ASUS Taichi series and Windows 8.1 upgrade - An Expensive Disaster

I found a new BIOS that Asus posted for the TAICHI21. After installing this, I went to the Microsoft store and downloaded 8.1. It installed and still had the issue. I then updated the Display Control to 1013 and everything works.

I share the same problem as everyone else and this is rapidly becoming an issue which will result in selling the taichi and not buying another Asus ever!

Is yours still working OK, and if so can you be a little more specific in what you did and I will attempt to copy you?

Yes asus customer support is useless.  support continue to deny an issue exists even though a fix is on their support pages! 

From win 8 run win update. Once up to date install 8.1, external screen fails. Navigate to www.asus.com/support , search for your taichi (under were here to help!) , select drivers and tools, OS 8.1, download bios files 205 and 211 to your desktop, unzip both to same location. From the same page download windows bios flash v 2.41.1, install and run the utility. Select the correct bios (utility wont allow the wrong bios to be installed), make sure the machine is plugged in, flash the bios. Restart, from same web page run vga driver update. Restart, buff off all the fingerprints..... Enjoy.

Thanks a lot from Spain, I almost gave up untill 

Your post. It Works!!

Since the release of Windows 8.1, the ASUS Taichi line of computers have not been able to be upgraded while maintaining a satisfactory user experience. These machines have dual displays. The external touch display is on the back of the internal LCD display. The ability to switch back and forth between these displays is broken by Windows 8.1. It works fine in Windows 8. The majority of the ASUS tools fail to function properly on Windows 8.1 also.

I understand this problem lies with ASUS and not Microsoft, but with Microsoft threatening to stop updates for Windows 8 in June, this is going to be an issue. My $1,200 laptop will no longer get support from the OS manufacturer for security updates, yet the hardware manufacturer leaves me hanging out to dry. I am far from impressed with ASUS on this, and will never purchase their hardware again.

I have seen some rather hocus pocus suggestions from various people in both the Microsoft and Asus forums. None of them worked for me. The only solution will have to come from Asus creating tools for this line of computer. It would be nice if Microsoft would lean on them a little. I am going to take my laptop back to the Microsoft Store that I purchased it from and see it they can help.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments, I would be interested in reading them.

I've had the same problem and the same lame excuses from ASUS. As a manufacturer they leave themselves open to online criticism about the lack of support, I suggest that you organize an Anti ASUS forum for people to vent and to give details of any support they have received, as an expensive piece of business equipment I can ill afford to pay such money for a run of the mill lap top and now at the same time have to look in to an additional monitor this was going to take the place of. Unless Asus grow up and look after their customers then they will become another has been company that no longer exists. Clients paying so much at the top end being left behind through sheer laziness does not build a customer base to live off.

Have you talked to Asus on any level about this, so far I've only talked to a call center but I am considering complaining further.

I've had the same problem and have tried to get help from ASUS.  All they do is keep giving me links to websites that are frankly useless to me.  I'm not too keen to mess about with BIOS and Video Drivers.  After all, if I buy a car and it stops working, I don't ring up the manufacturer to be told I have to fix it myself in my own garage using manuals I can't understand.

Given that I can boot to either the inside or outside screen depending on whether the lid is closed or not I've more or less decided to cut my losses and run it that way.  However, with the advent of Windows 10 and Microsoft urging us to update, should I take the risk of any more disasters with my TaiChi?  I suppose it's too much to hope that the problems will be fixed!

I have a $1200 Asus Taichi 21.  Issues from Day One.  Upgraded to 10 as Insider.  All was well until version RTM - 2.  Then keyboard went wonky.  If you type an A you get AZ...repeats across keyboard.  Some keys not functioning at all.  I worked extensively with a great CSR-tech at ASUS with no result.  It has now been handed off to a different rep whose attitude is too bad...no ASUS drivers for you.  Here is his email:

ASUS CASEID=RWTMXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hello Richard, Please try to utilize the Go Back feature in windows 10 to revert back to previous OS. Here is a link that covers how to do that: http://www.howtogeek.com/220723/how-to-uninstall-windows-10-and-downgrade-to-windows-7-or-8.1/ and also gives you some other ideas for things to try. Now as far as any updated drivers, I do not see them coming in the future. This unit does not support windows 10, I apologize for that, but that means we will not be coming out with updates for windows 10 on this machine. Cordell S. ASUS Corporate Customer Care

Emphasis added by this author.

If you go to the ASUS website and go to the Upgrade tab, and type in your ASUS model -- the upgrade response is 'NO'

I have heard SONY is doing the same thing to its Vaio client base -- no drivers for Windows 10.

Time for a class action suit against manufacturers????

Richard

Hi Richard,

Thanks so much for this information.  Due to my previous experience with Win 8.1 and useless tech advice from ASUS I held off upgrading to Win 10 and of course now I definitely will not. 

I had previously been a loyal ASUS customer and have owned many ASUS products over the years.  No longer !!  Their after sales service is absolutely appalling and I'll be telling everyone I know to steer clear of ASUS in the future!

Regards,

John