Amazon.com: Bigfoot Networks KillerN-1202 Notebook Wireless Card: Computers & Accessories

 

Hey guys, I have to say I am really happy with my Asus U500VZ so far, it's pretty compact and well-made (at least my copy is). It has some minor issues (like each and every other product out there), but nothing worth noting.

Anyways, I bought the model with 500+24gb storage and 6gb RAM, and I have some questions for you.

My reseller noted that the RAM could not be upgraded as it came with 2gb soldered onboard and said that 4gb stick that came on top of that is the largest supported. I thought a lot and decided to go with it as I really liked the specs.
But, going through this thread and some websites, I saw that some people actually managed to change the 4gb stick for 8gb one with success, ending up with 10gb of RAM. Can anyone confirm this possibility? That would mean a lot to me. Also, which RAM module would be the best to buy in that case?

If I wanted to replace the HDD with an SSD, would buying the regular (for example) Samsung 256gb SSD to the job?

Thanks,
Stefan

 

Ive been following this thread for a while now. Anyone ever solved the issue of re-creating RAID without sending the device to ASUS or creating a Soft-Raid with Linux?

This locked SATA controller really is by far the biggest downside as it restricts me in a way I would expect from Apple, but not Asus :-(

 

Is there any real alternative to this besides the NX500? I need a laptop for college and this one really seems to be it. The XPS 15 has a bunch of issues right now, Y50 doesn't have good battery life and display is below average, and I don't really like OSX.

 

I haven't seen anything lately, except the Surface Pro 3, which seems a more suitable device for school/studying, if 12" an dual core is enough for you. But I have no complaints with mit UX51VZA

 

I'd just like to say thank you for this post. After blowing away my RAID, I'd almost lost hope of getting it back. This totally worked. I was even able to restore my system image onto it!

 

FYI I can confirm (just did this and then reinstalled Windows) that it's also possible to recreate RAID via Intel RST GUI using Windows 8 installed to a USB HDD. It's a bit much, but it works. I had to switch back and forth from BIOS RAID --> AHCI --> RAID, and used an Ubuntu USB drive to erase/format the two SSDs before creating a new RST volume.

I had previously used a mdadm array as a system image restore target and was seeing some funny behavior. Not sure if related, but figured I'd try using RST in case...

 

Hey guys, I have the ux51vz with the 2880x1620 res screen. I am having issues getting it to be at that res though. Is it supposed to be set through the normal Windows monitor and resolution window? Currently it only goes up to 1080 - recommended. I am messing with windows 8 btw.

 

Hey folks,
I'm running to 256gb SSD's and I'd like to upgrade the D drive at some point. I've read all about the proprietary connectors and I know that ADATA and Sandisk do not make the the XM11 or X100 larger than 256gb.

I'm wondering if anyone has any idea about the adapter that's out there for the UX21 and UX31m which has an equivalent connection as the ADATA XM11 and the Sandisk U100. It's on Ebay and Amazon, but the following link has the best double sided photo of it.

SATA HDD adapter as sandisk sd5se2/SDSA5JK ADATA XM11 SSD [PA5029] - $15.99 : sintech adapter shop

I know it's a tight fit in the model with the two SSD's, but I've opened it up and there is some extra space to the side of the second drive. My thought is that I can grab this adapter and and connect a mSata SSD to it, possibly with an adapter. I haven't read anything about if these adapters work (even for the UX21's and Ux31's).

Also, it has a SATA connection, but I don't believe it has a power cord. Does it matter?

Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this approach?
Mark

 

Just to make sure this is on here, my UX51VZ-DH71 with the Sandisk SSDs kicked the bucket last week. Had this machine since Nov 2012.

One of the SSDs in Raid 0 died and took most of my data with it. Brought it to a laptop repair shop and they ordered the part. Amazing how difficult these proprietary things are to find on their own. Apparently there's lots of folks who have had problems with these specific SSDs.

 

Hello owners

Some bad news for me here, my laptop had some decent amount of water spilled on it while it was on and what makes it worse is that I wasnt around to clean the mess. To make a long one short, my motherboard died! so my laptop is pretty useless at the moment, and when I talked to the poorly managed ASUS guys here in Egypt, they told me that it would cost me more than $1000 just to get a fresh new motherboard.
Only no damage was done to my two 256 SSDs. I was wondering if there was anyway what so ever to get the data in them out, I would appreciate and help from you guys, as the data in there is must to reach to.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry to hear about that.
Motherboard at most is $250 USD, and labor is $120.
How did they come up with that number for just a new motherboard?

 

Yes I know what you mean, only unfortunately customs are extremely high on pretty much everything in here. I don't know the exact numbers for computer hardware but I wouldn't be surprised. But fortunately for me, there is always a work around when it comes to customs, I'm looking for a new/used motherboard online and all what I have found so far is this one Aliexpress.com : Buy Original Laptop mainboard / motherboard UX51VZ for ASUS, 100% Tested, warranty 30 days from Reliable motherboard cleaning suppliers on Motherboard Exclusive Shop

Would kindly tell me if this the correct board for my device ? I would also appreciate any help regarding a better recommendation if possible.

 

I'm wondering if you can get with someone else that has the same computer. Temporarily remove their SSD's and insert yours (in the same slots). Maybe you can boot up and copy your data to an external hard drive. Or perhaps you can purchase another one, get your data...then return it? Maybe that isn't ethical.

I'll tell you one thing though. Those ssd's are in RAID 0 mode. Sintech sells an adapter to convert the proprietary connection to SATA, which would be a great solution for you if they weren't configured in RAID 0. In RAID 0, the data is striped across both hard drives (even though it shows a separate C and D drive on your computer). So if one drive is gone (or bad), all the data is inaccessble. For that reason, you are dependent on a motherboard of the same configuration to get your data back.

I didn't like this one bit, so I changed it from RAID to AHCI mode in the BIOS, and did a clean installation of Windows. Now I have two separate drives, and if my mother board goes bad, I'll be able to access the data directly from each SSD using the SATA adapter. RAID 0 is probably a little better and more efficient, but it isn't worth the risk in my eyes.

 

That looks like the correct motherboard to me just from comparison. I'm attaching a picture of the internals that floating around online (and looks just like mine). You can see that the fan on the right fits right into the open circle. From there there, you can see that the components are the same and located in the same spot.

 

SATA devices need power so you'd have to source it from somewhere - luckily there are 3.3V, 5V and ground connectors easily available on the motherboard. Just below the two SSD connectors are a footprint for a standard SATA connector, I didn't get it working with a SATA device (though that may be because it was a quick attempt with hacked together cables) but verified that the connector was powered. Soldering power cables between the SATA device and the motherboard footprint should work.

The best alternative would be a custom PCB that changes the two custom connectors to e.g. NGFF SATA connectors and uses pogo-pins (spring loaded connectors) to take power from the motherboard without any soldering. Given the small market I think it's unlikely to ever appear and if it does it may be expensive... I would still buy such an adapter personally.

 

I appreciate that response.
Since I posted that question, the same company "Sintech" has released another adapter for an M.2 Sata card. It includes the power, and it seems promising if anyone ever needed to replace or upgrade the storage.

Amazon.com: Sintech NGFF M.2 BM Key SSD to 18Pin Adapter Card for Replace Sandisk SD5se2/SDSA5JK ADATA XM11 SSD of Asus Zenbook UX31 UX21: Computers & Accessories

 

Yes I just saw that and went here to post about it! That seems to be the best solution to upgrade the UX51VZ and other Zenbooks by far.