Asus Utility and Bloatware Guide

[cwangsas]

Yes. The recovery discs created with AI Recovery are a direct image of what was on your harddrive when it was shipped to you. The DVD's you received with your laptop are Win7 install disc and Asus drivers/utilities disc, not images of the original harddrive installation.

Thanks. So is there anything I lose out on by not making AI Recovery generated disks? I'm figuring that if I need to I can just use the DVDs that came with the laptop to make the computer work again...

[MichaelKW]

I didn't take a close enough look at what was installed on the notebook by default when I bought it as I wiped the harddrives and did my own installs of clean retail XP and Win7.

There must be a difference as the AI Recovery set is 4 DVDs in size... Hopefully someone else can be more specific.

[braheem88]

I can tell you both right now, that the actual Windows 7 install disc that shipped with the g51j-a1 is pure garbage.

AI Recovery disks should be made, there are issues with using the disk(s) they sent. I've had to format my laptop a few times and I noticed the hdd recovery partition was more exhaustive in restoring the laptop to its factory shipped condition that I received it in. Many small components are missing from performing a recovery with the disks provided (Driver disk and windows 7 disc).

[EIement]

I didn't take a close enough look at what was installed on the notebook by default when I bought it as I wiped the harddrives and did my own installs of clean retail XP and Win7.

There must be a difference as the AI Recovery set is 4 DVDs in size... Hopefully someone else can be more specific.

why must there be a difference? when installed win7 is 14GB, which alone is 4 DVDs...all the AI Recovery does is mimic the recovery partition, which is basically an expanded version of the install media + drivers and bloatware

[SteveC5375]

Thanks so much for posting this information. I don't suppose anyone knows where documentation on how to use some of these utilities resides?

[JTF2]

Quick question, does anyone know why there is both an ATKOSD and ATKOSD2? Do they serve seperate functions? I believe the on screen display displays unless both are disabled.

Personally, I haven't uninstalled these, but I end their processes with the task manager whenever I game, so I can change the volume without messing up my screen.

[EIement]

ATKOSD shows the little OSD up in the left hand corner, OSD2 shows the gaudy central OSD that overlays on top of games and causes lag

[pk000]

Hey, does anyone know which utility is responsible for the grey 'caps lock on/caps lock off' display?

It messes my game up when I play Crysis...

Thanks!

[tallan]

There's an easy fix for somebody using a photo of you to fool SmartLogon: when you set it up (it makes a database of pictures of you) make a unique face, like by closing one eye, touching a finger to your nose, sticking out your tongue, etc., anything you don't do when photographed normally. Repeat that face/gesture for access.

[proview3r]

There's an easy fix for somebody using a photo of you to fool SmartLogon: when you set it up (it makes a database of pictures of you) make a unique face, like by closing one eye, touching a finger to your nose, sticking out your tongue, etc., anything you don't do when photographed normally. Repeat that face/gesture for access.

lol , good idea though.