ASUS X205TA Problems

I have had mine for 2 days.
The main problem I have had is that ASUS Smart Gesture software that allows trackpad gestures like 2-finger scrolling up and down and side to side as well as other gestures such as pinch and zoom to work, randomly stops working. The trackpad then just works as a basic trackpad where you can only tap and use the scroll bars to move down a page.
It is super-annoying and I have to restart the laptop to fix it.
Apparently, Smart Gesture has had these issues for years. A Google search finds people complaining about this on other ASUS systems going back to 2012.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/700484-asus-smart-gesture-occasionally-disappearing.html

What makes the problem even worse for the X205TA is that the Smart Gesture software cannot be reinstalled or repaired. When I attempt to repair it, it prompts for installation files that are supposed to be in C:\Preload, but there is no such directory, so it fails.
I also cannot download and reinstall Smart Gesture from the ASUS site because they put these systems on the market prior to enabling the support and downloads site for it.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support-

When you click on the X205TA link, you just get an error that says "The URL you are looking for does not exist.
You probably used an expired or wrong URL. Please try to find out the information you need from the following links."

I also searched for Smart Gesture downloads on the ASUS site and I don't see the 32-bit version for 8.1 on the site. I only see the 8.1 64-bit and an older version 8.0 32-bit on the download page:
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download Touchpad

I was planning to install a fresh copy of 8.1 Pro or Enterprise, but before doing that I wanted to use it with the factory image for a couple of weeks to make sure everything works as expected.
If I had installed my own copy of Windows, the smart gesture issue would have surely be blamed on that.

If there is a fix for this, then I would want to go ahead and load Windows 8.1 Pro or Enterprise. However, since there are no drivers downloads, I would not be able to reinstall drivers and software not available from Microsoft or Intel websites (such as Broadcom wifi and bluetooth drivers, ASUS Smart Gesture, ASUS Splendid Video, RealTek software etc.)

Does anyone have a solution for the ongoing Smart Gesture problems other than restarting the computer or manually restarting the software every time it crashes or won't wake up?

Is there some way to get all the missing drivers and software that will not automatically install via Windows Updates if I load a generic copy of Windows 8.1 Enterprise or Pro 32-bit?

 

This is the software than comes preloaded:

 

Maybe the first thing to do would be to contact Asus Support and ask them if they have a Smart Gesture driver for use with Win 8.1 with Bing 32 bit. If they don't have it, then return the laptop.

Here is something you could try if you are so inclined. Go to this web site:
ASUS Transformer Book T100TA Win 8.1 32bit Driver, Utility, Manual
It is the site for drivers for the Asus Transformer Book T100TA with Windows 8.1 32 bit. A Smart Gesture driver is listed there. You could download it and give it a try on your X205TA. I have no idea if it will actually work, though. If it doesn't work, I would think you could roll back to the last driver using Device Manager.

 

I already tried an online chat with ASUS tech support and their only solution is to do a factory reset.
They said their are no drivers to download from their site because it is a new model and there are no driver updates yet.
I'm really disappointed and frustrated that a problems with smart gesture software they knew about back in 2012 on previous ASUS models is still happening on new models in 2014.
I'll take a look at the T100 32-bit software and see if the smart gesture software there might work any better than whats on the factory image or if reinstalling helps.
I have gone ahead and done a full factory reset and the only installed Windows Updates and I am not going to install any other apps or download anything else to see if I can go 4 days straight without Smart Gesture failing.
If it happens again and reinstalling the drivers from the T100 downloads page doesn't fix it, I'll return the laptop.

 

I just got my Asus X205TA today. I've been using it for a few hours, and the trackpad seems to be working OK. Device Manager says the trackpad driver is from Asus, dated 7/1/2014. Driver version is 3.0.0.33. I don't think l have Smart Gesture.

 

Try installing the latest version of Smart Gesture if you can, see how it behaves.
Also, you can also update the BIOS because sometimes it changes the way touchpad behaves.

 

Smart Gesture as dead again when I woke up the laptop to use it again today.
I'm going to try excluding the Smart Gesture Control Center exe from Windows Defender scanning just to see if that might be contributing to the problem.
If that fixes it, then great. If not, the software is just too buggy and the people who released this without fixing this problem known since 2012 are incompetent and need to be fired and I will be returning it for a refund.

 

The trackpad seems to be working fine without smart gesture, so I am just going to leave it that way. When I look at my list of installed programs in control panel>uninstall software, I can see smart gesture listed, but it doesn't seem to be active. If there is a smart gesture control center, it isn't showing up on my computer.

 

Smart Gesture would be in the Control Panel, Hardware and Sound and then there is another category there called ASUS Smart Gesture.
I use Smart Gesture all the time because it makes scrolling up and down a web page without having a touch screen much easier than repeatedly clicking on the scroll bar.
Pinch and zoom is also easier than going into the menu or using keyboard shortcuts to change the zoom level in the browser.
There are some other additional, but less useful gestures available, but those two make it worth having.

 

ASUS Smart Gesture v2.2.8 (Touchpad Driver) [Please update ATK Package V1.0.0020 or later in advance]
Click here to download.

 

The X205TA runs Windows 8.1 32-bit, not 64-bit.

 

The driver package should work on both x86 & x64 OS.

 

2.2.8 is older than 2.2.19 that came with the laptop.
Is 2.2.8 known to fix this issue?

 

My apology, I've overlooked the version # for X205TA.
2.2.19 is the latest, while 2.2.8 is older version.

 

Yup, I guess I do have Smart Gesture, and it is working. Thanks for the info.

 

I could see that the two pins at the bottom of the display screen would be scratching up my desktop before long, so I did a little modification to prevent that:
1. The pins (at least the pinhead that is sticking out) is of a plastic material, so I used my EXacto knife to cut them off flush. I then used a sharp toothpick to paint the exposed end of the pins that remained with flat black paint (my laptop is dark blue).
2. I applied adhesive-backed rubber foot pieces that I had laying around to the two rear feet on the bottom of the laptop. This raised the laptop enough so that the bottom of the screen lid doesn't contact the desk top. Since the pins are now gone, the main reason for adding the foot pieces is to prevent the bottom of the screen lid from getting scuffed up.

It is much better now. I can't even see where the pins were, and the laptop is nice and stable now that it is resting squarely on all four rubber feet. I am shocked that Asus would produce a product like this that would scratch your desktop. This is my first Asus laptop, and it sort of gives me a bad impression. Other than the pin issue, this laptop is great.

 

I am having a minor annoyance that I hope someone can help me with. The "Touch Keyboard" icon shows up in my taskbar, but I don't want it. I can remove it by right clicking on the taskbar and selecting Toolbars, and de-selecting touch keyboard. That then removes the icon for a while, but after several minutes, that icon will show up in the taskbar once again all by itself. How can I permanently remove that icon? Maybe there is a way to remove the touch keyboard app itself and that will take the icon along with it.

 

The problem returned even with disabling antivirus scanning of the Smart Gesture application file.
I found the best people can do about it is run a little script they can save on their desktop and click on to restart the Smart Gesture software whenever it fails so they can bring the gestures back without rebooting the laptop.
Not good enough. I'm returning the laptop for a refund.
I don't know what is wrong with ASUS developers that makes it impossible for them to figure out how to solve this problem that goes from 2012 to today and across multiple laptop models that use the Smart Gesture application.

 

I guess when I get this laptop I will just format it and install 64bit win8.1 on to it.

 

It won't work. Between Asus and Microsoft, they have it so locked up that you can only run Windows 8.1 with Bing 32 bit.

 

The touchpad is made by Elantech, but it's usually not that bad.
It is either the driver configuration or firmware glitch that caused the touchpad to act undesirably. Try other version of Smart Gesture driver, see what happens, and contact ASUS too if possible.

 

You can't and it wouldn't be useful with 2GB or RAM anyway. Might even make it slower and you cannot increase the RAM on this system to make up for it.
Minimum system requirement for 8.1 64-bit is 2GB RAM. So, this laptop would be running at the bare minimum the OS required if you could load the 64-bit version on it.
The 32-bit version of 8.1 minimum system requirement is only 1GB of RAM.

 

I have this computer and I paid $179.00 for it from the Microsoft Store. I will return it due the very poor Smart Gesture software that keeps failing.
It's also a bit laggy and stuttery scrolling down media-rich websites, but I was willing to live with that. I was a little disappointed, but not totally surprised by that. The track pad software failings are super annoying though.
Not sure I would be willing to re-buy it for $140 at Best Buy or Amazon or stand in line for hours Black Friday to try to get one for $100 at Staples if I still would have to deal with this problem.
I will probably drive by a Staples located in a quiet area 30 minutes before it opens and, if there is little or no line (maybe most people will be lining up outside Best Buy and Walmart), I'll walk in and pick one up for $100 on Black Friday and keep it as a spare emergency PC and justify dealing with the frequent track pad software problems due to bargain price.
Otherwise, I will pass on getting a replacement when I send this one back to Microsoft.

 

I called ASUS already and they had no solution other than doing a factory reset. I did the factory reset, installed no other software and the problem was still there. Works for a couple of days and then stops working again.
It also is not a unique problem with the X205TA. It is a known problem with other ASUS laptops that use Smart Gesture software.
I read the forum threads on the other models and they could not find a permanent fix. The best the forum posters could come up was the workaround of making a batch script you can click on that lets you restart the Smart Gesture processes without rebooting.
I don't have confidence that, if ASUS couldn't make a fix for all the other models with the same issue between when if was first reported in 2012 and today, that they will ever fix this for the X205TA.

 

MSI had issues with Elantech touchpad, but they released a firmware after that which resolved a lot of issues for their customers.
If it's not working right for you then perhaps removing the driver from the system may be the alternate solution.

 

If MSI found a fix, then ASUS should be able to also. However, they have not after 2 years, so that would mean they are either uninterested or incapable of doing what MSI did.
Removing the software would just mean the scrolling and pinch and zoom gestures never work instead of working until Smart Gesture crashes as it does now.

 

Can you try Elantech's touchpad software instead? Just curious if this would help you.
Click here.

 

I won't be downloading software or drivers from any sites like that.

 

I retract my previous comment after clicking the link...

Well I got mine and have the same issue. I have noticed that it only happens upon waking from a deep sleep. It has not happened to me while in constant use, so from that standpoint, its not too terribly annoying.

I did notice one other problem though, the speakers had an issue when watching a video on youtube where the volume would go up and down. Like when there was a scene where nothing was said for a bit, the speakers kinda went to sleep and had to fire back up when there was noise again. Wasn't exactly soft, loud, soft loud, but it was noticeable. I just got the thing and am still in the process of updating, but I was just wondering if anyone had this issue as well.

I also found another little issue. It seems like every now and again while browsing, I get a pop noise from the speakers. This happens for no reason what-so-ever. I can't find a way to replicate it. I suppose it could be a notification for something, but I don't really have much installed for that to be happening. It sounds almost like the facebook "pop" noise, but facebook is not running.

 

I also have a volume problem. I noticed it playing Netflix videos. Sound volume randomly drops noticeably for no apparent reason.
Sluggish, jittery scrolling on heavy websites is also getting annoying,
I'm shipping this back to Microsoft this weekend.
Just disappointing because I wanted to like this laptop since it looks nice for the price and is so light and portable and has a really nice screen for one that isn't IPS.

Maybe for $400 I'll be able to find something satisfactory next year that can do the basic tasks of "just working" without track pad glitches and audio problems and also have enough processing power and RAM to smoothly handle heavy websites, but still have a form factor similar to the X205..

 

I see your point, but keep in mind this has an MSRP of 199. At 400 you are doubling the cost and should easily have double the performance. (Quick idea suggestions: Inspiron 11 2-in-1, T200 transformer, Yoga 11 (all IPS and slightly faster)). For 200, this computer rocks. Some people will be able to get it for 99 and that is just an INSANE deal. I paid 140 from amazon and I am going to keep it regardless of its minor flaws. If these end up selling well, ASUS will release firmware issues to fix things. This computer is less than a month old and is still in development (in a way). Its not like they mass beta tests to get everything correct.

The volume thing really does tick me off though. I did notice that if I fullscreen youtube and move the mouse constantly, it does not fade the sound at all. I am guessing they just went a little too hard with the battery savings features or something along those lines. Did you happen to notice the issue when displaying through HDMI or listening through headphones? I am going to give those a whirl tomorrow and see how it goes, but if you already know... you will save me a few minutes of testing.

 

So does anyone know how to adjust the FN keys to do the other option opposed to the FN actions? I am pretty sure its through the bios, but I didn't exactly know how to get there (first ASUS).

Also as for moving the recovery partition to a USB or MicroSD card; will an 8gb card work if it only has 7.89GB? I tried and it said it has to be 8gb minimum, but I wasn't sure if there was a way around that. I don't want to waste a 16gb card/drive if I can use one of the few 8GBs I have laying around.

 

I have seen on other computers where you can swap order of the FN keys with the other option. That change was available in the BIOS of those computers. Unfortunately, the X205TA doesn't seem to have that option available in the BIOS, so you are stuck with it the way it is.

There doesn't seem to be much point in backing up the recovery partition to a USB flash drive or other media since you can't delete the recovery partition anyway.

 

The trackpad is just too irritating since I use it all the time.
Now I think the scrolling problems on heavy websites is more an issue with the trackpad not working properly than it is an issue of lack of processing power.
Sometimes when I press harder on the trackpad, I can scroll with less stuttering. I feel like the track pad scrolling is "skidding," but if I press even a little harder, it registers as a click. So it's too hard to modulate. The trackpad/drivers/smart gesture software is just a mess.
I decided to raise the budget on the next laptop, because maybe nobody can make anything properly at this price. It doesn't matter how cheap it is if it isn't satisfactory. That's why Yugo is no longer selling cars in the US. $400 is still cheap for a laptop.

I don't want a hybrid tablet with keyboard dock because they are too top heavy and unbalanced. The X205TA was exactly the form factor I wanted, but it just doesn't work well enough.

The reason I don't think ASUS is going to fix the trackpad is because the same Smart Gesture problems were reported on other ASUS devices 2 years ago and they chose not to fix. No reason to believe ASUS is going to fix it for the X205 when they didn't fix it on the other previous models.

 

Oh... I didn't know that the recovery partition was not removable...

 

X205TA ISSUES v1.6​

After having this MBA-killer for a few months, here are some of the problems I've been able to solve (and a few on the workbench):

1) 8.00 GB partition dedicated to recovery that's needed for added local storage.

• The product FAQ mention the ability to install Backtracker to backup the recovery partition and delete it, but Backtracker doesn't install, instead producing the error:
  "ASUS Backtracker does not support your system."
• I can install Backtracker (3.0.7 or 3.0.8) from the 'Data' directory, but there is no option to 'Delete the recovery partition', even after backing it up.
• Having a WinSxS folder eat up another 5.5 GB is also annoying.
• WORKAROUND 1: For certain applications that require more space (ie. Steam), you can get cozy with symbolic links, which allow you to make better use of your microSD card.

2) Cursor occasionally jumps to random spot while typing.

• WORKAROUND 1: Go to PC Settings, PC and devices, Mouse and touchpad, change Touchpad settings to 'Long delay'.
• WORKAROUND 2: It's caused by the touchpad detecting a tap, which places the text cursor where-ever the mouse cursor is (annoying if you're using an actual mouse). If using a mouse, open ASUS Smart Gesture and select 'Disable touchpad when mouse is plugged-in'.

3) The X205TA Doesn't Fly Like an i7.

• Upgrade to the latest BIOS. v206/208 takes greater advantage of Turbo Boost, and disables SpeetStep/EIST (when plugged in) for an added boost.
• Follow these tips: How To Make Windows 8 Go Faster: 8 Tips For Improving Performance.
  The biggest tip here is to disable the 'Windows Search' indexing service.
• Disable 'Remote Assistance' (if never used)
  Open Control Panel, System, Advanced system settings, Remote (tab), uncheck 'Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer'.
• Disable Windows Defender Real-time Protection
  Warning: This is not recommended for the average user; do this at your own risk if you know what you're doing and value speed over security.
  Open Windows Defender, Settings (tab), uncheck 'Turn on real-time protection...'.
  This cuts down on background processes and speeds browsing, and is on the basis that 'user discretion is the best anti-virus'.
• While suitable for most tasks (and excellent when hooked up to a large high-res monitor), the nimble Intel Atom Z3735F isn't a top-of-the-line i7 processor that more easily renders video and crunches extensive data in the blink of an eye. Its main strength is in providing a useful computing experience at a very low wattage, which means a very long battery life on a very compact system.

FULLY RESOLVED​

Two-finger scrolling doesn't work after waking from sleep mode. (Resolved with latest ASUS Smart Gesture software.)

Touchpad is not automatically re-enabled after unplugging a mouse when the 'Disable touchpad when mouse is plugged-in' option is selected. (Resolved with latest ASUS Smart Gesture software.)

Intermittent changes in audio playback during media playback. (Resolved with the latest drivers.)

No High Performance mode which (in other laptops) disables SpeedStep/EIST to raise the cpu voltage for maximum performance. (Resolved with recent bios update.)

OTHER NOTES​

• The GPU is based on the Ivy Bridge GPU architecture, stripped down with performance closer to Sandy Bridge's GPU.
• Many 6th generation games (PS2/Xbox-era) PC games run very smooth without lag. I don't think this will run some of the newest FPSs.

 

I guess the problem is WIMboot, so there's no way to remove the recovery partition to use it.

May be this is the only way, but it makes no sense for me.

 

1. The taskill trick is a workaround to avoid having to restart the laptop when the trackpad stops working, but does not "solve" the problem. It cannot be solved until ASUS fixes this software. If ASUS ever fixes this (and the audio volume bug), I may revisit this laptop and maybe by then the 64GB model and additional colors will be out too. However, they may never fix it since it is a problem they seem to have been baffled by for years.

2. Horrible advice. The only way for that to be remotely safe is if you only use the laptop offline disconnected from the Internet. Perfectly benign websites get hacked on a daily basis and it is super easy to typo a URL and end up on a 100% malicious typo-squatting website by having a single letter off in the web address.
If someone would need you to teach them how to disable real-time protection, they are not going to be able to be tech savvy enough to recognize Trojan software, obfuscated urls in hyperlinks etc. and even if they are, that doesn't protect them from a newly infected website that has an otherwise good reputation. This is just such a bad idea in so many ways.

Does't hurt to disable remote assistance if it isn't something you will ever use, but the laptop really isn't slow and I doubt the idle remote assistance service is using enough resources to be noticeable. However, if you will never use it, might as well disable it. Only problem will be a year later you might have a reason to use it and forget why it isn't working.
Only random "slowness" I noticed was sporadic stuttery scrolling on pages and I later determined that the junky Smart Gesture trackpad software was a big part of the blame for that because pressing harder sometimes helped the scrolling work better and sometimes pressing harder registered as a click.

 

(Please delete.)

 

Thank you for the tips will be checking this out tonight, I too had the sound issue haven't noticed the trackpad yet. I'm sorry if this has been posted here alread but I Just got to messing around with mine last night. For some reason they sent the drive encrypted, I went into Windows settings and Unencrypted it. Crystalmark scores went from ~60-80MB which I was pretty disappointed about, to 160MB. I have screens at home showing the change don't have them here to post. If you don't need it encrypted which I'm sure most won't, disable it immediately. Still trying to figure out the low sd speeds a 45MB per sec card is scoring between 12-20MB. My venue8pro ran it like 40+

 

Bummer this isn't an easy straightforward procedure to date - that partition makes up an entire 25% of the internal storage.

 

(Please delete.)

 

I agree the task-kill trick is a workaround for a problem that ASUS needs to address by correcting the bugs in their gesture software.

As for the advice to disable real-time protection in Windows Defender to achieve better performance, it 'is' indeed bit maverick (dangerous) for the average user who's more vulnerable to encountering phishing sites and exposure to malware. I've recently had to disinfect others' anti-virus-protected computers from the recent SearchProtect trojan, bogus coupon software, FLV players (among other garbage) that users naively install when intending to install something else. This suggestion is definitely an extended measure that prioritizes speed over security on a laptop that has 2GB of memory and a processor that idles around 500MHz.

 

Sounds like another great performance measure - I did the same today but haven't tested transfer speeds.

 

Hi guys,

Not really experienced any of the touchpad issues myself (apart from occasionally having to tap twice) but I did have the audio volume issue (where it seems to decrease and increase seemingly randomly).

Anyway, I tried out this driver which is slightly newer than the once pre-installed and it appears to have sorted the problem, although it is 3am here and I haven't tested it thoroughly. If anyone wants to give it a shot here is the link:
Realtek_I2S_Audio_6.2.9600.4181

Just install over the top (make sure you make a system restore beforehand!).

Would love to know if this sorts it for anyone else or if it's just my imagination.

EDIT: Asus have updated the drivers on their support site and the latest version available from them is now 6.2.9600.4192 . Should hopefully also resolve volume issue.

 

I reinstalled windows 8.1 32bit and installed all the drivers from the site. Did all windows updates and installed Office and I have 12GB free now in staid of 4GB. Now the recovery takes up only 300mb instaid of 8GB.

Still there is 1 unknown device. I think it's the SD card reader since my SD card isn't recognised. I have a 256GB that worked perfectly before but not it doesn't show up.


Edit 1: I tried a 4GB sd and it finds that one. Really strange... And there is still 1 unknown device...

EDIT 2: The missing driver was "Realtek_I2S_Audio_6.2.9600.4200"

 

For people still having problems where the smart gesture software stops working after resume, this seemed to work for me:

Create a .bat file with the following commands:

Code:

taskkill /f /im AsusTPCenter.exe
taskkill /f /im AsusTPHelper.exe

The problem seems to be with these and not AsusTPLauncher. After the .bat runs, AsusTPLauncher will automatically restart those applications.

Put the .bat somewhere where you won't mind leaving it permanently. I put mine in C:\Utility\Scripts\

Now you want to schedule this .bat to run every time the laptop resumes. Press Win + R and enter 'Taskschd.msc' to run the Task Scheduler. Click create basic task, and give it a name. Description is optional. Set trigger to 'When a specific event is logged'. Set log to 'System', source to 'Kernel-Power', and event ID to '507'. On my x205ta I found this event to happen every time it resumed from sleep. I assume it is the same for all x205ta laptops. If you find these instructions do not seem to work for you, if may be that this event does not happen on your x205ta. Try looking up how to use the Event Viewer to find an event that always happens upon resume for you.

Set action to 'start a program'. Set program/script to the .bat file you made. Click next. Check 'open the properties dialog for this task when I click finish'. Click finish.

Click 'change user or group'. If you are on an administrator account, type in 'system' and click ok. If you are not on an administrator account, type in the name of your admin account and click ok. Select 'run whether user is logged in or not'. Check 'run with highest privileges'.

Click on the 'conditions' tab. Uncheck 'start the task only if the computer is on AC power'.

It wouldn't hurt to go to the 'settings' tab and change 'stop the task if it runs longer than' to '1 hour', and 'if the task is already running, then the following rule applies' to 'stop the existing instance' just in case the .bat fails to close on it's own for whatever reason.

Click ok. Enter login credentials if necessary.

If you want to test it to make sure the .bat is actually running each time you resume, add a temporary third command to the .bat:

Code:

echo test>>C:\TEST.txt

Put it to sleep, wake it up, and then check for the TEST.txt file in the root directory of C:\. Subsequent resumes will add a line of text to the file each time.

I imagine this will work for other pc models having this issue with the ASUS SmartGesture software, though you might have to use a different event for the task scheduler.

Hope this helps.

 

By the way, my x205ta had a problem a while ago where it wouldn't resume from sleep. The power light was on but it wouldn't respond in any way and the screen was off. It didn't become usable again until the battery had completely drained. Normally if this happens with a laptop the solution is to remove the battery and drain the capacitors, but what with the non easily removable battery, it would be nice to have a viable workaround. I assume it would void my warranty if I tried to take out the battery, besides.

Anyone know if there another way to do a hardware reset? Holding down the power button didn't work, but I know with some laptops you have to hold a special key combination.

Hopefully this won't happen again. Maybe the BIOS update resolved whatever issue caused it.

 

Hold the power button for more than 10 seconds.

 

Has anyone been able to successfully delete that 8GB recovery partition without reinstalling Windows?