Windows 8 Support Information

Upgrade information and installation process for NB, EPC, AIO, Tablet, Desktop, and Eee Box.

Windows 8 ready motherboards.

FAQ

• [Important: read before upgrade] AMD graphics card driver

  Solution

  If your system has independent AMD graphics card, please follows the steps below to ensure proper function after the upgrade to Windows 8:

  1. Uninstall all graphics card driver including Catalyst Control Center under Windows 7.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
  3. Install the latest AMD graphics card driver.
• [Important: read before upgrade] NVIDIA graphics card driver

  Solution

  If you system is equipped with nVIDIA GT630M graphics card, Please follow the steps below to ensure proper function after the upgrade to Windows 8.

  1. Uninstall the graphics card driver under Windows 7.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
  3. Install the latest nVIDIA graphics card driver.

  OR

  1. Update nVIDIA graphics card driver to version V9.18.13.0668 or later version through Windows Update or ASUS LiveUpdate.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
• [Important: read before upgrade] Ralink Bluetooth driver

  Solution

  Please follow the steps below to ensure proper function after the upgrade to Windows 8.

  1. Uninstall the Bluetooth driver under Windows 7.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
  3. Install the latest Bluetooth driver.
• [Important: read before upgrade] Intel WIDI driver

  Solution

  Please follow the steps below to ensure proper function after the upgrade to Windows 8.

  1. Uninstall the Intel WIDI driver under Windows 7.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
  3. Install the latest Intel WIDI driver.
• [Important: read before upgrade] USB Charger+ software application

  Solution

  If yourl operating system is Windows 7, please make sure your USB Charger+ is version v2.0.8 or earlier version. Please do not upgrade USB Charger+ to v2.0.9 or later version to avoid compatibility issue.

• [Important: read before upgrade] IRST(Intel Rapid Storage Technology) driver

  Solution

  Please DO NOT uninstall your IRST driver before upgrading to Windows 8. You can install the new IRST driver without removing the older driver.

• [Important: read before upgrade] IRST (Intel Rapid Start Technology) driver and Express Cache software application

  Solution

  Please follow the stps below:

  1. Uninstall Express Cache before the upgrade to Windows 8.
  2. Upgrade to Windows 8.
  3. Download and install Intel Rapid Start Technology(IRST) driver.
  4. Download and install Express Cache.

  The installation sequence of Intel Rapid Start Technology(IRST) and Express Cache must be in the above order.

• I would like to upgrade my Windows 7 PC to Windows 8.

  Solution

  If you purchased a Windows 7 PC between 2012/6/2 and 2013/1/31, you are eligible for Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade Offer program. For details, please refer to www.windowsupgradeoffer.com In addition, you can purchase desired Windows 8 edition from the market after 2012/10/26.

• Can I ask the service center to upgrade my operating system to Windows 8?

  Solution

  No, the service center is only authorized to install the factory preloaded operating system. If your system is preloaded with Windows 7, then the service center is allowed to install Windows 7 (with recovery partition) on your ASUS machine.

• Can I request ASUS to upgrade my operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro?

  Solution

  No, Windows 8 upgrade is processed solely by Microsoft. For more information, please refer to Microsoft Windows 8 Upgrade Offer website www.windowsupgradeoffer.com

• My new machine is preloaded with Windows 8. Can I downgrade it to Windows 7?

  Solution

  No,downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 7 is not an option.

• Why is there no Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker on my machine?

  Solution

  For Windows 8, activation is done with a new process. There is no need for Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker or entering product key.

• For the App purchased from Windows Store, what is the maximum number of PCs I can install my App on?

  Solution

  You can install your purchased App from Windows Store on maximum of five computer systems.

• If my hard drive crashes after I upgraded my operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 8, will the service center install Windows 8 on my new hard drive upon repair service?

  Solution

  No, the service center is only authorized to install the original factory pre-installed operating system. If your system is pre-installed with Windows 7, then the service center is allowed to install Windows 7 (with recovery partition) upon repair.

• After I upgrade my operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 8, can I still run Windows Office Starter 2010?

  Solution

  You must install and update Office Starter 2010 that came with your Windows 7 PC before upgrading to Windows 8. If you don't install the latest version of Office Starter 2010 before upgrading to Windows 8, you will not be able to use it after the upgrade is completed. For more information, please refer to Microsoft KB 2742694, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274269

• Windows 8 editions

  Solution

  Windows 8 is available for consumers in two editions, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. In addition, there is Windows RT available pre-installed on PCs and tablets powered by ARM processors. However, Windows RT is not considered to be an edition of Windows 8.

• What is PAE, NX, and SSE2 and why does my PC need to support them to run Windows 8?

  Solution

  Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX processor bit (NX), and Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 (SSE2) refer to features of the processor. PAE enables 32-bit processors to access more than 4 GB of physical memory on capable versions of Windows and is a prerequisite for NX. NX allows the processor to help guard the PC from attacks by malicious software. SSE2 (a standard on processors for a long time) is an instruction set that is increasingly used by third-party apps and drivers. For Windows 8, for your malware defense features to work reliably we require that your processor support NX. To enhance the reliability of third-party apps and drivers running in Windows 8, SSE2 is also required. If your PC doesn't support PAE, NX, and SSE2 you won't be able to install Windows 8. Upgrade Assistant will provide you with an error message if your processor doesn't support PAE and SSE2. You'll also see a notice if the processor might not support NX or if NX is turned off in the PC BIOS. Windows 8 Setup will attempt to turn on NX during installation and, if it isn't able to, will return your PC to the current operating system. If you do purchase Windows 8 and can't install it, contact support for assistance.

• What are the system requirements for Windows 8?

  Solution

  If you want to run Windows 8 on your PC, here's what it takes :

  Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
  RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
  Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

   

  Additional requirements to use certain features:

  To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch (more info)
  To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768
  To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768
  Internet access (ISP fees might apply)
  Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database
  Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance
  Microsoft account required for some features
  Watching DVDs requires separate playback software (more info)
  Windows Media Center license sold separately (more info)
  BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (Windows 8 Pro only)
  BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or a USB flash drive (Windows 8 Pro only)
  Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (Windows 8 Pro only)
  A TV tuner is required to play and record live TV in Windows Media Center (Windows 8 Pro Pack and Windows 8 Media Center Pack only)
  Free Internet TV content varies by geography, some content might require additional fees (Windows 8 Pro Pack and Windows 8 Media Center Pack only)

• Do I need Microsoft account to use Windows 8?

  Solution

  No, you can still use local account on your Windows 8 system. However, to ensure complete Windows 8 experience, it is strongly recommended that you use Microsoft account to log into your Windows 8 system.

• After I upgrade to Windows 8, I am unable to use F9 Recovery function.

  Solution

  Due to Windows 8 limitation, F9 function key no longer functions. If you would to use the built-in recovery partition to restore to Windows 7, please download and run ASUS recovery utility. It will initiate the Windows 7 recovery process.
  Click here to download.

• I cannot play DVD in Windows 8.

  Solution

  Windows 8 does not have DVD decoder built-in. To play DVD, you must use third party DVD software application, or purchase Windows Media Center from Microsoft.

• How do I install Windows Media Center or upgrade to Windows 8 Pro?

  Solution

  1. At Start Screen, click Desktop tile or press Windows+D to enter Desktop.
  2. Place your mouse in the top or lower-right corner of your display. The Charms will appear on the right side of your display. Click the Settings Charm.
  3. Under Settings, click "Control Panel."
  4. Under Control Panel, click "System and Security."
  5. Click "Add features to Windows 8."
  6. Follow the instructions on the screen.
• How do I recover my system to factory state in Windows 8?

  Solution

  1. Place your mouse in the top or lower-right corner of your display, or press Windows+C shortcut. The Charms will appear. Click Settings Charm.
  2. Click "Change PC settins" at the bottom of your display.
  3. On the left side menu, click "General."
  4. Scroll down on the right side, and click "Get started" button underneath "Remove everything and reinstall Windows."
• How do I shut down my system?

  Solution

  1. Place your mouse in the top or lower-right corner of your display, or press Windows+C shortcut. The Charms will appear. Click Settings Charm.
  2. Click "Power", and then click "Shut down".
• Where can I find information on my Windows 8 product key?

  Solution

  1. At Start Screen, click Desktop tile or press Windows+D to enter Desktop.
  2. Place your mouse in the top or lower-right corner of your display. The Charms will appear on the right side of your display. Click the Settings Charm.
  3. Under Settings, click "PC info."
  4. This brings up the system information page as shown below. In Windows Activation section, click "View details in Windows Activation."
• An error message pops up when pressing Fn+F3 keys to open Outlook or Windows Mail.

  Solution

  Please update ATK driver to version v1.0.0024 or later version to resolve this issue. Click here to download.

• Which ASUS software application is not compatible with Windows 8?

  Solution

  The following ASUS software applications are not compatible with Windows 8: ASUS Rotation Desktop, PWR Option (Power Key), FaceLogon, ASUS WebStorage, Wireless Console, ASUS ControlDeck, ASUS Folder, Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor, ASUS Screen Saver.

• After upgrading my operation system to Windows 8, whenever I power on the system, SonicFocusTray.exe error window pops up.

  Solution

  If Sonic Focus, Sonic Master, MaxxAudio or SRS is installed on your system, please uninstall the software application as well as the audio driver. Then, restart the system, and install the latest versions of audio driver and software application.

• How do I boot to DOS with USB Flash drive or USB CD-ROM?

  Solution

  1. Enter the BIOS setup menu by pressing and holding F2 key when powering on.
  2. Switch to “Boot” and set “Lunch CSM” to Enabled.
  3. Switch to “Security” and set “Secure Boot Control” to Disabled.
  4. Press F10 to save and exit.
  5. Press and hold ESC key to lunch boot menu when the notebook restarts.
• When you enter OOBE (Out-of-box Experience) the first time with German, French, Chinese, or Japanese as default language, you may not be able to set Microsoft Account that hs @ sign.

  Solution

  Skip Microsoft Account setup during OOBE. Use local account to sign in the first time. Then you can set up Microsoft Account. This issue will not occur after completing OOBE. For details, please refer to Microsoft KB, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2779945.

• Can I use backup files in C:\eSupport folder(ASUS Install Wizard folder) or driver CD to install drivers after I re-install Windows 8? How can I install driver?

  Solution

  Yes. You could use the backup files of C:\eSupport or Driver CD to install ASUS drivers and APs after you re-install Windows 8. Please follow below steps.

  1. Please copy all the files in C:\eSupport folder (ASUS Install Wizard folder) to an external storage device. If you already have a Driver CD, this step could be skipped.
  2. Complete the installation of Windows 8;
  3. Then please go to Control Panel => Programs and Features => Turn Windows Features on or off and enable .Net Framework 3.5 (select the check box). Then click on ok.
  4. Finally, you could run ASUS Install Wizard.exe (AsInsWiz.exe) in eSupport backup folder which you have copied to your external storage or in the Driver CD and click on Install to install all ASUS applications and drivers （Note: Your Notebook will be required to restart several times during the installation progress.）.

  Detail information please refer to below link: http://www.asus.com/support/Search-Result-Detail/CA115EA3-0E98-99A6-0D5B-3BE9438294D8/?keyword=windows%208