W3j Owners Lounge

If your fan has issues then the computer will overheat... needless to say that's very bad.

I would suggest you have a look at the ASUS eStore and see whether they have W3J fan or cooling assemblies for sale. Edit: looks like they have and it's cheap: http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=3395

But before that, make sure it is indeed a problem. Have you maybe updated the BIOS lately? (unlikely for such an old model, but anyway) Sometimes BIOSes change thermal policies. What are your temperatures? Does the computer overheat when the fan doesn't work as it should?

Did you clean the dust from the fan and heat radiator recently?

 

The fan works normally i.e. works its way from 50-59 then starts up and shuts off at 50..the problem is that when watching certain types of video it will fail to turn on and crash. The first time we noticed it was watching family guy on fox.com which isn't even really intensive at all.

Now that i think about it, the problem is that the fan can only reach its low speed, it has problems reaching the mid and high when decoding HD video or anything cpu intensive. I suppose replacing the fan is worth a shot. When I opened it up a few days ago it looked fairly clean and ran fine (fan wise) until I played video again.

I should note in the three times its crashed there has been an intense burning smell, but I didn't notice anything on the inside that looked out of place

 

I would suggest stop using the computer immediately and replace the fan. That burning smell suggests very bad things. You should also remove heatsinks, replace thermal paste, and inspect areas around CPU and GPU for thermal damage.

Besides fan problems, another thing that can happen is bugs in the BIOS fan control; or (less likely) bugs in the Windows power management.

You should update your BIOS / write another version / reset BIOS to defaults for the first fault; and reinstall Windows/ATK drivers for the second problem.

Does the fan comes on full when you boot the computer? If not and it used to, that is indicative of either fan hardware problems or BIOS problems. If you reset the computer after it heats up to a large value (monitor your temps) and go into the BIOS, does the fan go full blast until it cools a bit and then goes down again? That is indicative of Windows power management issues.

But since the fan is so cheap on the eStore, and because it's quite dangerous to run the computer in this state (you may already have done some irreversible damage), you could actually start with that.

And also, monitor your temps closely from now on. Use HWMonitor for instance.

 

heh luckily this notebook has not been my main for about half a year now (currently wifey's "desktop")

The problem I think is that it may have happened more than a few times (wife uses the laptop hooked up to TV for the kids movies/shows) and she's reported it just shutting off after a while. The very first time I was there, the fan was probably on low when it crashed and then when i rebooted it full speed.

The most recent failures the fan does not come on at all when playing video, but when browsing does its normal cycle. Also recently the fan didn't go full blast when I restarted it so it sounds like a combo of bios/fan hardware issues. The thing is I haven't touched the bios since 2006, and the only other thing I've done is clean out the fan twice now (looked fine internally).

 

So, are you still using the computer without addressing the fan problem? If yes, then I can only wish that it has a painless death...

 

Bit of an odd question, and I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but what would be the equivalent of the W3J in Asus' current lineup

 

I would say the N81Vp would probably be the closest match to the "current day" W3J. I'm basing my opinion on the fact that both units are 14" systems and are equipped with dedicated GPUs.

 

Also consider the F6Ve. Small footprint, rather powerful graphics for its size (but gets pretty hot due to that).

Also keep in mind the ASUS notebook quality has dropped somewhat since the days of the W3J.

 

Cheers guys. I looked at the N8x machines, but thought they looked a bit more "consumer-grade" than the W3J had done in its day. Maybe this is explained by:

I'm sad to to hear that. My W3J is the best machine I've ever owned, so when my girlfriend need a new system I straight away recommended ASUS. After 3.5 years my W3J is still going strong. Does everything I need and is surprisingly sprightly for its age.

 

I agree with all the other posts re the W3J - had it for a few years now and has been great for the most part - had to replace the optical drive. Question - Do I need to use PATA hard drive or will a SATA hard drive be compatible?? Have read all the posts and so far haven't found any definitive answers. Would love to upgrade to a 500gb drive

 

Hello.
Just registered because due to a fall my W3J disk isn't working and i want to replace it with a 160 GB one but don't really know if it works.
Can someone tell me if it does work ( i have 211 BIOS ver ).
Thanks

 

It'll work as long as it's 2.5" IDE interface.

 

Ok, thanks for the info!
I also dowloaded the Vista drivers because, since i have to reinstall Windows, i'm going to put my W3J working with Windows 7.

 

Just installed the 160 GB disk ( Samsung ), it can be detected on the BIOS but at 3%/4% of decompressing files while it's installing Windows 7 stops responding and an error saying the install can't read the source files.
Tried also to run Windows XP installation and it can't even format the disk...
Any suggestions?
Thanks

P.S. - Already managed to install Windows 7 but i never can finish the final install properly.
Can someone confirm please if the W3J fan starts working when it boots?The laptop is overheating and the fan does not start...

 

Not quite a W3J question, but more of W3V question. Having problems with the power button on my W3V in that it will not turn on at first push. It will only turn on after opening and closing the screen a couple of times. I had this problem when the comp was still in warranty, but now its long since expired. I know this problem will eventually lead to my computer not turning on at all... Anyone got any ideas?

 

I switched to a Mac about a year ago and I love my MBP, but i decided to refresh my second love, that is Asus W3j and put Win 7 on it.

The problem is, I can't get sound to work I tried looking for SoundMax drivers that were recommended here but no luck. Any ideas?

 

I also have a similar issue... while i do a cold start(fresh boot), after like 10mins of light usage my laptop gets extremely hot but fan wont kick in... either it'll eventually shut off or I reboot. When I reboot the fan kicks in full gear and just stays at full speed.

 

I'm running windows 7 on mine and i'm pretty sure I use the vista drivers.

 

Same, I've been using W7 since the start of this year, and the vista drivers work fine, if you're running 64bit the audio drivers are a little harder to get hold of, but work.

 

Hi,
I just installed windows 7 as well on to my W3j.

would you be kind enough to point the direction for the 64bit drivers?

 

At a curiosity, has anyone running W7 been able to get their Fn and media/hardware hotkeys working on the W3J?

 

Sure if you can find Vista drivers they work for W7, I actually used Drive detector software to find the 64bit Audio drivers, I couldn't find them anywhere on the net, I tried many options but none worked, PM me and i can send them to you.

Drivers here

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=100357

Work for W3J and should have most of the drivers you need and Brainonska511 yes all the hotkeys work, here is a list of the drivers I have and everything works well.

 

thanks for the tip NZwaverider, i managed to get my sound working again. the only problem i have left is the computer not automatically switching power profiles. does your W3J have any problems going from plugged in state to battery power? i have installed the ATK ACPI drivers but it doesn't seem to be working properly.

 

Yeah I used P4G Xtreme before the last time I installed the RC build 7100, but to be honest I don't think it was working properly so I just used the power profiles in W7, anddim the screen using FN keys.

P4G registers when you plug into power but when you set the screen brightness in each profile, they don't seem to change when you switch, the screen always stays on 100%, so it makes me wonder if its changing anything else? I need to run some software to see if it is changing clock speed, but when running on battery (using office or battery saver mode) it does automatically switch to Battery mode, and changes the windows graphics to non transparent and when you plug the power cord back in it automatically changes the windows interface to transparent, and the power cord icon shows up, so must be doing something ha ha.

But I also use screen calibration hardware and software (spider3 elite) so that may be overriding screen settings.

So in a word yes it works, but if it is really changing all settings would need further investigation.

All my other hot keys work i.e. P4G, Bluetooth, Wifi and touchpad, the only one I don't use is the splenid as I use 3rd party screen calibration software.

Does this help?

you do have to make sure you install the drivers in sequence;

01-ATKDrv_Vista32bit_070126
02-ATK_Hotkey_vista_070213
03-ATKMedia_Vista32-64bit_070125
04-ATKOSD2_Vista32-64bit_070125

I know with 64 bit windows this took a few tries, but W7 32bit worked fine.

 

Heya, I'm having trouble installing the sound drivers for win7 32. When I try to install it says "No driver was supported in this Driver package"

Any ideas?

 

I had the same problem, NZWave sent me the proper SoundMAX drivers for the W3j. Ask him if he can send you them as well...

 

To anyone looking to get sound working for Windows 7 32 on the W3J - here is the link I found to the proper SoundMAX drivers: http://www.sendspace.com/file/541mon

I found them from this posting: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=1853093&highlight=soundmax#post1853093

Hope it helps! (They worked for me)

 

I am having fan issues as well. I believe it has to do with window 7 power management software OR Bios. I am using the latest bios for w3j and it had no problems with the fan in winXP but in win7 it does not work. After realizing that my fan does not even turn on when it hits 70C+ I started messing around with the power management. What I discovered was in order to activate the fan, I have to switch to a different profile. It does not matter which profile I switch to but AS long as i switch to a different one the fan will immediately turn on. However, this trick will only make the fan stay on forever... kind of annoying that i have to switch profiles and revert back to balance every time i start up my computer

did anyone find another solution to the battery or do i have to spend 140 for a new one

 

Fun fact: The included XP recovery disk will not function if the system has 3gb of RAM installed. I freaked out a few times with a blank HD before taking out a 2gb module which let the recovery program run...

Brett

 

Yeah. Anytime I want to use those damn recovery CDs, I have to remove my 2GB stick (total of 2.5GB). Pain in the to use those damn things.

In other news:
I think my adapter is dying. Is there a universal adapter I can use or a replacement adapter I can buy for the W3J? Links are appreciated.

Edit:
It wasn't the brick, it was the cord that goes from the brick to the wall. Got a replacement at RadioShack for a few bucks and all is well.

 

Damn, i'm also having this problem and really thought my W3J had some kind of problem
The keyboard gets very hot and the fan still don't start, like you wrote only when i change to another profile is starts spinning.
The problem must be from the Windows 7 power management because with XP this didn't appened.
Well at least now i know it's not from my W3J
My battery, according to windows 7, also has a problem and i must replace it...

 

I ordered mine from here http://cgi.ebay.com/Battery-for-ASU...cessories_LaptopBatteries?hash=item3a551f8c86
It's not original but it's a very good price

 

hi friend i'm french and i just install windows 7 on my W3j and i have 2 problems

1 - start cold : the fan don't start (NEVERRRRRRRRRR)
hot start : the fan work and it's possible to touch the keyboard ;-)

2 - seven reconize my x1600 but when i install catalyst my cursor shake.
i found why it shake when i kill atiewxx.exe all is right

someone have the good catalyst

thanks

 

You are not the only one, this appens due to Windows 7 power management

I downloaded all drivres from http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=100357

 

thanks for your answer i try tonight the ati driver.

for the cold start i dont understand why someone have not the probleme.

 

i try ati driver and all is ok.

For the fan probleme i try SPEEDFAN but the fan is not recognize ( it work perfectly in ma asus S6F).

Someone have test this program ?

 

Speed fan does not work properly with new notebooks, don't use it.

 

Hey All,

This is a basic question, but i guess you are all using the latest BIOS?

I've been running Windows 7 Beta since the first release 12 months ago, and have just installed Windows 7 64bit Professional version as a dual boot (just loading up drivers and software this weekend, but all seems to be going OK so far).

I have never had a fan problem using W7-32 beta, to be honest everything has run pretty sweet.

Its just with Windows 7-64bit, some of the vista 64 drivers wouldn't work, i.e. ATK driver, but I simply searched for another Asus notebook with windows 7 and downloaded the windows 7 64 bit drivers from the X71? model and also downloaded the touchpad, Richoh and P4G drivers from the G51VX windows 7 64bit and all is working perfectly!

Well so far anyway... take a look at the driver versions, I did upgrade to a T7600 CPU @ 2.33ghz, but if its working fine for me, it should run fine for others.

 

Lately i've been having problems with my W3J with Windows 7, sometimes when i switch him on it simply does not show any image, but it boots normaly and if i put the code in logs in to my account because i ear the music...
Any tips people?

 

That does sound odd...

Do you have the latest bios installed?

Is it a new copy of windows 7 that you have installed?

You shouldn't have any problems, I just reinstalled with Windows 7 64bit and everything is ok.

Do you have all of the drivers installed? most vista drivers will work under windows 7

 

By the way everyone, I'm running Windows 7 32-bit and everything works perfectly. I don't get any fan problems. My T2500 idles at 45 to 52 degrees Celsius depending on conditions and under 100% load on prime95 I've never seen it go above 65 degrees.

The first thing I did after installing Windows 7 was go to the advanced power settings in the Control Panel and make sure, on all profiles, the "System Cooling Policy" under Processor Power Management was set to "Active" instead of "Passive." By default, the Balanced plan in Windows 7 defaults notebooks to passive cooling on battery, which supposedly tries to deal with heat by lowering clock speed instead of increasing fan speed. So if you guys have problems, try making sure your System Cooling Policy is always set to Active.

 

Hi,
I also have the fan issue problem...
I have the latest bios, this is just annoying...
I had all the profiles with active cooling.
Could it be because of Power4gear ?

 

Yeah not too sure why some people are having fan issues, I've ran all of the following Windows 7 releases for over 12 months now

Beta 7000
Beta 7100
Professional 32bit

and now I'm running W7 Ultimate 64 bit and haven't seen a fan issue once, could be the version of P4G you are using? because there are no drivers on the Asus website, I had to go looking for drivers of other Asus notebooks and it seemed to work as you find some drivers are generic, but after a bit of playing around I have everything working, for P4G I used the one below

Power4Gear_Hybrid_WIN7_64_110019

As N72 Mentioned you can change the cooling to passive or active if you don't have P4G installed, but the version I use above changes the cooling system settings for you as you change switch to each power setting .

 

This seems more a hardware-level issue than a Windows problem (he doesn't get an image upon booting up, before entering Windows).

I suspect a GPU or screen near-failure.

As to the fan problems, I would suggest as a first step removing all power management software (including ASUS Power4Gear) and giving the latest BIOS + ACPI drivers a try.

 

I have BIOS 211

I installed a new copy of Windows 7 Ultimate

I cant install a 64 bits version on a 32 bits CPU right?

Downloaded the drivers from http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=100357

 

See my post... your problem sounds more like a hardware issue.

 

Headless,

Your problem may be CPU related, if it is the stock 1.83 Dual core cpu

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=27235&processor=T2400&spec-codes=SL8VQ,SL8VU,SL9JM,SL9JZ

It may not run the 64bit version of windows, after my global guarantee ran out, I upgraded to the next generation of CPU, this one which does support a 64bit OS;

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=27257&processor=T7600&spec-codes=SL9SD,SL9SJ

you can double check to see if your CPU can support a 64bit OS by following the link below;

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/...and-64-bit-Windows-frequently-asked-questions

under the section;

How do I tell if my computer can run a 64-bit version of Windows?

Enjoy

 

NZwaverider i have in fact the stock CPU and installed on it the 32 bits version of Windows 7.
Sometimes, after i start the ASUS and i don't get any picture, if i take off my battery and place it again the W3J starts normally LOL
Don't really think there's any interlocking beetwen the battery and the LCD but i think it has some kind of bad connection.

 

Yeah in that case, I would agree with E.B.E. It must be hardware related, or a loose connection, i'm not too sure where the connections for the screen are, but would suspect it runs up one of the hinges to the side, worth taking the back cover to see if anything has come loose.

 

Hi there, This is my first post but I have been reading the forum for some time. Thanks for all the help. (I thought I was the only crazy one who would order a battery then saw off one of the plastic pieces so it would fit )

Anyway, on to the question at hand and that is the ever present fan issue. Here is a summary of points that I have come up with so far.

* only happens on Win7 not WinXP
* fan turns on every second reboot. I turn on the computer in the morning and no fan starts and it gets hot (seen up to 91c) however if I reboot the fan will turn on.
* I cleaned out the fan exhaust area as shown on a previous post
* I turned on the Active Cooling in the power settings (does nothing)
* I am running the latest BIOS
* Win7Ultimate 32bit

I have attached an image of the event id but here is the text just in case it does not upload.

Code:

Event ID:35
Performance power management features on processor 1 in group 0 are disabled due to a firmware problem. Check with the computer manufacturer for updated firmware.

Does anyone have anymore ideas?
Could it be older versions of the w3J have the issue not new ones?
Has anyone posted or called Asus about this?

Any help would be appreciated as I am scared that one day it is going to melt on me. ;-)